Refereeing expert backs Khalid Al-Tres after Al Hilal defeat Al Ittihad

Egyptian refereeing expert Samir Mahmoud Othman has rejected suggestions that Saudi referee Khalid Al-Tres damaged the Al Hilal-Al Ittihad classic, although he believes more added time should have been played at the end of the match.

Al Hilal secured a 3-2 victory in the fixture on Saturday in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi League. The match was highly eventful, with tensions continuing after the final whistle as several Al Ittihad players confronted the referee.

Othman’s assessment came as frustration grew within the Al Ittihad camp over a number of Al-Tres’ decisions. The strongest complaints focused on the closing stages, when players questioned how stoppage time had been calculated. The disagreement escalated after the referee brought the game to an end.

Speaking on the programme Rotana Sport with Walid, Othman praised Al-Tres’ overall performance and said he did not believe the referee had spoiled the match. However, he identified the management of added time as an area that should have been handled differently.

“Khalid Al-Tres had a great match, but he should have added more time,” said Othman.

His comments referred to the amount of time lost during the contest and whether the additional minutes were sufficient to compensate for the interruptions. Othman said the game had experienced a number of stoppages, including the time taken to award a penalty and other incidents that disrupted the flow of play.

In his view, extending stoppage time would have allowed the match to reach a fairer conclusion in terms of the actual amount of football played. His criticism was therefore directed at the calculation of the additional minutes rather than at the referee’s performance as a whole.

Othman’s verdict means he did not hold Al-Tres responsible for ruining the classic. Instead, he considered the referee’s display to have been strong overall, while making a clear observation about the need for a longer period of added time.

The assessment was delivered as the consequences of the match continued. Al Ittihad players remained angered by the way the fixture ended, while Al Hilal left with victory and strengthened their position at the top of the Roshn Saudi League.