French Patrice Carteron, coach of the first football team, launched the challenge with those who describe his work as not serious, stressing that he and the coaching team are working hard to lead the team to advanced positions.
Carteron stated that he did not look at the offers presented to him, refusing to go into the details of the arrival of an offer to him from the Moroccan Wydad team, indicating that it is not possible to leave the team suddenly.
This came through the “In the Goal” program on Al-Arabiya channel, on Wednesday, and he added: “I challenge anyone to prove that I or the technical staff and players do not work hard, and there is no room for criticism in this matter at all, and as for what is related to my continuation with the team for another season.” This is possible and might happen.”
And regarding the arrival of an offer to him by the Moroccan Wydad team, he said: “This is just a guess, and this is basically not the right time to consider the offers submitted to me. To leave in difficult times, and if it happens and I leave, I make sure that it is at an appropriate time and the team is in advanced positions.
And regarding the fluctuating results of his team since he assumed the training task, and the absence of personality, he spoke: “My imprint with the agreement is clear, and I have to help him to stay in the league according to the circumstances, but we did not go down, that happened with Al-Ahly, and we seek to control the strength between defense and attack, and in fact we suffer.” In the confidence factor of the attackers, we are working to improve the situation.”
And in answer to the question of his success with the agreement, he replied: “It is not possible to say for sure regarding success or something else through the results only. We are still working and the season is not over yet. Yes, we are in a difficult position, but things are on the field, and we can improve.”
It is noteworthy that Carteron, 52, signed a training contract with Al-Ettifaq on March 3 last season, and finished the league in 12th place with 34 points.
While the current season ranks 11th with 19 points, 9 points behind the relegation center.
Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, Vice-President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, crowned the Saudi rider, Mashari Al-Harbi, with the title of the sixth round, “Grand Prix Run”, with a height of 1.45 meters, at the end of the Riyadh International Show Jumping Championship, which was held on the grounds of the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center. It is the first show jumping championship to be held in Saudi Arabia in a closed field.
Al-Harbi succeeded in snatching the title of the half, following recording a time of 35.61 seconds. The second came the Thai rider, Jakana Born, with a time of 36.58 seconds. The rider, Saad Al-Ajmi, came third with a time of 37.52 seconds. Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Equestrian Federation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Equestrian Sports Company for Events, crowned the knight, Abdullah Ibrahim, with the title of the fifth game, following recording a time of 25.04 seconds, with a height of 1.40 meters. The rider, Saleh bin Amira, came second, who recorded a time of 26.66 seconds. The rider, Bader Al-Fard, came in third place with a time of 26.79 seconds.
And 81 male and female riders from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria, Norway, Italy, Bahrain, Thailand and Lebanon participated in the tournament, which was sponsored by Ready, the Sports Track, and Al-Diriyah Company.
The organization of this tournament comes as part of the efforts of the Saudi Equestrian Federation to test readiness for the largest event represented in Riyadh hosting the 2024 World Cup Show Jumping and Dressage Championship, as hosting is the first in the Middle East.
Al-Juaid: The equipment impressed us
Samir Al-Juaid, the designer of the hurdles of the Riyadh International Showjumping Championship, stressed that the experience of designing hurdles “chorus” in closed halls is completely different from designing for open fields.
“We have taken into account that 95 percent of the riders and horses are participating for the first time in an indoor tournament,” he said.
He added, “I am very amazed at the level of large equipment in the Riyadh International Championship, which is a preparation for the World Cup of Show Jumping and Dressage in April 2024. A great effort made by the Saudi Equestrian Federation. I express my thanks and appreciation to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation and to all those responsible for the success of the championship.” Al-Juaid expressed his happiness at being among the organizers of this tournament, and said, “Thank God, I found during this period that witnessed a quantum leap in equestrian sport in Saudi Arabia.”
Tony: The competition is tough
Lebanese equestrian Tony Assaf described Riyadh’s preparations to host the major sporting event represented in the World Cup of Show Jumping and Dressage in April 2024 as very wonderful.
He said, “What I witnessed in the Riyadh International Championship in terms of organization, preparations, and the presence of the most prominent barrier designers indicates a great work for the major championship.”
He added, “Thank you to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Equestrian Federation for hosting the riders at the high level.”
He pointed out that the fifth round in the Riyadh International Championship was not easy, and the competition in it was strong, and the barriers and their design were very impressive. He continued, “You need the participating riders to focus more and prepare the horses to turn and jump barriers.”
Ibrahim: The experience is not easy
The Saudi rider, Abdullah Ibrahim, confirmed that the experience of racing inside a closed hall was not easy at all for him and his horse, as it is a new experience, but it is fun and powerful. The Saudi knight, who won the fifth round title in the Riyadh International Championship, expressed his great happiness at winning the final day of the tournament, as it was organized for the first time in a closed hall in Saudi Arabia.
He said: “The designer of the round is one of the most famous international designers, and there is always difficulty in open fields, let alone in a closed hall, where the spaces are less and the barriers are closer.”
He revealed that he chose a horse that prefers fast runs that work on the time factor, explaining, “It is a strong point for my horse.”
Private sources revealed to Al-Riyadiah that the Competitions Committee in the Professional League, on Sunday, is in the process of approving the postponement of the Al-Fayhaa and Al-Hilal match within the league, from Wednesday to next Thursday followingnoon.
This comes at the request of Al-Hilal management, following the team’s late return from participating in the 2022 Club World Cup, during which Al-Azraq achieved the runner-up position.
In a related development, the delegation of the first football team of Al-Hilal Club arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, at six in the evening on Sunday, following participating in the 2022 Club World Cup, and Al-Azraq lost in the final match once morest Real Madrid, Spain, with a score (5-3).
The request of the Crescent administration came, so that the team might compete in the league competitions without further exhaustion, and the meeting between Al-Fayhaa and Al-Hilal came within the matches of the seventeenth round of the Roshan Saudi Professional League.
Fahd bin Nafel, president of the Saudi club Al-Hilal, arrived in Paris, the first yesterday. And the president of the capital city was seen in the halls of the famous Four Seasons Hotel George Sanc, which increased speculation regarding his presence in the French capital, to negotiate for the inclusion of the Argentine legend Leo Messi, like the other capital city, Al-Nasr, who succeeded in concluding a historic agreement with Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
And the Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo” confirmed in an exclusive report that Argentine Lionel Messi, the 2022 World Cup champion, is the main goal of the Saudi club Al Hilal in order to sign him as soon as possible, whether this January or during the upcoming summer transfer period.
Journalist Fabio Marti wrote his own report on Messi and Al Hilal to begin with this phrase: “After Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia, with his signature with Al Nasr, the next Saudi target is Leo Messi.”
He continued, “Saudi Arabia is achieving massive openness to the world, attracting tourists from everywhere, and has international sports activities in its hospitality now.”
The newspaper’s lengthy report continued, to include several important parts regarding the goal and desire of Al-Hilal to sign Messi through these excerpts: “In Saudi Arabia, rumors are growing that Al-Hilal, Al-Nasr’s main competitor, wants to obtain the services of Leo Messi, and will be willing to make an offer of no less than $300m a year. It’s a hard sum to refuse, although we’ll have to wait and see if the Argentine will agree to a transfer.”
And the report continued: “In the Arab countries, the Saudi Football League is considered the most watched and the best market and public value due to the tremendous competition between clubs, especially the main teams from Riyadh and Jeddah. In the capital, what is the main rivalry in the country: Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr.” It is considered “El Clasico.” Here we call it the Riyadh Derby.
As Mundo Deportivo’s source points out, they want Messi to generate a rivalry to follow around the world, but above all, to raise the level of the league and have the eyes of the entire planet looking towards the Saudi League.
The report indicated: “The Saudis already have the desire to be able to count on Messi in their league to enhance this rivalry that Cristiano and Messi have lived for a decade with Madrid and Barcelona, so that they are willing to do the rest to try to convince Leo not only to sign, as the ambition of Al-Hilal is also That the Argentine striker be part of his team to play the Club World Cup, which will be played from 1 to 11 February next in Rabat and Tangiers.Then the Saudi club is ready to offer more than 300 million per season for the Argentine striker.
And the report continued: If Messi is willing to leave PSG now, Al Hilal will also have to negotiate with the Parisian club, because Leo has a contract until June 30 with PSG. It happens that Paris Saint-Germain will visit Riyadh next week to play a friendly match once morest a team between Al-Nasr and Al-Hilal, so that the leaders of the Saudi club can take advantage of it to start negotiations with those responsible for Paris Saint-Germain.
The report touched on Leo’s current relationship with Saudi Arabia. Mundo Deportivo wrote:
Messi’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is no secret. Liu is currently an ambassador for Saudi tourism. Messi was seen for the first time exercising his position as a tourist ambassador on a maiden trip to Jeddah in May 2022.
Messi also promoted tourism in Saudi Arabia through his social networks by posting a picture of himself on a yacht across the Red Sea with the words: “Discover the Red Sea. Visit Saudi Arabia.”