Portuguese Jorge Jesus, head coach of Al-Nassr, voiced his complaint about what he sees as an advantage for his rival in the Saudi Pro League ahead of a match with Al-Hazm.
Al-Nassr travels to Riyadh's First Park for Round 23 of the Pro League, hoping to close the gap as the season nears its end.
In a Friday press conference Jesus explained that the team must focus on the players available and the season as a whole. He noted that other teams have 12 to 15 foreign players, which creates some imbalance, but he is happy with his current squad.
He pointed out that Al Hilal is the only team in the league with 14 foreign professionals, excluding players on loan.
Earlier statements sparked wide debate and a formal complaint from the club.
Reports later said that Al Hilal decided to file a complaint over remarks alleging the club has strong ties with major entities in Saudi Arabia that help it win.
In response, Al Hilal issued a statement rejecting the accusations as defamatory and saying they damage sports and the Saudi sports project.
RAMADAN TRAINING
Jesus also discussed changes to training schedules during Ramadan, with players training during daytime while fasting.
He described it as a new experience and said they asked players to try this timing.
He added that the team will assess fitness day by day since he used to train at night and will review ongoing.
Regarding tomorrow's match, Jesus said that this is another test for the team after seven consecutive wins and they are chasing an eighth.
The squad is currently injury free and they are waiting for support from the fans in the stands.
Asked about the likely starting goalkeeper for the Al Hazm game, he said that today's training will decide the squad. Bento remains in contention, Nawaf Al Aqidi performed well in the last match, and Aniego may not be present, which could open a spot for eight foreign players.
