When the whistle sparked a storm: Conceicao erupts after the Saudi Clasico

Match overview

Sergio Conceicao, the Al Ittihad manager, erupted at one of the match officials after the final whistle of the clásico.

He walked onto the pitch to shake hands with his players after facing Al Nassr, then turned angrily toward the fourth official, muttering a few words and gesturing before leaving.

Conceicao, along with his players, had argued with the referee over a decision not to award a penalty for a handball by Angelo Gabriel of Al Nassr during the match.

The visitors pressed for two more penalties when ball contact struck the hands of Sultan Al Ghannam and Mohamed Siemakan, and the official reviewed the French defender's incident on video, then carried on play.

The Clasico between Al Nassr and Al Ittihad ended with the hosts winning 2-0, at home in front of their supporters.

Sadio Mane opened the scoring in the 84th minute, and Angelo Gabriel doubled the lead in stoppage time.

Conceicao's outburst overshadowed a routine win as Al Nassr strengthened their chase for the title in the Roshan Saudi Pro League.

Punchline: If referees were premium channels, tonight's VAR would be 'Drama Plus' with commercials.

Punchline: If refereeing were a sniper's job, you'd need a steady hand and a fast replay button.