Mamic Says Proud to Be Part of Al Ain and Looks Forward To Qualifying In Riyadh
Al-Ain Croatian Head Coach, Zoran Mamić, said that his team performed very well in a confrontation that was not easy. “I think the weather has badly affected the performance of the two teams and I think the result is not bad for the hosts and guests”, he said.
“Today, before the game, I received several questions from the media about my opinion on the readiness of the two teams, especially that our rival had two official confrontations in the Saudi league, but I did not want to talk about that part because the details of the answer are of great importance in the preparation period for the Asian game, and today the matter became clear regarding the status of preparedness”, he continued.
“Omar Abdul Rahman and Dyanfres Douglas had two chances to score against Al Hilal, and there were two chances for the rivals. However, no team was able to score and I think that the defence line did not have the required performance level”, Mamić added.
“Al Hilal had a better performance in the first half because we did not show the required calm and in the second half Al-Ain was the best team on the ground, controlling the game and attacking the rivals until the moment of the red card”, Mamić said.
He also stated, “There is no doubt that we can’t expect the results of such confrontations.”
Before the second leg game, a number of international players will join the UAE national team along with the” international ” player Swedish Berg who is going to join his national team, the coach noted.
Al Ain will also play a match in the Arabian Gulf Cup before heading to Riyadh to meet the Al Hilal, Mamic said
“Personally I will be happy to return to the Saudi capital again. We will work hard so that my team can play a strong and exciting match and can be qualified through which to the next phase of the Champions League,” Mamić said.
When asked about his opinion on the performance of Swedish striker Marcus Berg, Mamić said: “Actually, today’s game is the first official confrontation for Berg and for sure his performance was affected by the weather but he is a good player and will have the full support of all teammates, the technical staff and the fans.”
“He will adapt to the team because he is a professional but he needs some time,” the coach stressed.
“I think Douglas was one of the best players in today’s game, he showed a high fighting spirit, he did his field duties at the required level,” Mamić said, commenting on a question about his assessment of the Brazilian footballer Douglas’s performance in the match.
Concerning his adherence to the Brazilian style of play, he said “I am lucky to belong to a team in the value and position of Al-Ain. I am also happy to train Brazilian players Caio and Douglas, who combine the Brazilian potentials with the German mentality.”
Everyone knows that Douglas came out of the team because of missing a penalty kick, which is very strange in the world of football,” Mamic said. He added, “The player has a strong personality and that he assured everybody of his great abilities and high fighting spirit in today’s game.”
“Today, Caio played in a different position as a left-back player. Personally, I am very happy with their performance,” Mamic concluded.
