AMIR CUP 2020 FINAL: Role to Perfection
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We are excited to win for the sake of the fans. It will be a different match. It’s an amazing stadium and we’re looking forward to playing here. – Al Sadd coach FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2020 Xavi Hernandez N what will be a momen- the defence at times could be tous occasion at a FIFA leaky for Sadd, they do have World Cup Qatar 2022 strong forward line in Akram venue – the Al Rayyan Afif and Baghdad Bounedjah, IStadium – on Friday, Al Arabi with the Spaniard Santi Ca- would look to play with all zorla playing the playmaker their might against favourites AMIR CUP 2020 FINAL: role to perfection. Al Sadd to win the HH Amir Despite the heavy favour- Cup 2020 final lay their hands ites tag on his side though, on the prestigious Amir Cup Xavi said he was wary of an trophy. Arabi side, who could be mo- Al Arabi are aiming to tivated playing on a special overcome all odds to erase Al Arabi brace to battle occasion. “We are in great their 27-year-old agony at form and I expect my team the magnificent Al Rayyan to perform well. But everyone stadium which will be in- thinks that we are the favour- augurated by His Highness ites but this is not true. It’ll the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin be a difficult game, a compli- Hamad Al Thani. The occa- Al Sadd for title cated game tomorrow. A final sion, in presence some of can be very different, filled top football dignataries, will with tension,” he said. surely be motivating for ei- “It’s a historic game for ther sides and thereby pro- them (Arabi), and also for us. duce a worthy final. For many years, they have not Backed by their coach won a title and they will have Xavi Hernandez, Al Sadd have that extra motivation to do been reveling in great form. well in the final. So if anyone They have thus far topped the thinks that Al Sadd will win QNB Stars League standings the title easily, they don’t un- having won eight of their nine derstand football. They’ll be matches and drawn one. ready to find and put all hur- Al Arabi in contrast dles in our path,” Xavi added. haven’t been that impressive The former midfielder felt having won only one. In their the huge difference of class recent meetings with Sadd, in the league standings will they lost 0-4 in the Ooredoo have little bearing on today’s Cup final in October, while match. “We are proud to be also being routed 1-4 in the here and compete, and we league last month. will see if we are able to con- Thus it will be a battle of tinue to play like that. We are wits for them. Al Arabi coach excited to win for the sake of Heimir Hallgrimsson called the fans. It will be a differ- on his players to seek inspira- ent match to the league. The tion from the club’s history. positions in the league will Al Arabi’s history is great, but not mean anything tomor- we did not reach the final for row. Tomorrow, it’ll be like a many years. We will not look war. The extra motivation can at the past, the past is over. help the players. Everyone “I am happy to reach the might think we’re favourites final but the job is not over but we’ve to show it on the and we have to give our best pitch. I am happy that we’re in it. The match is important The Al Rayyan Stadium – a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue – will be ofcially opened prior to the Amir Cup 2020 nal between Al Sadd and Al Arabi at 7pm on Friday. in a good moment, playing and we are proud of being very good football but we’ve among the first teams to play to show that level tomorrow,” at Al Rayyan Stadium. But, Xavi said. when the referee blows the With so many quality play- start whistle, the stadium will ers in the squad, Xavi said it be like any other, and we have will be hard to pick a playing to present our best in order to eleven. “You can only choose win,” he said. eleven players and it’s really The coach said he has en- difficult to pick the team as sured that his players don’t everybody is training well and feel the pressure of the big fi- playing well. I will feel bad nal. “We know that the match for the players who miss out is of very great importance tomorrow because everyone more than any other match. deserves to play this match,” It is a game of emotions. We he said. have tried to make our prepa- Xavi also said that the rations normal for this final presence of fans at the Al and not to put the players Rayyan Stadium will add to under pressure. The experi- the thrill and excitement. ence will be different for us Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrimsson (centre) and player Ahmed Fathy addressing the media ahead of the Former Al Sadd player and now coach Xavi Hernandez speaks to the “Qatar is doing a good job in to play a final match as the Amir Cup 2020 nal on Thursday. media ahead of the Amir Cup 2020 nal on Thursday. order to host the 2022 World players are not used to,” the Cup. It’s an amazing stadium Icelander said. hopefully it will succeed,” and Mehrdad Mohammadi makes us optimistic more Hallgrimsson said. That match was Xavi Her- and we’re looking forward to “We must go to the final he added. holding key to his plans. than ever. In the matches we Meanwhile, Al Sadd are nandez’s final game in an playing here. with a belief of winning. The Arabi have been hard “For the first time this played against Al Sadd, they eyeing a record 17th Amir Cup Al Sadd jersey in Qatar, be- “The presence of fans issue is not just football relat- done by injuries to key play- season, we have nearly all had more possession and title. The Wolves beat Al Du- fore he took over the mantle shows that Qatar has done ed, but it’s also psychological ers in recent times, but ahead players available for the high winning percentage. In hail in the semi-finals, gain- of head coach. The Spanish well to control the Covid situ- and mental aspects. I think of the final Hallgrimsson was match except for the injured any case there are always op- ing a sweet revenge over their midfield great will be keen to ation. It’s an additional moti- that we must play to win. We pleased that everyone was Khalifa Al Maliki. This gives portunities in football. You arch-rivals after having lost to bury those memories and he vation for us to play in front believe in our ability to win fit barring Khalifa Al Maliki, us a chance to give the best cannot expect who will win them in last year’s final at the certainly has the players at of the fans.” and we have a plan for it and, with forwards Mehdi Torabi performance and this is what regardless of anything else,” Al Janoub Stadium. this disposal to do so. While (Tribune News Network) Brilliant Qatar is all ready for FIFA World Cup 2022: UEFA President the governments. Ceferin in Doha to attend Amir Cup “We need education of small children to understand what is rac- nal, Al Rayyan Stadium’s opening ism and what is every discrimina- tion. We have to get rid of those TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK brilliant as much as I saw it now, I’m people who use football to express DOHA here since Monday. Except of a few their ideologies. It’s a fight that exceptions in the stadiums that are may last for years but we will win.” “QATAR is impressively ready and getting ready, I think Qatar is ready On the impact of the coronavi- looks set to host the World Cup to host the World Cup tomorrow. I rus pandemic on European foot- like tomorrow”, remarked UEFA think it’s really impressive how it ball, Ceferin said it was substantial President Alexsander Ceferin, who looks and I am looking forward to but was sure of things bouncing is in Doha for the opening of the come to the World Cup in Qatar.” back. “Only the postponement of fourth World Cup 2022 Al Rayyan On the Qatar national team be- Euro 2020 has cost more than Stadium which will be inaugurated ing in mix for European qualifying 100mn euros. European football’s with the Amir Cup 2020 final set for the 2022 World Cup, Ceferin losses due to the coronavirus pan- to be played at 7pm on the Qatar welcomed the move. “I think it’s a demic you could count in billions National Day. very good idea. Our federations were but from the other point of view, On Thursday, Ceferin in an in- very positive about it. I think it is UEFA President Alexsander Ceferin (centre), who is in Doha for the opening of the fourth World Cup 2022 Al Rayyan we’d be the first ones to come back. teraction with journalists said he good for the Qatar national team to Stadium, addresses the media on Thursday. “The moment we will have spec- was quite impressed with Qatar’s compete with the best and with all tators back at the stadiums and preparations for World Cup 2022.