Derby Day Debrief: Fabinho Owns Up After Jeddah Clash and Apologizes to Fans
6 March 2026
What Fabinho Said After the Derby
The Brazilian midfielder Fabinho of Al Ittihad explained the reasons behind the 3-1 defeat in the Jeddah derby against archrivals Al Ahli.
Al Ittihad were beaten 3-1 on Friday at a stadium in Jeddah, in the 25th round of the Roshan Saudi Pro League.
Key Points from His Post-Match Remarks
He told the Eight TV channel after the game: "I think the first 20 minutes were sharp in terms of intensity and fighting spirit; after that we conceded on a counter attack."
He added: "It was good to level the score at 1-1, but then another defensive mistake cost us against a side with high quality, and we paid the price."
He also sent an apology to the Al Ittihad fans: "To our fans in Jeddah, thank you to everyone who attended; unfortunately we did not deliver the performance we wanted."
Finally: "Not only the result matters, but in these matches we must be more present physically and mentally, and fight harder; unfortunately that is what we missed today."
Punchline time: If defending were a sport, we’d be champions of nothingness. And if effort counted as goals, we’d already be lifting a trophy—only problem is the scoreboard hasn’t caught up yet.
