English Premier League
Peseiro disagrees with Donis over foreign players’ impact on Saudi Arabia
Jose Peseiro says the influx of high-profile foreign players has benefited Saudi Arabian football, rejecting Georgios Donis’ view that their dominance in the Saudi Pro League is limiting opportunities for national-team players.
Donis, the Saudi Arabia manager, recently expressed concern about the amount of playing time available to domestic players at their clubs. Speaking during the ongoing Gulf Cup 27 in Saudi Arabia, he said a strong league did not automatically produce a strong national side because clubs relied heavily on foreign stars.
“I am not afraid of anything, but having a strong league does not necessarily mean having a strong national team,” Donis said. “The clubs depend on foreign stars, and that reduces the opportunities for Saudi players.”
Roberto Mancini and Herve Renard, both former Saudi Arabia managers, raised similar concerns after failing to achieve a notable accomplishment with the national team.
Peseiro, however, takes a different view. The Portuguese coach, who currently manages AlUla, believes foreign players have played a major role in advancing the Saudi game.
“They have helped, and they continue to help, enormously,” Peseiro said in an interview with Kooora, which will be published in full at a later date.
The 66-year-old added that training alongside players with major international achievements could accelerate the development of Saudi footballers.
“Training every day alongside a player who has won the Ballon d’Or or lifted a European trophy raises the level of any local player,” he said. “The demands have increased, and that will make the Saudi national team much more mature.”
Peseiro also underlined the scale of the changes since his previous spells in Saudi Arabia. He managed Al-Hilal for six months in 2006 before taking charge of the Saudi Arabia national team between 2009 and 2011.
“The reality of Saudi football at this moment cannot be compared with what I experienced when I was managing Al-Hilal and the Saudi Arabia national team,” he said.
“Football has developed enormously at every level and in every aspect. All this investment and progress will bear fruit in the short and medium term.”
Donis’ comments came against a backdrop of continuing debate over the balance between the expansion of the Saudi Pro League and the development of Saudi players. While the Greek coach believes the presence of foreign stars has restricted domestic participation, Peseiro argues that the higher standards created by those players will ultimately strengthen the national team.