Calm Winds, Bold Bets: Bergwijn Poised for a Return as Conceicao Reboots Al-Ittihad
14 November 2025
Step Toward Calm
Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, the manager of Al-Ittihad, is close to reintegrating a previously banished winger into the starting lineup in the near future.
Al-Ittihad will resume play after the current international break, hosting Al-Riyadh at the Enma Stadium on Friday in the ninth round of the Roshn Saudi League.
Saudi newspaper Today reported that Conceicao has promised his Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn a place in the starting XI after failing to secure a starting spot in recent matches.
Bergwijn has had limited opportunities since Conceicao took charge, with only two starts and one substitute appearance, while he has been left out of the squad in four other games.
Bergwijn started in the 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha and in the 3-0 win over Sharjah in the Elite stage of the AFC Champions League, and he came on as a substitute in the 2-1 victory over Al-Nassr in the King Cup.
In contrast, the Ajax alumnus missed matches in losses to Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli and a 4-4 draw with Al-Khaleej in the league, and he did feature in the 4-1 win over Al-Shorta in the Elite AFC Champions League.
Conceicao tends to rely on the Dutch winger Roger Fernandes in the starting lineup, alongside Frenchmen Moussa Diaby and Karim Benzema, while Bergwijn is left out due to the eight foreign players rule.
Uncertain Future
Conceicao's promise to Bergwijn may be an attempt to calm the squad amid reports of tension in the locker room caused by the coach's tactical approach in training and matches.
The trusted journalist Santi Ona has previously stated that the relationship between Conceicao and several players is very tense.
Teammates believe the coach's style does not suit the club's nature or the players' current capabilities.
Since Conceicao arrived, the team has not recorded a domestic win in seven matches, with three wins overall, all from outside the Roshn Saudi League.
He has not tasted a league win in four games, with two draws and losses to Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli.
Nevertheless, under Conceicao the team did record victories against Al-Shorta and Sharjah in the Elite AFC Champions League and beat Al-Nassr in the King Cup.
Despite a potent attack—14 goals in seven matches—the defense has conceded 10, underscoring an imbalance.
Future uncertain: reports already discuss a fresh decision on the coaching staff; not only was Laurent Blanc's departure last season, but rumors name Didier Deschamps as a possible successor, though such a move could clash with the club's preference for stability around Benzema.
Yet a change does not guarantee improvement; past upheavals show that replacing coaches can backfire, with interim Hassan Khalifa briefly in charge before Argentine Marcelo Giayardo arrived, and results not necessarily improving.
The net effect has been a slide in the league standings and a failure to qualify for the next Elite AFC Champions League.
Still, the club remains capable of big performances, as shown by earlier wins in Asia, suggesting the door remains ajar for a revival.
Punchline 1: If Bergwijn starts, the crowd might finally see what off-ball movement looks like—it’s basically a stylish stroll from the bench to a game-changing moment.
Punchline 2: In football, as in sniping, timing is everything—and right now the punchlines are on the coach, the players, and the glowing glow of a stadium light after a whistle.
