Mohammed Al-Kwikbi, a star player for Al-Taawoun FC and formerly of Al-Ettifaq, made a startling revelation about the behind-the-scenes dealings at Al-Taawoun under the leadership of renowned English coach Steven Gerrard. Al-Kwikbi's statements highlighted the cultural and training differences that can arise when bringing in international coaches to the Saudi Professional League, particularly regarding the integration of religious practices into the sporting schedule.
Details of the sensational statement on the Thamaniyah podcast
During his recent media appearance on the "Thamania" channel, Al-Kwikbi revealed that Liverpool legend and current Al-Ettifaq coach, Steven Gerrard, made an unprecedented decision in the club's history. He insisted on holding team training sessions during the daytime in the holy month of Ramadan, specifically before the Maghrib prayer. Al-Kwikbi said, "Gerrard asked us to come to training while we were fasting, and this was the first time we had experienced this, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, which has its own special rituals.".
The player explained that the team tried to contact the coach to explain the difficulty of the situation, as they asked him to delay the training to be after breakfast as is customary in Saudi and Gulf clubs, but Gerrard stuck to his opinion, considering that his decision was the most appropriate technically and physically from his point of view, which posed a great challenge to the players.
The cultural and sporting context of the Saudi League
This incident is significant because it contradicts decades of established practice in Saudi and Gulf football. It is common knowledge that clubs drastically adjust their training schedules during Ramadan, with training sessions typically starting late in the evening (after Taraweeh prayers) to ensure players have received sufficient food and fluids, enabling them to perform at a high level of physical exertion without health risks or excessive fatigue resulting from dehydration and energy depletion during fasting.
Adaptation challenges for global coaches
This situation reflects one of the challenges facing international coaches coming to the Saudi Professional League, where success requires not only the implementation of tactical and technical plans, but also a deep understanding of the local culture and the environmental and religious factors that influence the players. Gerrard's insistence on daytime training may stem from a European philosophy based on the athlete's morning routine and biological rhythms, but implementing it in a hot environment and during Ramadan is a physical challenge.
This incident points to the transition and development phase that the Saudi League is going through, where there is a cross-pollination between strict international training schools and established local customs, resulting in such situations that reveal what goes on behind the scenes in the locker rooms and how internal crises are managed between stars and coaches.
