Khaberni - Saudi national team coach Renard confirmed the pursuit to achieve victory to secure the third position in the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, during the matchup against UAE tomorrow at Khalifa International Stadium in the third and fourth place playoff match.
Renard said during a press conference: "The team's preparations were good after playing the semifinal against the Jordanian team, with focus now on showing our best level to achieve the desired result against the UAE team."
Renard explained that the performance of the Saudi team in this edition of the tournament was not satisfactory, the ambition was to compete for the title and not just for third place, pointing out several reasons for not making it to the final.
He noted that all players have given their utmost in this tournament to produce results that meet their ambitions, sparing no effort, adding that he takes responsibility for any loss in the matches as he heads the team's technical staff.
Renard added: "The Saudi team has not won any titles since 2002, which makes us think deeply about the reasons for this long absence from the podiums. In my opinion, it is important for the players to be more competitive during the Saudi league matches by participating primarily and being more effective in influencing the outcomes of local matches."
He praised the overall technical level of the Arab Cup, affirming that the matches were highly competitive amid a distinctive fan atmosphere, which helped motivate the players to give their best, in addition to the excellent organization and high quality of the stadiums that hosted the competitions.
He concluded saying: "I believe that we have gained some benefits from participating in this tournament, which was an opportunity to prepare for competing in the 2026 World Cup, and the players must prepare themselves well; because the World Cup is an important championship to represent Saudi Arabia in a better way."
