The Saudi Federation has the final say on Dennis's future
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has settled its position on the future of Greek coach Georgios Donis, head coach of the Saudi national team, after an official source confirmed that the coach will continue in his role during the coming period, at a time when the latter has expressed his desire to lead Saudi Arabia during the 2027 Asian Cup.
The "Arriyadiyah" newspaper quoted an official source within the Saudi Arabian Football Federation on Saturday, confirming Donis will stay in his role. His current contract runs until next July, coinciding with the rescheduled continental tournament.
The Greek coach had spoken about his future after leading Saudi Arabia to a 3-2 win over South Korea in Friday evening's friendly at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in the Qatari capital, Doha.
Donis told the press conference: "You know that I am a frank person. I am not an ordinary coach, but rather an integral part of Saudi Arabia, and I have been through many experiences here."
He added: "After the postponement of the Asian Cup, I informed my technical staff that our contract ends before the new date of the tournament, and then some people circulated the names of big coaches, and these are rumours that are of no use at all."
"Even after my return from Jeddah, a Greek friend in NEOM told me about news of my sacking following the Gulf Cup," he continued, "and here I am today continuing with the national team."
He went on: "The rumours do not affect me personally, but they harm the dressing room, and those around us realise the scale of our work, and what is being raised is not fair to us."
Turning to his plans for the coming period, he added: "If Donis is the coach, then we must work, and if I am not, I will continue to support the national team and to work from my heart for the sake of this homeland."
Donis's plan for the coming period
The Saudi Arabia coach confirmed he had drawn up a clear vision for the future. "My plan is ready and I have explained it to everyone, and there will be special meetings with the technical staffs of the national teams," he explained. "We will develop step by step, and we have a new generation that possesses all the ingredients for success."
Donis revealed he is preparing a training camp for Saudi Arabia next March, to be followed by participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup as part of the build-up for upcoming commitments.
A win that came at the right time
What pleased Georgios Donis most is the timing. The victory over South Korea came just days after the controversy stirred up over his future, with some reports claiming he would leave his role during the coming period.
That speculation surfaced despite the fact that Donis himself led Saudi Arabia to the title of the twenty-seventh Arabian Gulf Cup, "Gulf 27", ending a full 23-year absence from the podiums.
Some sports critics still cast doubt on his work in the Gulf tournament. They put the triumph down to the strength of Saudi Arabia's players compared to their rivals, pointing to the failure to qualify from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Those same critics reckoned the true nature of the Greek coach would show more clearly in the tougher matches Saudi Arabia face in the coming period, like the South Korea clash itself.
Beating a side of South Korea's calibre, after an absence of 21 years, is a fresh addition to Donis's spotless record with Saudi Arabia. It silences the doubts and confirms his retention in charge.
Donis's numbers with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's 3-2 win over South Korea was the twelfth match of the Green Falcons under Donis, who took on the role last April.
During that spell, the Greek coach steered the national team to the title of the twenty-seventh Arabian Gulf Cup, hosted by Jeddah five weeks ago.
His record now stands at 6 wins and 4 draws against two defeats. His players have scored 16 goals and conceded 9.
