Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — In the aftermath of Al-Ettifaq's exit from the King's Cup in the Round of 16 against Al-Nassr, English coach Steven Gerard pointed fingers at refereeing decisions, expressing his dissatisfaction in a post-match press conference.

Gerard stated, "Congratulations to Al-Nassr for the win. They have exceptional players and a fantastic coach, but we lost due to the referee."

He added: "The referee told one of my assistants that the red card for Ali Hazzazi was a reaction to demands from Al-Nassr players. I started my football career in 1990, and I have never seen a red card situation like Ali Hazzazi's. The mistake he made doesn't warrant a red card; at most, it should have been a yellow."

Returning to discuss the match, he said, "It was a fantastic game, full of excitement and competitiveness, but the referee played a significant role in shaping the outcome."

Regarding his team, Gerard mentioned, "We played today without strikers due to their absence because of injuries. The young players who replaced them have the quality but need more experience. We continue to develop the attacking aspect of the team. The players showed spirit and desire to win, but everyone knows why we lost the game."

Delving into details about Al-Nassr, Gerard commented, "We knew that Al-Nassr struggled with balls played behind their defensive line, but we lacked the striker who could finish chances into the net."

The Al-Ettifaq coach concluded, "I am pleased with the news of Australia's decision not to bid for hosting the 2034 World Cup. This increases Saudi Arabia's chances of hosting the tournament, and if that happens, I believe it will be a fantastic World Cup."

On a separate note, Al-Ettifaq officially submitted a formal request to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation after the match against Al-Nassr, seeking disclosure of the communications between the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and the on-field referee in the incident leading to the red card for Ali Hazzazi.