The Portuguese coach of the Al-Ittihad team, Sérgio Conceição, confirmed that the Clasico match against Al-Hilal was not easy, especially after the defender Hassan Kadesh was sent off at the beginning of the match, noting that the referee's decision was a matter of judgment.

Conceição said at the press conference after the match: "Regarding the red card situation, I respect the referee's decision, but today the red card is 50% discretionary; it could be given or not, because Pereira was involved in the incident."

He added: "I congratulate my players on their outstanding performance and great spirit, and I congratulate the Saudi people on the occasion of Founding Day. I am happy to be in this country where I have continued my coaching career."

In response to a question about the team's reliance on defense, the Portuguese coach said: "I don't know which match you were watching; with ten players, we were more dangerous than Al Hilal," emphasizing that his team did not abandon its attacking ambition despite being outnumbered.

He continued: "Doumbia is a young player and lacks some experience, but he delivered a high performance today, and all the players were at a great level, because playing against Al Hilal with ten players is extremely difficult."

He concluded his statements by emphasizing the importance of certain names in the lineup, noting that the bench lacked foreign players, unlike Al Hilal, which has high quality in both the starting and reserve lineups. He added, "Today, we narrowed the gap with spirit."