I am Keen to Stay with Boss Squad and Contribute to Achieving the Team’s Big Goals On Fans’ Calls for the Coach to Resign.. Ivan Leko: The Fans Have the Right to Express Their Views Without Restraints
“I will be honest and say that today will be the first training session dedicated to the team’s match against Ajman as I gave the players Thursday off. As you know we have a busy tight schedule, but we made use of the time to analyse our team’s performance in their recent match against Al Nasr and already set up a plan for our upcoming match against Ajman,” Al Ain boss Ivan Leko opened the media press conference of his team’s matchweek 9 of the Arabian Gulf League against Ajman. The match is scheduled to be held on Sunday 15th December 2019, at 06:00 p.m. at the Rashid bin Saeed Stadium.
Commenting his squad’s performance against Al Nasr, Ivan Leko stated: “We were good and played well although we failed to win the match three points. We have to close that chapter and be fully ready for the next match. We must prepare the team mentally for the Ajman match to show the opponent the team’s genuine character and actual strength. The opponent is a quality team despite losing their last match.”
As for the fans’ calls for the coach to resign being held at a draw against Al Nasr, Leko stated: “The fans have the right to express their views in defence of the team’s accomplishments in the manner they consider appropriate. The fans are the beating heart of any big club, and without them, the team will not be able to realise their aspirations and the pre-set goals. However, I did not read such comments as I am not good at reading the Arabic language. Indeed, the Club’s management has the right to make the proper decision to serve the best interests of the team even if they see that I am the actual problem.”
He added: “As a head coach of the team, it is my job to do my best to serve the team and I would love to remain with the squad. I am surprised by such comments and reactions. We played a good game against Al Sharjah, and after a few days, we played against Al Nasr, but we failed to maintain our lead. At any rate, if we want to justify why we are not topping the standing table, the answers will be many.”
In connection with Al Ain’s chances to compete with other opponents to win the title of the league, he underlined it was bitty that the team failed to reduce the gap to be three points. “Al Ain is still one of the favourites to win the title of the league.”
“I have to repeat it that we done well in the Match against Al Nasr, and the opponent scored their draw goal from the penalty point in the dying seconds of the match.”
“Everybody knows that we struggled at the beginning of the season due to shortage in the number of players,” Leko said.
Leko indicated that Bandar Al Ahbabi is scheduled to have an MRI soon to assess his injury. Leko hailed the player as one of the critical stars of the team and wished him a speedy recovery. He also stated that Algeria’s Meziane is finally back to the team.
He touched upon the question of why Al Ain did not play with four foreign players since the beginning of the season and said that was due to the injuries, and yet the team is still doing well.
He also confirmed that the team would miss Mohammed Fayez for being sent off the pitch by the red card. He also said that Rayan Yaslam and Mohammed Khalfan is still receiving medical treatment.
He signed off by saying that there is still time to create the balance during the transfer winter window and that he will go on with his duties as the head coach of the team and to compete to win the title of the league.
