Defeat is not enough: the fallout from the Clasico continues to haunt Al-Ittihad

A new blow

Al-Ittihad have suffered a fresh blow following their defeat to Al-Hilal in the clasico of matchday eight of the Roshn League, after the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced a financial fine for the club over incidents during the encounter, which Al-Hilal won 3-2.

The committee fined Al-Ittihad 100,000 riyals after their supporters threw 20 water bottles and an object towards the pitch during the match, according to the decision. Nobody was injured.

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Pressure on the Al-Ittihad board now grows. The clasico finished in tense scenes on the pitch and around the referees, with the team's players protesting against some of the refereeing decisions after the final whistle.

That fine follows a fierce encounter in which Al-Ittihad lost to their rivals 3-2 on matchday eight of the Saudi Roshn League. Al-Ittihad stay frozen on 17 points. Al-Hilal climbed to 21 and top of the table.

Tension ran well beyond the final whistle. A number of Al-Ittihad players surrounded referee Khalid Al-Turais, sparking widespread controversy over what happened after the encounter, before the relevant authorities stepped in to contain the situation.

Losing the clasico, then, has cost Al-Ittihad twice over: a damaging result and a fine tied to the behaviour of their own supporters. It is another reminder of the importance of adhering to organisational regulations inside stadiums, particularly in high-attendance matches that see great tension and competition between the clubs.