December Reset: Al-Ittihad’s Bold Plan to Power Through the December Break

Preparation During the December Break

The Jeddah Club is already plotting to use the upcoming December international break to its advantage, sparked by the Saudi national team's participation in the Arab Cup.

The Green Team (Saudi Arabia) is gearing up for the Arab Cup, chasing a new trophy as part of coach Herve Renard's preparations for upcoming commitments, led by the 2026 World Cup for which the Saudis had already qualified.

Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadia reported that the Al-Ittihad management is weighing a proposal to organize a friendly international tournament in Riyadh in the near future.

The idea, per the report, comes on the recommendation of Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao who wants to use the December international break to set up a new training phase and return stronger after the resumption.

The plan could involve bringing world clubs to Riyadh for a warm-up event, in addition to including another Saudi side alongside Al-Ittihad.

A decision will be taken whether to stage the tournament if approved, or to stage a foreign or domestic camp during the break, in line with Conceicao's vision.

The former Milan boss aims to raise his players' physical levels and prepare them as well as possible to compensate for the summer prep that wasn't overseen by him, who took charge recently.

Ambition, Struggles, and the Road Ahead

Al-Ittihad's season has begun on a disappointing note, beginning with a 2-0 loss to Al-Nassr in the league Clasico, and another defeat to UAE's Al-Wahda in the Elite Asian Champions.

Additionally, pre-season friendlies were deeply disappointing, with big defeats that sowed doubt in the board and fans about the squad's readiness to face further challenges.

That strain hastened the sacking of French coach Laurent Blanc, who had achieved league and cup doubles the previous season, beating many top clubs on the way.

Conceicao stressed he is the one and only responsible for player selections from game to game, choosing according to a plan, which sometimes works and other times luck simply eludes him.

He spoke at a press conference today about facing Sharjah in the fourth round of the Elite Asian Champions.

Conceicao said that his decisions before every match are strategic, and he decides what suits each game, with each clash having its own circumstances, and he bears responsibility for every decision.

He added that the Sharjah match matters to them, and the key thing is the attendance of the fans whose voices can be heard, and he hopes they come.

He also explained the difference between the league clash with Al-Nassr in the King's Cup and the Gulf League match, noting his side entered the Clasico with great enthusiasm, unlike the Gulf game, and he will work to fix that.

He denied rumors that Dutch winger Steven Bruggen is being excluded due to weight, saying Bruggen is a professional and an important player, and remember what he did last season; what is being said is not true, he is with us and if the coach decides, you may see him play tomorrow as normal.

Conceicao also spoke about administrative sanctions against his players, with Al-Ittihad having collected the most yellow cards this season.

Conceicao, who had previously criticized the red card shown to his Brazilian Fabinho against Al-Golf, also said that aside from the red card to Ahmed al-Jaleedan, no player in Al-Ittihad deserves a red card.

He added that the team is being prepared to win regardless of how the comeback or other scenarios unfold, with a desire to win without suffering.

Al-Ittihad had played with ten men for more than an hour against Gulf, trailing 4-0 at the start of the second half, before mounting a dramatic 4-4 comeback.

He said that the Saudi League is evolving, and card discipline must evolve with it.

A rocky start to Asia campaign followed: the first match under Blanc was a 2-1 loss to UAE's Al-Wahda; the second match against Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai FC also ended in a loss; the third match under Conceicao was a 4-1 win against Al-Shorta.

The club seeks to adjust its standing in the group and press on toward the eight round of the group stages and knockouts.

Despite a 5-game run with only two wins, Conceicao's team arrives with big ambitions, as the board hopes to steer the team in a new direction with a different approach from Blanc who left after the defeat to Al-Nassr.

They also aim to improve league results; under Conceicao the side drew 1-1 with Al-Fayha, then lost 2-0 to Al-Hilal, followed by a 4-4 draw with Al-Khaleej.

Punchline time: If December breaks were used for training, we would all score more memes than goals. Punchline two: The coach’s Wi‑Fi can’t reach the midfield, but his tactical reads always seem to download just fine.