Saudi Arabia head coach Georgios Donis pointed to the lessons of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico as the foundation for his side's triumph in the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, "Gulf 27".
The Saudis beat the UAE 2-0 on Tuesday at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah to lift the trophy in the tournament's 27th edition.
Donis spoke to the press after the match, in comments reported by Saudi newspaper "Asharq Al-Awsat": "From the first day the players had the desire and the passion, and there was cohesion and harmony within the team."
He added: "We learned a lot from the World Cup experience, and with the instructions and the work we improved and developed step by step, and I believe the players deserve this result."
"I expect us to continue delivering the same performance in the future," he continued. "When I took on the task I did not know the players fully, and we had not played many matches, but as time passed we improved a great deal, and now we see the extent of understanding and development within the team."
Donis also turned to his plans for the AFC Asian Cup, which Saudi Arabia will host at the end of this year.
"I respect the media, and I ask you for patience and support," he explained. "We want to develop football and continue with this group of players, such as Hammam and Firas. We must be patient with them, and we will give our best in the upcoming challenges."
He went on: "We will enjoy this moment, then we will evaluate our work and study all the matches technically, and look for the best solutions. We will choose the most suitable players for us, and we will see what happens next month, with our next selections being in December."
His closing words turned to the stands: "Throughout the tournament we saw great desire, love and passion from the fans, and they were supportive of us at all times. I would look at them and feel that they deserve this joy, and today we made them happy. The players now feel confidence and pride, and they can achieve more together."
This is Saudi Arabia's first title in 23 years, since they were crowned champions of the 2003 Arabian Gulf Cup. The UAE, meanwhile, failed to reclaim the crown they last held in 2013.