Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu expressed his great happiness at joining a club of Al-Sadd’s stature for the upcoming season during the pre-match press conference ahead of Al-Sadd’s clash against MC Alger for the Al-Ahrar Cup.
Speaking at the press conference, Lucescu said: “I am proud to be here at a big club like Al-Sadd. I know this is the first match, and we are all fully focused. Although it is the beginning of the season, playing a friendly match with the status of a tournament will certainly be a motivating factor for us.”
He added: “We had a great training camp in preparation for the new season. The players joined us in two groups, which allowed us to work together and get to know all the players. This is very important for us as a coaching staff, as we need to get to know the players closely.”
“We are now about to start the season, and there is still a lot of work to do. We have tomorrow’s match, then the Qatar Cup, and also the Amir Cup at the end of the season, so it will be a busy campaign. The most important thing for us is always the next match, and now our focus is on MC Alger.”
He concluded: “This is a friendly match and our final one before the start of the season, which highlights its importance for us. We want to give the players playing time and try to find the right balance between it being a friendly and the fact that it is also a very important match.”
Meanwhile, Al-Sadd defender Tarek Salman said: “God willing, it will be a good season. As the coach said, we are competing for the title and looking forward to winning the league for the fourth consecutive time. The coach has explained the new coaching staff’s philosophy to the players. Everyone is excited, and we played some strong matches during the training camp. We hope to be fully ready, starting with a big club like MC Alger.”
He added: “Our match against the Algerian team represents a different challenge, as African football is different from Asian football. We will give everything we have. Of course, we appreciate the enthusiasm of the fans and always want their support. We will compete in many domestic and international competitions in the new season.”
Tarek Salman concluded: “There is a great understanding between the players and the coach. Everyone is comfortable and excited about the new season, and we have gained confidence under the new coach. He has a great deal to offer.”
