Pizarro in an interview with Kooora (2/2): Salah missed the Saudi opportunity, Cristiano is not a substitute player, and Benzema's departure is "natural"

These two are the closest to the Saudi league title: Al-Hilal's signings will not settle the title race

Foreign professionals have benefited Saudi football: Saudi Arabia has what it takes to win the Asian Cup

Small details denied me two major titles: I dream of coaching at the World Cup

Jose Peseiro has lived through Saudi football in a different era. Now at Al-Ula, he brings that perspective to his reading of a league transformed by years of heavy investment and the arrival of the world's leading stars.

In the second part of his interview with Kooora , Peseiro opens up several files that preoccupy Saudi football. He begins with the Roshn League race that has been ablaze since the opening round, and the impact of Al-Hilal's many signings on the course of the competition. From there he moves to Karim Benzema's departure from the Leader, his stance on Cristiano Ronaldo continuing as a key starter with Al-Nassr, and finally to Mohamed Salah and the opportunity he believes the Saudi league could have represented at this stage of the Egyptian star's career.

Victor Osimhen also comes up, his former striker with the Nigeria national team. Peseiro reveals his view on the impact of foreign professionals and international stars on Saudi players, before assessing Saudi Arabia's chances in the race for the Asian Cup title, drawing on his earlier knowledge of Saudi football and his spell at the head of the national team's technical staff.

The Portuguese coach does not limit himself to the present. He returns to two of the biggest moments of his career, when he led Sporting Lisbon to the UEFA Cup final and then the Nigeria national team to the Africa Cup of Nations final. He pauses on the small details that he believes denied him the title in both, before revealing a dream that has not yet come true.

Read part one:

Peseiro in an interview with Kooora (1/2): This is the real difference between Al-Ahly and Zamalek, and one reason behind the decline in Zizo's level

And now to the second part of the interview:

Your former club, Al-Hilal, has signed several stars, while other clubs have lost some of their professionals for financial reasons. Do you think this gap could affect the title race?

Al-Hilal have signed outstanding, high-quality players to add further strength, especially given that they already possess outstanding players. Still, other factors can decide who lifts the titles. These come down to organisation, structure and leadership.

Were you surprised by Karim Benzema's departure from Al-Hilal?

I do not know the reasons for his departure, but in football it is normal for players not to succeed in some of the projects they are part of.

The name of Victor Osimhen, your former team-mate in the Nigeria national team, has been linked with a move to Al-Hilal on several occasions. Do you think he would have fitted in with the atmosphere in Saudi Arabia?

Victor Osimhen is an elite striker with a rare work ethic and competitive ferocity. He'd adapt to any environment. Had he chosen Saudi Arabia, he would have ranked among the league's standout stars, because his commitment to the game is absolute.

Mohamed Salah was close to joining the Saudi Pro League. Do you think he made a mistake by moving to Trabzonspor?

Salah is an icon. He will know what is best for him, but honestly, I believe the Saudi league was the ideal stage for him at this point in his career. He has lost the chance to be here as one of the most prominent figures of the Saudi project.

If you were in Ange Postecoglou's position, would you have relied on Cristiano Ronaldo as a regular starter, or would you have turned him into a substitute because of his advancing age?

I would always have played him. Cristiano is no ordinary player. As long as he has this passion and energy, he has to be on the pitch. He forces everyone around him to be better, and as we have already seen at the start of this season, he keeps scoring goals and settling matches.

You experienced Saudi football in a completely different era. Do you think the arrival of international stars has genuinely benefited Saudi players, or has the large number of foreign players affected their playing opportunities and development?

They have helped, and they continue to help, enormously. Training daily alongside a player who has previously won the Ballon d'Or or been crowned European champion raises the level of any local player. The demands have risen, and this will make the Saudi national team far more mature.

Saudi football today bears no comparison to what I experienced as coach of Al-Hilal and the Saudi national team. The game has developed enormously at every level and in every aspect. All this investment and development will bear fruit in the short and medium term.

Do you think the Saudi Arabia national team, under the leadership of Georgios Donis, is capable of winning the Asian Cup on home soil?

He has everything he needs. Home advantage counts for a lot here, and Donis knows the Saudi game inside out. The players are better prepared than they've ever been, and even against the tough opponents ahead, their chances are very good.

Who do you expect to win the Saudi Pro League title this season?

Reigning champions Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are the clear frontrunners for the title, in my view.

If you were given the chance to replay a single match in your coaching career, would you choose the Africa Cup of Nations final or the UEFA Cup final, and what would you have changed?

It is an impossible choice, because I cannot set the importance of one aside in comparison with the other. Both represent the two highest points of my career, and they are the culmination of two journeys of immense competence and dedication.

The UEFA Cup final left a deep mark on Sporting Lisbon's history, and we deserved that title. The Africa Cup of Nations final with Nigeria carried a social and emotional dimension that defies description. We represented the hopes and joy of more than 200 million people.

What I would have changed is very hard to pin down. At the elite level, and especially in finals of this magnitude, the tactical work and preparation are pushed to the limit. The outcome, in the end, comes down to the smallest details. It is not about changing a substitution or a style of play. It is about controlling those small moments you cannot train for: a ball that strikes the post and goes out, a decision taken in a fraction of a second under the weight of immense exhaustion, a touch of effectiveness in a defensive detail. What remains is the immense pride of leading those projects and placing those teams on the highest stage.

After all your experiences with clubs and national teams, what is the coaching dream that José Peseiro is still striving to achieve?

Right now, my main goal is to win the title, the Saudi First Division League title, with Al-Ula. That's a goal that gives me 100% satisfaction. In the future, I'd love to reach a World Cup with one of the national teams. But above all, my greatest desire is to keep working in this profession with the passion and energy I feel today.