ASPRILLA: “WE’RE REQUIRED TO RETURN THE FAVOR TO OUR FANS THROUGH A CRUSHING VICTORY IN IRAN’S ESFAHAN”
Al Ain first football team is to have its main training session at Foolad Shahr Stadium at 19:15 (Tehran Local Time), 18:45 (Abu Dhabi Local Time) tonight. Tomorrow evening, the Stadium will be a home to the thrilling and breathtaking football game between Zob Ahan Esfahan FC and Al Ain FC “The Boss”, within the pre–final round of The 2017 AFC Champions League group stage. The two teams, along with the Saudi Al Ahli FC and FC Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan, fall under Group C.
The technical pre–match press conference will be held today at 10 am at Kawthar Hotel’s conference hall, the host of the introductory press conference at 11 am at the hotel, 5 minutes by car away from Al Ain’s residence at Esfahan.
“THE BOSS'” DELEGATION
Meanwhile, Al Ain Team’s delegation arrived on a private jet at Esfahan International Airport yesterday evening, coming from Al Ain International Airport. The delegation was presided by H.E Muhammad Obaid “Hammad”, member of the Board of Directors of Al Ain FC Company and the supervisor of the football club’s first and second teams.
The flight took about 105 minutes, and later the delegation headed directly to its residence at Abbasi Hotel, 50 minutes away from the Airport by bus. The “Boss” delegation comprised 44 persons: Sultan Rashid, member of the Board of Directors of Al Ain FC Company; Essam Abdullah, the Team’s coordinator; Zoran Mamić, the head coach; Ahmad Abdullah, assistant coach, Damier Kraznar and DienClarović, the assistant coaches; Miraliem Ibrahimović, goalkeeper coach; Milan Singarić, physical fitness coach; Vidran Atias and Mark Alexander, technical analysts; Jorica Rakić, the Team’s physician; Mohsen Belhose, nutrition doctor; Pojo Sencović, Abdul Nasser Mugammad, Vitaléand Ivica, physiotherapists; Kaledabdul Kareem and Muhammad Nur Al Huda for ordonances; Obeed AL Zahery, public relations; Khaled Mostafa, the media official; Ali Al Saedi, photographer; mas’oud Nasser, interpreter; and chef Kamal Al Sayyed.
20 PLAYERS
For the match against Zob Ahan, the Croatian Zoran Mamić chose the following 20 players: Khaled Eissa, Muhammad Saeed Busanda, DaoudSolaiman, Ismail Ahmad, Muhannad Al Enzi, Khaled Abdul Rahman, Daoud Ali, Salem Al Azeezyi, Rashid Muhyyer, Saeed Jumaa, Muhammad Abdul Rahman, Bandar
Al Ahbabi, Ahmad Burman, Ibrahim Diaky, Omar Abdul Rahman, Youssef Ahmad Mosa, Saeed Al Katheeri, Lee Myung-joo, Caio Lucas and Danilo Asprilla.
“We are aspiring for the same scenario of the second leg match of AFC Champions League we played against the opponent on the same stadium last year, in which Al Ain took the lead with a clean sheet two to nil, when the first – leg match ended in the same positive score we scored this season, a draw one to one”, said the Colombian Al Ain star player, describing the game to be held.
Asprilla added that the whole team is fully aware of the fact that the only choice is to return home with victory and the three points, so they will be eager to demonstrate the best skills for the final end of achieving a landslide victory that promotes the team’s chances of securing one of the two seats of Group C qualifying to the round of 8 of the Asian Champions League.
“The great field experience gained by the team during the continental competition along with the players’ strong crave for achieving the best score against the Iranian opponent are the strongest means of our arsenal we count on while playing against a professional and well–organized team playing at home and among his supporters,” added Asprilla.
About his message to Al Ain FC’s fans, he said “I think that the splendid scene we have witnessed during the team’s training session at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium is a good omen for victory that was embraced with appreciation by all team members. So, it would be better to translate such message by brining delight into the hearts of our supporter through victory, and then we would be up to their expectations as players defending the colors of their favorite team,”.
