The management of Damac Club, headed by Engineer Khaled bin Mashaat, has settled the issue of the technical leadership of the first football team, by reaching a final agreement with the veteran Brazilian coach Fabio Carille, to take over the technical affairs for the remainder of the current season’s competitions, succeeding the Portuguese coach Armando Evangelista.

According to sources from “Al-Midan Al-Riyadi”, the negotiations between the club officials and the Brazilian coach were quickly successful, due to the administration’s urgent desire to address the team’s precarious situation in the Saudi Professional League standings, where the team is in the danger zone that threatens it with relegation, which necessitated urgent technical intervention by a figure with extensive experience in Saudi stadiums.

Carille's experience in Saudi stadiums

The selection of Fabio Carille is no coincidence, but rather based on his impressive coaching record and extensive experience in the Saudi League, having previously managed Al-Wahda and, most notably, Al-Ittihad. Carille is known for his disciplined tactical approach and his ability to organize the defense, qualities Damac desperately needs at the moment to stop the bleeding of points and restore balance on the pitch.

The fans of “Faris Al Janoub” are counting on Carille’s skill in dealing with crucial and pressured matches, especially since the Brazilian coach has a strong personality and the ability to deal psychologically with the players, which are crucial factors in the battles to survive and avoid relegation, as he has previously succeeded in building solid teams that are difficult to penetrate, and led Al Ittihad to reach the final of the Arab Championship and achieve advanced positions in the league.

Evangelista's dismissal and the challenges of the next phase

Damac FC's management decided to part ways with Portuguese coach Armando Evangelista and informed him of his departure this morning, following a string of poor results that left the team in a precarious position. The management felt that a change was absolutely necessary to revitalize the team before it was too late, especially with the competition intensifying in the final rounds of the season.

The new coach faces an immediate and difficult challenge as the team prepares to face Al-Taawoun in the 22nd round of the Saudi Professional League. The highly anticipated match will be held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah, where Damac hopes to return with a positive result that will mark a new beginning and help them avoid relegation.

Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo, a key player for Al-Hilal's first football team, has dropped a bombshell within the Riyadh-based club by making a shocking decision in the past few hours regarding his immediate future with the team. This comes at a time when the club's management is working to restructure the squad during the current winter transfer window to ensure both technical and administrative stability for the remainder of the season.

According to Brazilian press reports, specifically those from Band Sports, Marcos Leonardo has categorically rejected the idea of ​​transferring to Brazilian club Flamengo, closing the door on one of the most prominent options for his departure. The reports indicate that the player is willing to limit his role with Al-Hilal to training only, without participating in matches, expressing his deep dissatisfaction with what he described as the unsatisfactory treatment he has received recently. This situation presents the club's management with a real dilemma regarding their foreign player roster.

This tension in the relationship between the player and the club comes within a broader context related to Al-Hilal's crowded roster of international stars, making competition for a starting position in coach Jorge Jesus's lineup extremely difficult. Saudi clubs, particularly the big ones like Al-Hilal, face the ongoing challenge of balancing the regulations regarding the number of foreign players allowed with the club's desire to attract new talent or offload players who have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. This is the scenario Leonardo is currently experiencing, given the presence of several high-profile attacking players in the squad.

Al-Hilal's management is racing against time to market the player's contract during the current winter transfer window, as keeping a player of Leonardo's market value without playing time represents a financial and technical burden. The management aims to find an alternative offer that satisfies the player's ambitions while safeguarding the club's financial interests, especially since Al-Hilal always strives to maintain dressing room stability and shield the team from any distractions that could negatively impact its performance in domestic and continental competitions.

On the field, the coaching staff, led by Jesus, is trying to shield the team from these administrative crises, as Al-Hilal continues its intensive preparations to face Al-Ettifaq in the 22nd round of the Saudi Professional League. This match is particularly important as it will be held at the Kingdom Arena, the new home ground of the club, where the team aims to continue its winning streak and strengthen its lead in the league, overcoming any obstacles that might arise from the transfer market.

In a notable move reflecting Al-Nassr's coaching staff's focus on bolstering the squad with young talent, the club's under-21 players caught the eye of first-team manager, Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, just hours before their anticipated match against Turkmenistan's Arkadağ. This interest comes at a crucial juncture in the season, as the team aims to compete strongly on all fronts, both domestically and continentally.

The official list adopted by the coach for the Arkadaj match witnessed a pleasant surprise for Al-Nasr fans, which was the presence of 6 players at once from the youth team (under 21 years old), which confirms the coach’s belief in the technical capabilities that these players possess and their ability to provide the desired addition to the first team in the upcoming competitions.

This decision was not made lightly, but rather as a result of meticulous and on-the-ground observation. Jesus himself made a point of attending Al-Nassr's U-21 team's recent league match against Al-Wahda. This allowed the Portuguese coach to closely assess the players' level and determine their physical and technical readiness, ultimately leading him to call them up for the Asian competition.

As part of the logistical preparations for the match, the Al-Nassr team delegation departed this afternoon, Tuesday, for Turkmenistan, amidst an atmosphere of optimism and high focus in preparation for their match against Arkadag. This trip is a crucial stage in the team's journey, as away matches in Asian tournaments require special mental and physical preparation to overcome the challenges of travel and playing on foreign soil.

Al-Nassr is scheduled to face Arkadaj away at 4:45 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League. This match is of paramount importance as it is key to advancing to the later stages, and Al-Nassr will be aiming for a positive result away from home to make their task easier in the return leg.

It is worth noting that Al-Nasr qualified for this round with merit and deservingness after topping its group in the AFC Champions League 2, presenting outstanding performances, while Arkadag qualified as the runner-up of its group, which makes the confrontation between the leader and the runner-up full of the expected competitiveness and excitement.