The Decision to Stay in My Position is in the Hands of the Club’s Senior Management.. Juan Carlos: The Match Referee Ruled Out Al Ain’s Goal in Critical Time
The Head Coach of Al Ain First Football Team opened the pre-match press conference of Round 4 of Group D- ACL 2019 by stating that he is always saying that the result of the match reflects the team’s performance on the pitch. “I have to say that losing tonight’s match was not good at all considering that we conceded the first goal only after 3 minutes of the kickoff whistle. This goal clearly had a negative impact over my team’s performance in the first half. In the second half, we strived hard to come back to the match and we fight strongly to achieve that, and Jamal Marouf scored the equalizer goal. However, the match referee had another opinion and ruled out it on grounds of offside at a critical moment of the match that definitely would change the course of the match. After that the opponent boosted their lead by scoring their second goal. Finally, I would like to thank the loyal fans who were there supporting the players enthusiastically throughout the minutes of the match.”
Responding to a question if he will continue in his position as the head coach of the team next season despite the team’s poor results, he said: “Actually, the decision is not mine, but it is in the hands of Al Ain Club Management. Personally, I do my best with the team since I assumed my responsibilities as the head coach of the team until the end of my current contract on 30th June 2019. It is my duty to improve the team’s performance and for sure I will spare no effort to improve the team’s level of performance.”
On the selection of young players in his starting line-up, he commented: “I do not accept the notion of young or old player in football as much as my decisions are based on the player’s level of readiness and their abilities to carry out their tasks on the pitch. This is the quality of players who show their sincere commitment in the training sessions and have a genuine desire to defend the team’s logo and fight aggressively on the pitch.”
He added: “Personally, I am happy by the names selected to play tonight. As for Khalid Al Bloushi, I see that he did well tonight. Meanwhile, I kept Marcus Berg and Rayan Yaslam on the bench due to minor injuries that will not make them able to play for full 90 minutes. Hamed Doumbia is not registered in the team’s lists to play in the local competitions but plays only in AFC Champions League, and do not forget that Ahmad Barman is just recovered from an injury. All of these factors should be taken in consideration prior analyzing the match and criticizing the players’ performance.”
