Jose Gomes questions Saudi Pro League schedule after Al-Khaleej draw

Jose Gomes has criticised the early-season fixture schedule in the Saudi Pro League after Al-Khaleej were held to a goalless draw by Al-Shabab on Saturday.

The result came in the second round of the competition, with Gomes expressing concern about the demands being placed on teams at the start of the campaign.

Speaking in comments published by the Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiya, the Portuguese coach said it was unusual for his side to be playing every three days so early in the season.

“Playing a match every three days at the beginning of the season? It is a little strange, and the people responsible for the league schedule certainly have difficulty organising the fixtures because of the Gulf and Asian Cups,” said Gomes.

The Al-Khaleej manager suggested that moving the beginning of the league back by a week could have eased the pressure on the clubs.

“From my point of view, if the league had been brought forward by one week, it would have been more comfortable for everyone,” he said.

Gomes also highlighted what he regarded as an imbalance ahead of Al-Khaleej’s next match against Al-Hilal, saying their opponents would have five days to recover.

“We are not lucky because we will play against Al-Hilal, while they have five days’ rest, but at the same time all the clubs are suffering from the pressure of the league schedule,” he added.

The draw with Al-Shabab was a tightly contested encounter, and Gomes believed both teams were evenly matched. He praised his players for their defensive organisation after a match played in difficult conditions.

“It was a tactical game. Defensively, we were very well organised and we did what we had to do in the defensive aspect,” said the former Zamalek manager.

High humidity also affected the quality of the contest, according to Gomes.

“The humidity was very high and perhaps it affected the quality of the match. If the conditions had been different, maybe we would have seen a better level,” he said.

Al-Khaleej created a number of opportunities after the interval, but Al-Shabab also missed chances as neither side could find a decisive opening.

“In the second half, we had many chances. The match was even between the two teams; Al-Shabab missed several opportunities and so did we,” Gomes said.

Despite being unable to claim victory, the 0-0 draw was viewed positively by the Al-Khaleej coach as his side began its league campaign.

“I see it as a positive point. The season will be difficult, and we have outstanding players and a good team,” he said.

Gomes insisted that Al-Khaleej had approached the game with the intention of taking all three points, while acknowledging the quality available to Al-Shabab.

“We played to win, but Al-Shabab also have players of high quality,” he concluded.