What 42 Training Sessions Reveal About Saudi Arabia's High Press

High pressing in football is now part of Saudi Arabia's work under Georgios Donis, with teams, players, the press, the ball and the goal all linked by one question: can the group repeat hard efforts together? For gym-goers, it connects directly to football training habits that build the engine behind an aggressive style.

In this article

1. What Donis has added to Saudi Arabia's camp
2. Why the body matters in a high press
3. Training ideas everyday players can borrow
4. What gym-goers can take from the Saudi Arabia plan

What Donis has added to Saudi Arabia's camp

According to Goal, Greek coach Georgios Donis leads the Saudi Arabia national football team and has made a high press a new focus of the team's training. Goal also reports that Donis has overseen more than 42 training sessions, starting with a camp in the United States and continuing into the current Qatar camp.

Jadwal Live reports that the Qatar camp runs from 8 to 17 November 2026 with a 30-player squad under Donis. Saudi Arabia then face South Korea on 13 November and Uzbekistan on 17 November 2026 at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, according to Goal and Jadwal Live.

Goal's report says the biggest share of the work has gone into ball possession, with 22 sessions, and set pieces, with 15 sessions. It adds that high pressing was introduced for the first time during the Qatar camp as Donis looks to give Saudi Arabia more options against strong sides.

That last detail matters. A high press is not simply running at the nearest opponent. Players need to move on the same cue, close passing lanes, recover position and be ready to go again if the first press does not win the ball. Jadwal Live describes South Korea as a high-tempo side that leans on speed in transition, which makes the friendly a useful test of how well Saudi Arabia can handle pressure across the match.

Why the body matters in a high press

Barca Innovation Hub says elite footballers cover roughly 10 to 13 km in a match and perform between 150 and 250 high-intensity actions, each lasting under six seconds. Those short actions are where pressing lives: the first sprint to close down, the tackle attempt, the acceleration after a loose pass, then the recovery run when the ball moves.

The same source says about 80 to 90 percent of match time is spent at low-to-moderate intensity, while decisive moments such as sprints, tackles and accelerations demand near-maximum effort. That explains why repeated sprint training is so relevant to high pressing football drills. A player needs enough aerobic base to stay involved, then enough speed endurance to hit another burst with only short recovery.

PLOS ONE reports that a four-week on-field repeated sprint training programme, performed twice a week, significantly improved football players' aerobic fitness, sprint speed, jumping ability and power output, with outfield players benefiting most. That does not mean casual players should copy a research programme session for session. It does show why short sprint repeats, done with clear rest and sensible progression, match the physical pattern of pressing football.

Training ideas everyday players can borrow

Most recreational players do not need a national-team camp. They do need a mix of steady work, sharp efforts and ball-based intensity. Barca Innovation Hub names conditioning methods that fit that mix, including high-intensity intervals near 90 to 95 percent of maximum heart rate, small-sided games that develop fitness and skill together, and repeated short maximal sprints with rest between efforts.

• Build an aerobic base: steady running, cycling or other cardio can support the lower-intensity movement that fills much of a match.
• Use repeated short sprints: brief hard efforts with planned rest can train the ability to accelerate, recover and repeat.
• Play small-sided games: tighter spaces create more touches, more transitions and more chances to press under pressure.
• Respect warm-ups and recovery: prepare properly, build gradually and avoid stacking hard sessions without space to recover.

The main lesson is simple: pressing needs structure as much as effort. If one player sprints while others wait, space opens. If everyone jumps but cannot recover, the next phase becomes risky. Good pressing links fitness, timing and decision-making.

What gym-goers can take from the Saudi Arabia plan

Saudi Arabia's work under Donis shows how modern football rewards repeatable intensity. The news is about a national team preparing for South Korea and Uzbekistan, but the training message is useful for anyone who wants to play with more energy: move well, recover fast and keep your quality when tired.

For gym-goers, that can mean pairing regular cardio with controlled sprint work and football sessions that include the ball. Keep the hard work purposeful rather than random. A better press starts before kick-off, in the weeks of training that make repeated effort feel manageable.

If this Saudi Arabia story has you thinking about your own football fitness, keep the work sensible and consistent. Fill in the enquiry form.

Sources:
goal.com
jadwallive.com
barcainnovationhub.fcbarcelona.com
journals.plos.org

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.