Al Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez confirmed his team’s readiness ahead of the upcoming game against Al Arabi in the final of the 2019-20 Ooredoo Cup.
Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Xavi said: “We are happy to play in the final, and I wasn’t expecting to play this game. We have a strong team, but we will only play with young players as we are missing 11 international players. Matches like these are opportunites for young players and I asked them to take advantage of this.”
The coach added: “The final is a chance to win, not just to play. Al-Arabi have young players, experience and an excellent coach, and it will be a great match for the fans in the stands and on the screens.”
“It is an opportunity for young players to participate in the final, and we at Al Sadd give the opportunity to young players like Yousuf, Hashem, Baha, Muhammad Al-Mannai and Ahmed Al-Saeed, who are the future of the team. I remember when I was their age, I would make use of every minute to prove myself.”
Xavi added that the media should not put pressure on these young players, so that they can enjoy football.
As for his thoughts on playing the next game with young players, Xavi said: “My thinking is always positive and I hope my team will show a good level of strength. Yes, there is a possibility of not winning, but life will continue and we have very important tournaments coming up. I am not afraid to play with young players and all that matters to me is work, control, possession and creating opportunities.”
The Al Sadd coach concluded by saying: “We deserved more in the loss against Qatar SC. We played well, but the result was not in our favor, and if we played ten games like this, we would win nine of them.”
