MOJTABA: WE FACED A PROFESSIONAL TEAM AND PUNISHED US FOR BEING UNPROFESSIONAL
Mojtaba Hosseini, Coach of Iranian Zob Ahan Esfahan, described the match as a strange one emphasizing that they played hard in the first half, controlled the game and got some chances but unfortunately they received a strange goal. He added, “This is football and when you face a professional team like Al Ain, you will be severely punished and you will be a victim when you play unprofessionally; yet, we played well. We needed a draw in case we did not win and in this case we have to beat Saudi Arabia’s AL Ahli in the last round to ensure wee qualify for the next round. I hope the players understand what they are meant to do in the future.”
Regarding the missed penalty, he said: “Losing all the opportunities and especially the penalty kick had a great impact on the result of the match. It was the decision of the player to lose the penalty kick.”
On Ehsan Pahlevan’s performance and keeping Rabie Ataya on the bench, he commented, “Pahlevan played well in the first half, unlike the second half where he did not perform very well. As for Ataya, keeping him on the bench was for the reason that the starting lineup was so strong.”
Responding to a question if he thinks that Qasem Hadidi’s presence might make the difference in case he played in the starting lineup, Mojtaba said, “Our team played well and the players exerted great efforts. Hadadi has been absent for eight months because of the injury and he did not participate just to keep away from having a new injury. I believe that this the right decision.”
