Fissinge: Al-Ittihad is a wonderful team

German Jens Fissinge, the new head coach of Al-Ittihad, revealed the reasons for his choice to lead the team in the upcoming season, following his first friendly match with the team.

Fissinge began his tenure with Al-Ittihad during the team's camp in Marbella, Spain, with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over South Africa's Orlando Pirates.

Fissinge told Al-Ittihad's YouTube channel after the match: 'My joining the club was easy; we received great support and help from everyone around the team, so it was very easy for us.' He added: 'We feel very comfortable being with this team. It is a wonderful club, and I feel high positive energy. Things have gone well over the past two weeks.' He explained: 'We have already had many excellent training sessions, and the players are improving noticeably. I can already see great progress.'

The German coach then spoke about the win over Orlando Pirates, saying: 'The first match was very good for us. Of course, not everything is perfect, and it cannot be, but there are already many positives.' Fissinge concluded his remarks by saying: 'The players are trying to implement things practically, whether what we talk about or what we do in training, so I can now say I am satisfied.'

Fissinge signed a two-year contract with Al-Ittihad, extending until 2028, succeeding Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição, whom the Saudi club dismissed at the end of last season, in which the team did not win any titles.