Javi Gracia: We achieved our objective, we’re looking ahead to the most important moment

Al-Sadd coach Javi Gracia spoke of his satisfaction after his side defeated Qatar SC 1-0 in the postponed match from Round 13 of the QNB Stars League.

Speaking to the club website after the match, Gracia said: “I am very happy with the victory today against Qatar SC. We achieved our goal in the match and got the three points.”

The coach added: “This month, we played many matches, and we came through them with great effectiveness and intense competition. We did not allow other teams to create opportunities against us, and we achieved victory in one match after another and collected points. All the players are working hard and sincerely, and we are now waiting for the most important moment of the season (against Al-Ahli) and are ready for it in the best way.”

Regarding the reaction of Al-Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah, the moment he was replaced, Gracia said: “Everyone wants to play the most number of minutes and the players must be aware that they are part of the team and the coach is the one who decides. Everyone must respect the coach’s decisions, and not only respect the coach’s decisions but respect each other as players too.”

He continued: “These things happen a lot in football, and Baghdad is a great player, and he is a respectful person. I know this and what happened is a normal thing, and we will not stand against him.”

Regarding the upcoming game against Al-Ahli match, Gracia said: “As usual, we do not have time to prepare for matches. We play many matches in one month, and we are now focusing on the recovery process and we will try to prepare for the next match with full force in order to achieve the goal we seek.”