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What did the legend of the Saudi Arabian national team say?
Former Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Dea’i has launched a scathing attack on the Football Association, holding it largely responsible for the Greens’ early exit from the 2026 World Cup, stressing that poor administrative decisions and a lack of a clear plan led the team to this fate.
Al-Dayeh said during his statements on the program “Our role is different.”The decision to sign Greece’s Georgios Donis shortly before the start of the World Cup was a serious mistake, considering that the coach failed to lead the team or treat the players in the desired way.
He added that Donis has known Saudi football for many years, but the team appeared lackluster at the World Cup, noting that the squads the coach relied on and the technical decisions he made were not up to the level of the event, calling on the Football Association to cut ties with him and sign a new technical director who can lead the next round.
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Al-Dea’i stressed that the crisis is not just about the coach, but rather extends to the lack of a clear strategy within the Saudi Arabian Football Association, explaining that big teams enter every tournament with a long-term plan, while solutions in Saudi Arabia are limited to changing coaches without addressing the root of the problem.
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He noted that the Saudi national team has not won a major championship since 2003, reflecting the extent of Saudi football’s decline, calling for the benefit of the experience of successful teams, led by Japan, which rely on integrated design and programs that evolve from one tournament to the next.
Al-Deya concluded his remarks by emphasizing that Saudi Arabia has a national training capacity worthy of the opportunity, led by Khaled Al-Attawi and Saad Al-Shehri. However, the Football Association, he described, feared a backlash from fans and the media, which prevented them from leading the first team or working in its technical staff, despite extensive experience in developing Sunni players and teams.
