Al-Ittihad Jeddah and its fans are reeling after a 4–3 loss to Neom on Wednesday, Matchday 29 of the Roshen Professional League.
The campaign has been marred by inconsistent management: French coach Laurent Blanc was replaced at the outset, and his successor, Portuguese boss Sérgio Conceição, has struggled to impress, clashing with both supporters and players.
The departure of veteran French duo N’Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema during the winter transfer window only deepened the club’s woes.
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Commenting on the programme “Action with Waleed”, journalist Abdullah Flata described the club as being in a state of chaos on and off the pitch.
“Al-Ittihad are now playing with obvious recklessness,” he said. “There is no player who feels responsible for the team or shows the winning spirit.”
He added that Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição had reached an impasse with both players and fans, and managing the situation had become extremely difficult after the departures of N’Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema in the winter window.
He added that the underlying cause is “administrative chaos” that has hamstrung the club since the start of the season, citing a lack of decisive decision-making in the best interests of the club.
He concluded: “The current management has mocked the fans; they can no longer lead the team and have handed control to the executive and sporting directors, yet they keep breaking their promises. The season is likely to end in failure for Al-Ittihad.”