KSAsportz report
ORLANDO — Al Hilal’s Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić praised his team’s remarkable 4-3 win over Manchester City as a “statement to the world,” asserting that the quality of the Saudi Pro League is evident and that the club has forged a new chapter in football history.
After the match in Orlando, which propelled Al Hilal into the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup, Savic remarked: “We’ve made history tonight. It was a significant match and an incredible result. For anyone who doubts our league, we’ve demonstrated on the field that the Saudi league is formidable — we proved it to the world.”
The 29-year-old, who joined Al Hilal in the summer of 2023 amidst some skepticism regarding his transition to the Roshn Saudi League, highlighted that the victory was not solely about individual talent but rather the collective effort.
“We were missing several key players, which is never ideal,” he acknowledged. “However, our squad is robust and filled with talent. Everyone who took the field performed at a high level and contributed to our victory over one of the best teams in the world.”
He also shared some insights into the team’s mentality: “Now it’s all about recovery for the next match. It’s not merely about celebrating. City is a team that applies constant attacking pressure, but we remained compact, defended passionately, and stayed united as a team. At halftime, the coach motivated us to persist because we were performing well.”
Savic directly addressed previous criticisms regarding his transfer to Saudi Arabia: “Many had opinions when I joined the league. What happened tonight, along with our performances against Real Madrid and Salzburg, is the best response to those critics.”
Looking forward, Savic recognized the challenge posed by Brazilian team Fluminense, who eliminated Champions League finalists Inter Milan in their prior match: “Any team that knocks out Inter is a formidable opponent. We have respect for them, but we’ll be thoroughly prepared.”
He concluded: “The key in these matches is to have faith. That’s what we did tonight — we believed, and that belief carried us through.”