Roberto Mancini, head coach of Al-Sadd, spoke about the strength and difficulty of the upcoming clash against Japan’s Vissel Kobe in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025–2026.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Mancini said: “A tough match awaits us, and it will be even more difficult than our game against Al-Hilal in the Round of 16.”
The Al-Sadd coach added: “We need to recover after the great effort the players put in against Al-Hilal, having played 120 minutes. However, we are capable of delivering our best and securing victory to reach the semi-finals.”
Regarding his decision not to make any substitutions during the Al-Hilal match, Roberto said: “The team played with great balance, and the players delivered an outstanding performance. That’s why I was keen to maintain their cohesion until the penalty shootout.”
Mancini concluded by stating that he has full confidence in his players and their ability to deliver their best in the upcoming match.
Meanwhile, Moroccan defender Romain Saïss described the upcoming clash against Japan’s Vissel Kobe as a difficult one for both teams.
He added: “We delivered a strong and high-level performance against Al-Hilal, and we are capable of continuing our work and achieving victory in the upcoming quarter-final against the Japanese side.”
Saïss continued: “The Asian competition is very important for the club and Al-Sadd fans. We will give our best to reach the semi-finals. We know the difficulty of the match against a team from East Asia, but we will do everything possible to achieve our objective.”
