Dar Al-Zain is not like any other city… And Al-Ain is not just a simple club
Hernán Crespo knows very well how to deal with pressures that accompany the big challenges for several reasons
“Al-Zaeem’s” atmospheres are a great source of confidence and joy before the 2nd leg final match of AFC champions League football tournament
All of our continental matches were not easy and the accompanying excitement was the title of my challenge vs Saudi Al-Nassr and Saudi Al-Hilal
Bandar Al-Ahbabi, Al-Ain’s captain, said that in front of us lies a historical opportunity to transform the supreme patronage and the generous support the club has always been receiving from His Highness Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy ruler of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, first deputy to the club’s chairman, first deputy to the chairman of the honorary council, chairman of the board of directors of Al-Ain sports and cultural club, into a continental accomplishment, which would be equal to the nation’s joy, especially that it would come under the constant follow up and the great morale support for the team from Sheikh Sultan Bin Hamdan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, vice chairman of Al-Ain sports and cultural club, chairman of the executive committee, and chairman of committee of Al-Ain football affairs company. We ask Al-Mighty Allah to guide us and assist us in realizing our ambitions and to satisfy the fans of the United Arab Emirates football, because Al-Ain is not only representing their name but they are representing the country in the most important and most powerful tournament for champion clubs in the continent of Asia.
Step by step
Commenting on a question over the pressures, that may be generated by the idea that says the team is closing in to claim the continental title, on the players, especially the young players, he said: “At Al-Ain our concentration has always been focused on dealing with all challenges out of the principle of one team and one squad, while every member of the team completes the work of the team’s governing ecosystem by merging experience with youth, moreover we play every match aside from the other and we were moving forward step by step along the continental tournament, so claiming the title is our sought after goal and every player is very well aware of what is required from him in order to be able to realize our ambitions, these ambitions that are represented in the nation’s joy. We ask Al-Mighty Allah to guide and assist us to achieve success.”
The difficult question
In response to a question over the most important challenges he faced along his journey with Al-Ain, he said: “I think that this is a difficult question, because the city of Al-Ain is not like any other city and the place in which I grew up and spent the most beautiful years of my life is not just a club, so it is also not easy to find the suitable vocabulary that may be consistent with what feelings I have inside of me towards the club in which I lived as a young boy within the walls of the football school and transformed into a player at the academy until I have managed to reach the first football team, then I became the team’s captain, so I thank Al-Mighty Allah for His generosity and we ask Him to guide and assist us in order to be able to contribute to realizing the goals of the club, which is required to achieve many things as everybody already knows.”
Working harmoniously
Over the atmospheres the team is undergoing before the final match, he said: “The truth is that the atmospheres we are undergoing withing the team with this squad or let’s say with this current generation of players are a source of joy and relaxation, while everyone are acting harmoniously, which is, for sure, something that contributes to making the difference in the realm of football.”
The match vs Saudi Al-Nassr
Over the most difficult challenge the team faced in their continental journey at the current season, he said: “There are no easy matches in the realm of football, so it is difficult to find the appropriate answer for questions of this kind, especially that they are correlated with the difference that is present in the opinions of analysts, critics and fans, but I think that our match vs Saudi Al-Nassr in the 2nd leg round of competitions was full of excitement despite the good start which witnessed us assuming the lead with two goals on the pitch of Al-Awwal Park stadium, before we made it difficult for ourselves.”
Reaching the final match
In response to a question over the time in which he practically felt that the team will reach the final match of the Asian tournament, he said: “The truth is that at every match there are certain challenges, and after successfully overcoming each stage you have a feeling telling you that you will go very far in this tournament, but our match vs Saudi Al-Hilal and especially after we had the lead with the score of 3-0 at the first half of the match’s duration, I felt that we are closing in to reach a decisive result, despite the state of reservation, because in the realm of football big and powerful clubs are capable of returning in the match’s result, but we have managed to claim a decisive result scoring four goals on the green pitch of Hazza Bin Zayed stadium, then we went to the Saudi capital of Riyadh with a clear goal, which was to make it to the final match of the tournament.”
Hernán Crespo
Over the impact Hernán Crespo had left on the team, he said: “Sometimes certificates and coaching experience are not enough for football coaches to realize their ambitions in the realm of teams coaching, while the current manager of Al-Ain, Hernán Crespo, had a life that is full of pressures and stardom as a player, especially the big challenges at the World Cup with his country’s national football team and the final match of UEFA Champions League football tournament, which is something that had a great benefit over us as players, while the manager and the team reaching the final match of the tournament is not a mere coincidence, but there were big efforts and hard work, and in my opinion, I think that all managers who came to this club had a distinctive impact, while achieving success has always been in need of hard work.”
