I was honored to meet Sultan bin Hamdan and assured him of our readiness to achieve the goals.. Crespo: The club’s vision, strategic plans, and professional mentality inspire pride
The quality of the players on the squad motivated me to lead “Al Zaeem”
I love challenges, dealing with pressure, and no limits to my ambition with Al Ain Club
The club’s facilities are world-class and comparable to the European clubs
I like Ancelotti Training School but I adopt my own style and method in the world of training
My message to the players lies in the team spirit and my relationship with Al Zaeem started in 2018
I will adopt an offensive style, balance and control, and not leave defensive gaps
We need Al Ain Fans to reap the achievements and get on the podiums together
The Argentinian, Hernan Crespo, Coach of Al Ain, expressed his great happiness and pride in meeting His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club (AASCC), Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Steering Committee of Al Ain Football Club, saying: “I was honored that night to meet the Sheikh, which was important to us before officially assuming the task of coaching “Al Zaeem”, as he explained to us the goals and many matters that are consistent with the concepts of football with a sublime logic and high professionalism that matches the team, the aspirations of the management and everyone who belongs to this great club. In turn, we assured him of our keenness to add more quality and technical value to the work to improve the team’s performance so that it provides the best and can achieve the aspirations of its lovers”.
“I felt that I was dealing with a professional management that has the capabilities and passion to succeed, works with a clear vision, and has a decision-making ability, when I was offered to assume the task of coaching the team, it was undoubtedly related to my personality and career, not only as a player but also as a coach”, he added.
Throughout this journey, I have always sought highly competitive and challenging projects.
Of course, the essence is that we all strive to win championships and titles, but the crux of the idea is to compete until the end.
Things will go normally in a logical order”
He continued: I am well aware that promises in the world of football alone are not enough because fulfilling them requires commitment, giving and doubling efforts, and all the grounds are fully set up at Al Ain Club to achieve the goals. We will work to be confident and in good faith to make the fans happy.
Asked how much he knew about his new club, he replied: “I’ve had the opportunity before to work with FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 when I came to present at the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi. Such a visit left a great impression on me, especially since Al Ain’s performance in that tournament was impressive and wonderful. From then, I found myself close to the club and after that, other things happened as I looked at the club’s facilities, which have developed tremendously since 2018, so it was not surprising for me to realize the full real value of this club”. “Al Ain Club facilities are world-class, comparable to European clubs, and are ranked first. I truly feel grateful and appreciated for the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the team as belonging to this club is a great honor”, he added.
When he asked about the secret of his preference for Al Ain’s offer over the other offers, he commented: “Of course, this is our role as a technical staff, usually when any club offers us a training offer, it is our responsibility to work on analyzing the squad. Compared to the other offers we received, I was surprised that the current list of players at the club is of high quality and scalable so that we can achieve the goals we intend to set”.
On the challenges that are expected to be faced by such a good squad, whose ambition is to go beyond the sky and win titles, he said: “Embarking on a new experience is always an important challenge for me. Over the course of my career, I have had to adapt to different cultures, whether I am a player or a coach and I will do my best to adapt to circumstances as quickly as possible. The players’ willingness to adapt to circumstances has been wonderful, and I think I will not face any challenges in adapting quickly. Some may see the impact of this change on the club as a kind of surprise, but it is a priority for any team aspiring to achieve its goals, right?”
He continued: “I love the challenge and I am used to the pressures; as it is the joy of football, which is my passion and love that has been motivating, encouraging and attracting me to work over the past few years, as I move to work between different countries and cultures in order to work on successful projects. This pursuit is linked to both the responsibility and commitment to work within the scope of a giant and ambitious project such as Al Ain Club’s project. Thus, I am very happy to be part of this giant project”.
When asked about the training school he preferred, he replied: “Personally, I adore Carlo Ancelotti who means so much to me. He trained me for the first time in Europe, and I had the opportunity to be trained when he was the coach of AC Milan. So, I believe in the method he follows, the style he guides his team and I am experienced with it. But of course, I admire many coaches naturally and try to have my own style and independent identity. Ultimately, we are not all the same, and everyone has their own leadership style and beliefs about the best method to manage the team technically, which is the most important thing for me”.
When asked about the technique he prefers, he said: “Definitely, I will adopt an offensive style of play with an emphasis on imposing full control throughout the game and adopting a style of pressure on the opponent and playing in its half. Of course, such a style will be adopted while taking care of the necessary balance to avoid defensive gaps, but without neglecting and prioritizing the offensive aspect, in addition to surprising the opponent to achieve the desired result. I am aware that sometimes we face stressful situations that we should be fully prepared to deal with, as it is difficult for any team to impose its control throughout the game over the course of 90 minutes. So, we should be aware of and understand the stages and requirements of the match as this is the essence of our work”.
Commenting on a question about the first message he gave to the players, he said: “For me, the primary priority is the group and the word ‘we’ as a team and as a family. All my choices and assessments are centered around the group and the word ‘we’. Of course, anyone who thinks individually will find that I am persuading them to think for the good of the team as a whole. That’s the crux of the matter, and I think if we need to establish a winning mentality, we’re going to need everyone in the club. This is the point that everyone needs to understand, as some players will have more participation than others, but the key is always to professionalize your task as a professional player and always show respect in the course of your work. So, I set some clear rules that are aimed at the good of the team”.
Crespo ended his speech with a message to the fans, during which he stressed the importance of unlimited support and assistance because the team needs them at the current stage, which is transitional for several reasons. I think that engaging in a season that has already begun is not easy, but we will strive to do our best, and give the team a distinctive identity, and we will make mistakes, which is the nature of football. At that time, we need the fans’ support. Our goal is to make the fans happy and joy so that they can finally take wonderful souvenir photos with tournament cups. And that’s the ultimate goal! But we need all the elements to come together as we want to have the spirit of an integrated family consisting of several elements, such as the fans, the technical staff, the players, the administration and the whole city; so, we are in dire need of the loyal Al Ain fans.
