An expert answers: did Al-Tarees ruin the Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad clasico?

A sensational comment after the match

Egyptian refereeing expert Samir Mahmoud Othman has settled the controversy surrounding Saudi referee Khaled Al-Turais and his performance in the clasico between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad. The Zaeem won 3-2 on Saturday evening in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi Pro League, an encounter packed with drama on the pitch that spilled over into an altercation between Al-Ittihad players and the referee after the final whistle.

Anger swept through the Al-Ittihad camp as a number of the team's players objected to Al-Turais's decisions, especially in the closing moments. The protests centred on the way stoppage time was managed, before events escalated once the whistle went.

Speaking on the programme "Rotana Sport with Waleed", Othman praised the Saudi referee's overall display and insisted he did not see Al-Turais ruin the encounter. He did, though, flag one key issue: the handling of added time, which in his view deserved a different approach.

"Al-Turais delivered a great match, but he should have extended the stoppage time more," the Egyptian refereeing expert said, pointing out that the time counted fell short of covering all the stoppages the game produced. That raised questions over the accuracy of the added-time calculation.

Read also: Video: Rampant chaos: clashes and security intervention at the end of the Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad summit

The game featured numerous interruptions, Othman explained, among them the time taken to award the penalty kick along with other incidents that halted play. More stoppage time, he reckoned, would have given the match a fairer chance to run its course in terms of actual playing time.

Othman stopped short of blaming Khaled Al-Turais for ruining the clasico. He praised the referee's performance overall while logging that one clear observation about stoppage time. The fallout, meanwhile, rumbles on after the fury of the Al-Ittihad players at full time, in a match that ended with Al-Hilal strengthening their grip on top spot in the Roshn League.