Piséro in an interview with Kooora (2/2): Salah missed the Saudi opportunity, Cristiano is not a substitute, and Benzema's departure is "natural"
These two are the closest to winning the Saudi league: Al-Hilal's signings will not settle the title race
Foreign professionals have benefited Saudi football: Saudi Arabia has what it takes to win the Asian Cup
Small details denied me two major titles: I dream of coaching at the World Cup
Jose Peseiro has lived through Saudi football in a different era, and from his current post with Al-Ula he reads the present scene with a knowing eye. The years since have brought a seismic shift. Clubs poured money into a new phase of investment and lured some of the world's biggest stars to the Kingdom.
In the second part of his interview with Kooora, Peseiro opens up on the issues gripping Saudi football. He starts with the Roshn League race that has blazed since the opening round and asks whether Al-Hilal's flurry of signings will shape the title. From there he turns to Karim Benzema's exit from the capital's giants, his stance on Cristiano Ronaldo keeping his place in the Al-Nassr side, and finally Mohamed Salah, whom he believes the Saudi league could have signed at this stage of the Egyptian's career.
Victor Osimhen comes next. Peseiro coached the striker with Nigeria, and he reveals how foreign professionals and world stars are rubbing off on Saudi players, before weighing Saudi Arabia's chances of fighting for the Asian Cup title. He draws on his earlier knowledge of the Saudi game and his spell leading the national team's technical staff.
The Portuguese does not stop at the present. He revisits two of the biggest moments of his career: leading Sporting Lisbon to the UEFA Cup final, then taking Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final. Small details, he reckons, denied him the trophy on both nights. Then he reveals the dream he has yet to fulfil.
Read the first part:
Peseiro in an interview with Kooora (1/2): This is the real difference between Al-Ahly and Zamalek, and one reason behind the decline in Zizo's level
And to the second part of the interview:
Your former club, Al-Hilal, have signed several stars, while other clubs have lost some of their professionals for financial reasons. Do you think this gap could affect the title race?
Al-Hilal have added some outstanding, high-quality players to a squad already packed with talent. That makes them even stronger. Yet I believe other factors decide who wins titles, factors tied to organisation, structure and leadership.
Were you surprised by Karim Benzema's departure from Al-Hilal?
I do not know the reasons for his departure, but in football it is natural for players not to succeed in some of the projects they take part in.
The name of Victor Osimhen, your former teammate in the Nigeria national team, has been linked with a move to Al-Hilal on several occasions. Do you think he would have fitted in with the atmosphere in Saudi Arabia?
Victor Osimhen is an elite striker blessed with a rare work ethic and ferocious competitive edge. Drop him anywhere and he would adapt. Had he picked Saudi Arabia, he'd have been one of the league's standout names, because his commitment to the game is absolute.
Mohamed Salah was close to joining the Saudi Pro League. Do you think he made a mistake by moving to Trabzonspor?
Salah is an icon. He will know what is best for him, but honestly, I think the Saudi league was the perfect stage for him at this point in his career. We've missed the chance to have him here as one of the most prominent symbols of the Saudi project.
If you were in Ange Postecoglou's position, would you rely on Cristiano Ronaldo as a regular starter, or would you turn him into a substitute because of his advancing age?
I would always have played him. Cristiano is no ordinary player. As long as he has that passion and energy, he has to be on the pitch. He forces everyone around him to be better, and as we have already seen at the start of this season, he keeps scoring goals and deciding matches.
You experienced Saudi football in a completely different era. Do you think the arrival of international stars has genuinely benefited Saudi players, or has the large number of foreign players affected their playing opportunities and development?
They have helped, and continue to help, enormously. Train every day alongside a player who's won the Ballon d'Or or been crowned European champion and the level of any local player rises. The demands have gone up, and that will make the Saudi national team far more mature.
Saudi football today bears no comparison to what I knew during my time coaching Al-Hilal and the national team. On every level, in every aspect, the game has developed enormously. All this investment and development will bear fruit in the short and medium term.
Do you think the Saudi national team, under the leadership of Giorgos Donis, is capable of winning the Asian Cup on home soil?
He has everything he needs. Home advantage counts for a lot, and Donis knows the Saudi scene inside out. The Saudi players are better prepared than ever, and even against the strong opponents waiting for them, their chances are very good.
Who do you expect to win the Saudi Pro League title this season?
The reigning champions Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal are, in my view, the leading contenders for the title.
If you were given the chance to replay one match in your coaching career, would you choose the Africa Cup of Nations final or the UEFA Cup final, and what would you have changed?
It is an impossible choice, because I cannot set the importance of one aside in comparison with the other. Both represent the two highest points of my career, the culmination of two journeys of immense competence and dedication.
That UEFA Cup final left a deep mark on the history of Sporting Lisbon, and we deserved the title. The Africa Cup of Nations final with Nigeria carried an indescribable social and emotional dimension. We represented the hopes and joy of more than 200 million people.
What would I change? That is very difficult to pinpoint. In elite-level football, and especially in finals of this magnitude, the tactical work and preparation are pushed to the limit, yet the result comes down to the smallest details. It is not about changing a substitution or a style of play, but about controlling those small moments you cannot train for: a ball that strikes the post and goes out, a decision made in a split second under the weight of immense exhaustion, a touch of effectiveness in a defensive detail. What remains is the immense pride in leading those projects and placing those teams on the biggest stage.
After all your experiences with clubs and national teams, what is the coaching dream that José Peseiro is still striving to achieve?
Right now, my main goal is to win the title, the Saudi First Division League title, with Al-Ula. That's a goal that gives me 100% satisfaction. In the future, I'd love to reach a World Cup with one of the national teams. But above all, my greatest desire is to keep working in this profession with the passion and energy I feel today.
