Al-Sadd head coach Felix Sanchez expressed his deep sadness following his team’s 2-3 defeat to Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale and their exit from the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-2025 at the quarterfinal stage.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Sanchez said: “Congratulations to Kawasaki for the victory. We didn’t start the way we wanted and didn’t feel comfortable. We conceded goals that we could have at least avoided one of. I believe we tried, but the task wasn’t easy.”
He added: “Kawasaki were very well-organized, and it wasn’t easy for us to reach the final third. Nevertheless, we managed to equalize, but in extra time, when it seemed like nothing would happen from either side, Kawasaki got a chance and scored the winning goal. We couldn’t come back after that.”
He continued: “I think it was a very close game, and in such matches, small details make the difference. Today was simply not our day. I have to congratulate the players for the great effort they put in. We came a long way in this competition and had a good tournament overall, but unfortunately, we couldn’t make it to the next stage. Now we need to shift our focus to the upcoming domestic competitions.”
Sanchez pointed out that Al-Sadd faced a strong team that prepared well for the match and managed to beat them. “We were expecting a different performance, but as I mentioned, details made the difference, and we weren’t effective enough in handling them. This is football. Sometimes you just can’t reach the required level to win. We wanted to reach the semifinals but didn’t succeed. We’ll try again next season.”
Regarding the substitution of Spanish striker Rafa Mujica, Sanchez said: “Giovanni came on at halftime because we thought he could offer different attacking solutions, so it was a technical decision. When things don’t go as planned, we have to assess the situation and look for alternative solutions.”
He concluded: “This is football — mistakes happen and are part of the game. I cannot blame the players. Their desire to win is clear; they have a strong mentality, and I have no reproach towards them. I am proud of them because they are the ones who bring joy by winning titles. We still have two trophies left to compete for this season, and we aim to win them.”
