Pereira says Union players were pushed by organisers after Al Hilal defeat

Danilo Pereira says members of the match organisation pushed Union players as they tried to speak to the referee after their 3-2 defeat by Al Hilal in the eighth round of the Saudi Pro League.

The Portuguese defender said one organiser placed a hand on the faces of some players during the confrontation, but insisted Union’s players had not intended to insult or abuse the referee.

“We were speaking to the referee, but some of the organisers intervened and started pushing us. One of them put his hand on the faces of some players,” Pereira said after the match.

“We did not go there to insult or offend the referee. We only wanted to speak to him.”

Pereira said the organisers’ responsibility was to protect everyone on the pitch, rather than the referee alone, and described what happened as hostile behaviour towards the players.

“Their job is to protect everyone inside the pitch, not only the referee,” he added. “What happened was an aggressive act towards us, but it is over and I have nothing more to say.”

The 3-2 result was decided by individual errors rather than a lack of fitness, according to Pereira. He said both teams had produced a high-quality match and that Union had competed well, but had been punished for their mistakes.

“Both teams played a great game. We were present and performed well, but we made too many mistakes and paid the price for them,” he said.

Union continued to push for an equaliser, but were unable to complete their recovery.

“We fought to come back and get the equaliser, but it was not our day,” Pereira said. “I take responsibility first, followed by the team. Although we played well, unfortunately we lost.”

Pereira also thanked Union’s supporters for attending the match and backing the team. He apologised that the players had been unable to reward them with a victory and called on them to continue their support during the next stage of the season.

The defender said the squad must move on quickly from the defeat, with another match scheduled in three days and an Asian commitment to prepare for.

“We will play another match in three days, so we need to recover well,” he said. “The upcoming games will be difficult, and we want to put in a good performance in the AFC Champions League.”