Al-Ghawsil criticizes refereeing after Al-Nasr and Al-Shabab derby in the Roshan League
On a tumultuous night of football at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Al-Shabab's Spanish coach, Imanol Alguacil, launched a scathing and unprecedented attack on the refereeing team that officiated the Riyadh derby between his team and Al-Nassr, in the sixteenth round of the Saudi Professional League. These fiery statements have reignited the debate surrounding refereeing decisions that often plague major matches in the Saudi league, particularly those involving popular clubs.
Spanish anger at the press conference
Alguacil lost his temper during the post-match press conference, expressing his deep dissatisfaction with what he described as the "refereeing injustice" his team suffered. The Spanish coach stated sharply, "I am very upset, and with all due respect to Al-Nassr's players—they are good players with high quality—the referee is the primary factor that caused our loss today." He emphasized that his team deserved a better result were it not for the referee's biased decisions.
Turning point: The controversial expulsion
The Al-Shabab coach emphasized that the match was proceeding at a tactical and technical level before the red card decision that turned the tide, describing the decision as showing a "lack of respect" for his players and the efforts they had made throughout the week. Al-Ghuwasil added a technical analysis of the controversial incident, saying, "The play didn't even warrant a foul, so how could a red card be shown? I feel the referee deliberately tried to take his team out of the game and kill the competition." This statement comes at a time when Saudi football is experiencing tremendous development and global attention, placing refereeing decisions under intense international and local scrutiny.
The comeback that was thwarted by the whistle
Emmanuel addressed the high fighting spirit displayed by Al-Shabab, noting that the team's reaction after falling behind by two goals was heroic. The players managed to get back into the game and level the score at 2-2, a scenario that reflects the team's strong character. He explained with regret, "We were the better side after the equalizer, and we were seriously looking for a third goal to snatch the points, but just when we were closest to winning, the referee's decisions changed the course of the match and gave the advantage to the opponent.".
Unequal opportunities and match scheduling
Al-Ghuwasil didn't limit his criticism to the on-field refereeing; he also pointed to surrounding circumstances that affected the fairness of the competition, specifically the disparity in rest periods between the two teams. He added, "Al-Nassr had two more days of rest than us, a significant difference in modern football and recovery rates. Despite this, we defied fatigue and fought back in the match, but the referee refused to allow Al-Shabab to finish with 11 players, making the task impossible.".
Expected official escalation
In closing, Al-Ghuwasil revealed that Al-Shabab's management intends not to remain silent about what happened, confirming they will take official action to protect the club's rights. He said, "We will have an urgent meeting with the referees' committee because it's impossible to play and work hard under these adverse conditions. We acknowledge our technical and tactical errors and work to correct them, but we will not tolerate having our players' efforts and sweat on the field undone by external decisions." These statements raise questions about the future of refereeing in the remaining rounds of the Roshan League and the extent to which these errors will affect the standings of the leading teams.
