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وليد الفراجrotana khalejia
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Al-Farraj after Al-Juwayr's exclusion: some decisions do not bear fruit right now

Waleed Al-Farraj, presenter of the programme "Rotana Sport with Waleed", sparked controversy with an ambiguous comment after Musab Al-Juwayr was left out of the Saudi national team squad, fuelling widespread debate over why the young midfielder had been dropped from the ranks of the Green Falcons.

"Some decisions, you will see their results, but not right now," Al-Farraj said during his programme, in a message that opened the door to speculation over the technical calls made by Greek coach Georgios Donis in recent weeks.

Read also: Georgios Donis: firm in his statements, "submissive" in his actions

The timing was sensitive. Al-Juwayr's exclusion from the Saudi squad for Gulf Cup 27 had already become a talking point among fans and followers, especially given the high hopes pinned on the player before the tournament.

Al-Farraj never mentioned Al-Juwayr by name. Nor did he say which decision he meant or spell out the results he was talking about, and that left his phrasing open to more than one reading of the technical matters surrounding the national side.

All of this feeds into the wider row over Donis's selections. The Greek faces significant pressure to deliver the results and performances that would restore confidence in the team, after a spell littered with question marks over his picks and his line-ups.

Al-Farraj's message stays open to interpretation, especially his suggestion that the fruits of certain decisions will only show later. Saudi supporters now wait to see whether the coming days reveal what he meant, and whether dropping Al-Juwayr was one of the calls he had in mind.

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