Zlatko relies on fans to top AGL table
Anticipating his squad’s away encounter with Baniyas next Saturday at Round 14 of the Arabian Gulf League, Al Ain’s Croatian Coach Zlatko Dalić refused to take advantage of their hosts’ bottom rank at the table to speed up their pace to the top position. “We need to play our best in order to end up with the desired 3 points and play the AGL finals,” he said.
Zlatko pointed out that unlike Baniyas which had the advantage of 2-week break, his men did not have enough time to recover and train as they had to play against Baniyas within two days following their last game 2 days ago. “Besides, we’ll be missing some of our players such as Fawzi Fayez, Mohamed Fayez, Saeed Al Menhali, Mohamed Ahmed for their injuries and Danilo Asprilla and Lee Myung-Joo for suspension. Additionally, Ismail Ahmed, Mohamed and Amer Abdurrahman will make their first appearance since their last suspension,” he explained.
“Fawzi Fayez will be excluded for sustaining a serious injury,” he continued “we are still waiting for the medical report. In fact, four defenders will be missing the next game in addition to midfielder Myung-Joo who used to replace Ismail Ahmed in defense lines. I am still weighing on the best replacements.”
Zlatko made clear that there is no easy game in football, pointing out that their rivals had enough time to train and get ready for the match. “They will definitely play their best to avoid being degraded. I am not familiar with the recent changes there but I will focus on pushing my men to victory,” he continued.
He refrained from defending the Colombian Asprilla, describing his action as ‘unjustified’, but said that punishing players based on spotting their moves on camera is ‘unfortunate’. “Another player who was caught on camera strangling his foe (the same infraction Asprilla was punished for) but left unpunished. This is totally outrageous. The Pro-league is supposed to be professional and advanced. If the situation continues in course, up to 5 or 10 players will be punished every week,” he argued.
Zlatko highly valued the efforts exerted by Rashid Issa, wishing him good luck in his new club. “I entirely respect his decision to take on a new challenge with a new team.”
He also spoke about the imperative role played by the loyal fans as the real source of strength for the team. “I am sure our fans will cheer for us from the stands of Baniyas stadium. Their love for their club is not based on the results but on faith,” he concluded.
