The “Al-Hilal and Al-Shabab” derby constitutes an important historical turning point, reflecting the development of the competition between the clubs of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, despite the constant spotlight on the Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr derby.
This historic derby is preparing to dazzle Saudi football fans with another exciting and competitive round between the two teams today.
Dr. Hafez Al-Madlej, a journalist and specialist in sports affairs, believes that any meeting between two teams from the same city is called a “derby.”
Al-Madlej said, in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat: “The origin of the word came from the equestrian competitions held by the British city of Derby County, and the race had brought together the wealthy people of the city since 1740, and after that the term derby came to be applied to any match that brought together two teams from one city. ».
He pointed out: “In English football, the Manchester derby is the most famous, followed by the Merseyside derby in Liverpool, while there are several derbies in London because it has 12 clubs, of which at least 4 are permanent members of the Premier League. Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, West Ham.”
He continued his speech: “In addition to them are London clubs that rise and fall, such as: Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Chalton Athletic, Mill Wall, Wimbledon, and others, and whenever two teams meet, it is called (Derby).”
On the other hand, Al-Shabab coach Vitor Pereira said that he expects a high-quality and enjoyable match for the fans when the team meets Al-Hilal, today (Saturday).
Pereira said, in media statements: “Our match against Al Hilal will be beautiful, and the fans will enjoy it due to its high quality, and we will appear in it at an excellent level, and we will deliver a high performance, and we will play with our identity, and we will fight to get the points. The match will be different from others. Al-Shabab has its own style and way of playing, and we will focus on preparing the players and motivating them in order to appear honorable.”
The coach called on the fans to support the team strongly, saying: “I hope that all the youth fans will be present in the stadium, and that all the stands will be with the black and white Al-Shabab logo, and that they will cover the entire stadium.”
Pereira spoke about injuries, saying: “Muscular injuries are a natural thing that all players are exposed to, because football has become very difficult and requires high effort. The player must protect himself on and off the field and be careful about recovery exercises and proper nutrition to avoid injuries. Player Hussein Sabani, despite his young age, suffered a severe bruise, which resulted in an injury to the cruciate ligament, and this is evidence that injuries are common among players and are not limited to certain ages.”
For his part, Coach Jesus said: “We are suffering from severe fatigue, but this is no excuse.”
He continued: “If we want to succeed, we must manage the stage in the required manner. Pressure and fatigue are the fate of the major clubs that compete in all tournaments, and we are up to the responsibility.”
He added: “We are suffering from some absences, and we are waiting for the return of (Brazilian) Malcolm de Oliveira and (Portuguese) Ruben Neves in order to support us during the coming period.”
Al-Hilal, second in the standings, is seeking to make up for its failure in the last two matches, as it lost locally to Al-Khaleej 3-2, and lost the lead by two points to Al-Ittihad, which won over Al-Fateh 2-0.
It also tied continentally against Al Sadd of Qatar 1-1, and gave up the top spot in the group in the AFC Champions League to the Elite in its new edition, during which it reached the final price.
Al-Hilal suffered its first loss in the league since May 2023, as part of a series of 57 matches without defeat, specifically since its defeat to Al-Adalah 0-2 last year.
This is Al Hilal’s first loss in 17 matches in various competitions this season, and it came at the hands of its former Greek coach, Donis.
The players of Portuguese coach Jesus have nothing but victory in mind to reconcile their fans, with the desire to return to the path of victories and regain the lead while waiting for Al-Ittihad to falter.
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