Mido calls out Conceicao as Derailment Hits Al-Ittihad in Saudi Clasico

Match fallout and coach’s choices

Ahmed Hossam "Mido", the former Egyptian football star, highlights the mistakes Sergio Conceicao made as Al-Ittihad’s coach ahead of and during the loss to Al-Hilal in the sixth round of the Saudi Roshen Pro League.

Al-Ittihad fell 2-0 at home in front of a full house, continuing their struggles in defending the title and marking the first defeat under the current coach after he succeeded Laurent Blanc following another Clasico loss to Al-Nassr with the same score.

Mido criticized Conceicao’s decisions both before and during the game, saying some choices "killed" the Clasico for Al-Ittihad, such as starting the young goalkeeper Hamad Al-Shinqiti.

In a TV interview, Mido stated: "In a big game like this, the manager’s most important role is the goalkeeper, because he’s the one who can make the difference, but Conceicao’s selection wasn’t successful, and I’m not saying this just because of the second‑goal mistake."

He added that it was the season’s match for the club and that the goalkeeper should reassure the defenders; the second goal would not have slipped past Raikovic.

He noted it makes little sense that Al-Ittihad did not mount a single serious attack against 60,000 fans in attendance.

He also praised Inzaghi’s work, saying the Italian coach of Al-Hilal allowed the rival to control possession but still had the better threat and danger.

"Marcus Leonardo is a natural No. 9, a top center forward who finishes chances," he said.

He reiterated talks about Darwin Nunez joining Al-Hilal, arguing the Liverpool veteran has decision‑making issues in attacks that waste key chances for his team.

Control, but!

Hamad Al-Muntashri, a former Al-Ittihad star, though the team lost, felt the effort and control were strong, arguing the victory came down to a few decisive errors rather than overall dominance.

Al-Muntashri also criticized the reaction of some players, noting that top talents like Benzema and Diaby were off today, and that Diaby, when receiving the ball, looked for Benzema to link up.

He added that Hilal’s win might be attributed to its coach Inzaghi, even if the performance wasn’t outstanding, and that the leader didn’t capitalize enough from substitutions.

The unmistakable verdict

Ahmed Al-Etif criticized Inzaghi despite the victory, saying the coach concealed Hilal’s identity with his approach, which he viewed as problematic.

He also pointed to Jorge Jesus as a potential benchmark for other teams in the league, arguing the Portuguese coach could bring a different balance if given similar resources.

Triple-check the scoreline

Hilal collected a crucial 2-0 win on Friday at the Al-Inma Stadium, a result that deepens Al-Ittihad’s menace in the title race.

The first goal came in the 41st minute through an own goal by Mamadou Doumbia, who accidentally redirected a cross into his own net from Robin Neves’s delivery.

That goal marked the fourth own goal this season in the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Ittihad oddly benefiting from at least one own goal while also scoring an own goal themselves earlier this campaign.

Earlier in the season, Al-Ittihad benefited from an own goal by Saeed Al-Rubaei of Al-Akhdoud in a 5-2 victory, as the league continued to surprise with fortunate twists.

In addition to Doumbia and Al-Rubaei, Abdullah Dokouri of Neom and Jamal Harakas of Damac have also contributed own goals this term.

Punchlines

Punchline 1: If tactics were a weapon, that game used a Nerf gun—fun to watch, but not really lethal in closing the deal.

Punchline 2: When in doubt about the coach’s plan, blame the goalkeeper—it’s the cheapest scapegoat and still keeps you in the headlines.