Uruguay’s opponents, Saudi Arabia, have not escaped the pre-tournament drama either, though their issues have been more concentrated on the dugout. Manager George Donis was parachuted into the role just months ago following the surprise exit of Herve Renard. Donis, who has spent years coaching in the Saudi Pro League, admitted that his preparation time has been incredibly limited ahead of the Group G showdown.
“I feel our group is one of the toughest of the World Cup,” Donis admitted during his pre-match briefing. “I’ve been training the team for 12 sessions in total. The days were not enough, and everything happened so fast. There’s a disadvantage in place. It’s not been long since we started training together, but the players have shown I can trust them. I believe in them and believe we will be very competitive. Regardless of what will happen in this tournament I’m building a team that will deliver success. I’m looking at the trees, not the forest.”
