FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Taawoun v Al Hilal - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - March 15, 2025 Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus looks on REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
JEDDAH (Reuters) - Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus took a swipe at the match officials after his side's exit from the Asian Champions League Elite on Tuesday as the four-times winners lost 3-1 to fellow Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in Jeddah.
The Riyadh-based outfit were eliminated as first-half goals from Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney set Al-Ahli on the path to a victory that secured the club's first appearance in the final since 2012.
"The referee wasn't at as good a level as the teams," Jesus said of Jordanian official Adham Makhadmeh. "I think he was the one behind us having such a bad performance.
"There were many discussions and a lot of nervousness between the players. That made the game full of tension, I wish we had a better referee at a better level.
"But I don't want to put everything on the referee. I'm the one responsible."
Makhadmeh handed out 11 yellow cards throughout an often fractious 90 minutes, including two for Kalidou Koulibaly after blatant fouls on Toney and Roger Ibanez to leave Al-Hilal down to 10 men for the last half hour of the game.
By then Salem Al-Dawsari had reduced Al-Hilal's deficit with a 42nd-minute strike but Al-Hilal substitute Hamad Al-Tuhayfan fouled Riyad Mahrez to give away a penalty that Franck Kessie saw saved by Yassine Bounou.
Seven minutes into stoppage time at the end of an eventful clash at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Feras Al-Brikan put the result beyond doubt to confirm Al-Ahli's progress.
The defeat has increased the pressure on Jesus, who led Al-Hilal to last year's Saudi Pro League title but whose team has exited the Asian Champions League in the semi-finals in the last two campaigns.
"I did all that I could," said Jesus when asked if he thought he would still be in charge for Al-Hilal's trip to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup in June.
"I planned well, but when the result is negative we have to find someone to blame. The administration has nothing to do with this. The one to be blamed is me.
"But this is not the time to find out who is to be blamed. I'm the one making the decisions, I'm deciding the line-up and the strategy, so I'm the one who is responsible because I'm the one making the decisions. The responsibility is on me."
(Reporting by Michael Church in Jeddah, Editing by Toby Davis)
