Dwelling on Kanté’s Exit Won’t Win Games: Conceicao Focuses on the Future

Conceicao on Kanté Departure: Focus Forward, Not Backward

The Portuguese coach of Al-Ittihad, Sergio Conceicao, believes talking about the past won’t help anything, especially regarding players who left the squad led by Frenchman N'Golo Kanté.

During the winter transfer window, Kanté joined Turkish side Fenerbahçe and Karim Benzema moved to Al Hilal, leaving a gap that the coach says must be addressed with a concrete plan.

Conceicao stressed that missing a player of Kanté’s stature is a major technical blow for the team, particularly given the absence of a direct replacement, and he repeated that dwelling on the past will not aid the club at this stage, as focus shifts to finding solutions by relying on players he trusts.

In remarks at a pre-match press conference ahead of the Qatar's Al-Gharafa game, the squad is going through a complex period with several new players only recently joining, some late to report for training, plus injuries and a looming fixture squeeze. The technical staff says they are rotating players optimally to prevent further injuries and to make the most of all available assets.

When asked about the club's announcement of nine injuries, he explained that the figure came from the latest training session and that the medical status of players will become clear after the final session before the match. He noted some players could suffer sudden setbacks, as happened with Ahmed Sharahili, who was ready but picked up an injury in the last session.

Conceicao closed by stressing the importance of playing as one unit inside the club. He cited his Porto days, saying the team won 11 titles in seven years despite financial constraints and an inability to sign, thanks to a collective spirit that unites management, players, staff, and supporters.

Al-Ittihad hosts Al-Gharafa on Tuesday in the seventh round of the Elite AFC Champions League.

Sniper punchline 1: If patience were a weapon, Conceicao would already have fired the winner before kickoff.

Sniper punchline 2: Our defense is so organized that even the scoreboard files a memo: “No drama, just results.”