Sérgio Conceição, the head coach of Al-Ittihad Club, criticized the refereeing decisions that accompanied his team's match against Machida in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League for the elite, which sparked widespread controversy after the final whistle.

The comment from the Portuguese coach came following the Asian Football Confederation's announcement of the exclusion of the referee who officiated the match, a move many considered an implicit acknowledgment of significant errors during the game.

Conceição expressed his dissatisfaction on his Instagram account, where he posted a brief message stating that the decision came too late, describing what happened as embarrassing, clearly indicating his displeasure with the timing.

The match witnessed refereeing errors that directly affected the course of the game and contributed to Al-Ittihad's loss by a score of 1-0, leading to their exit from the tournament in the quarter-finals amid a state of anger.

Those decisions sparked a wave of widespread criticism within the club's corridors, along with significant public discontent, especially given the importance of the match in the team's continental journey this season.

The club is preparing in the upcoming period to return to local competitions, as it faces Al-Taawoun in the next round of the Roshn Professional League, aiming to quickly overcome the effects of the Asian exit.