Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus has launched a fierce defense of his team and hit out at the ongoing narrative questioning refereeing decisions in favor of Al-Nassr. His comments come in the wake of Al-Hilal’s dramatic 2-1 victory over their Riyadh rivals in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The match, played in Abu Dhabi, saw Al-Hilal take the lead through Sergej Milinković-Savić in the 61st minute. Salem Al-Dawsari then doubled the advantage just five minutes later, seemingly putting the game to bed. However, a late goal from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 86th minute set up a tense finale, which Al-Hilal ultimately navigated to secure their place in the final.
The post-match focus, however, shifted from the result to a major refereeing call. In added time, Al-Nassr’s Ali Lajami was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Al-Hilal’s Brazilian winger Michael. The decision sparked immediate controversy, with Al-Nassr officials and players vehemently protesting the call.
An irate Jesus addressed these protests head-on in his press conference. “Why do refereeing doubts always chase Al-Nassr?” he asked rhetorically. “We are Al-Hilal, and we are a great club. We don’t need help from anyone to win matches.”
He continued his passionate defense, stating, “We have high-level players, and we play excellent football. We proved that on the pitch today. The red card was clear. It was a serious foul that endangered the opponent.”
Jesus also pointed to a broader pattern, suggesting his team is often subjected to unfair scrutiny. “It seems there is always an attempt to diminish our achievements and create stories about referees helping us. This is not right. We win because we are the better team.”
With this win, Al-Hilal advances to the Saudi Super Cup final, where they will face Al-Ittihad on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The victory also extends their remarkable world record for consecutive wins to 34 matches across all competitions.
