Zlatko: Al Ain’s goal is to win the 2017 AFC Champions League
In his statement about the AFC Champions League draw which took place today in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lampur, the Croatian coach, Zlatko Dalić, Al Ain’s technical manager, said, “We don’t give much attention to the identity of our opponents… whether they were tough players or not. What we care about most is preparing well to enter the continental championship and be absolutely ready to face our opponents.”
Moreover, when asked about his view of the third group teams, Dalić replied, “Al Ain Group is certainly strong, but we will not change our strategy in dealing with the first phase of the Asian championship, and our short term goal is focused on getting qualified to the semi-finals.”
“Al Ain needs not be motivated to compete for the Champions League, especially when, during the few past years, the team got accustomed to reaching advanced stages in the toughest championship in Asia and was recently a key player in the finals of the Asian championship.” He added.
He also said, “Our goals for the 2017 AFC Champions League are well-defined and focused on winning the championship, which means our main duty now is to improve the team in order to achieve the desired results.”
“We will be playing against 3 teams we’ve already played against this year, including Zob Ahan Esfahan F.C. and Al-Ahli SC, in addition to those who were qualified for the finals like Qatar’s El Jaish SC and the Uzbek FC Nasaf. We sure know our job won’t be a piece of cake.” He continued.
