Ainawis are extremely lucky to have the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan as well as the attention and supervision of Sheikh Sultan Bin Hamdan Al-Nahyan

Khalid Essa: Our task at the Asian football tournament of AFC Champions League has just began… And we are all committed to bring on the smiles of joy and happiness to our homeland

I am not worried at all and feel all comfortable before taking on the final match of AFC Champions League football tournament

The current version of the Asian football tournament of AFC Champions League is the most powerful and the best version all over the history of this football tournament

The support of the United Arab Emirates football fans for the national football team and the clubs who represent the nation… Can be taught

The Asian football tournament has confirmed to everyone the true quality of “Al-Zaeem” and the team’s strong character

The language of coincidence and luck may be of service to a certain team at a certain match… But it is not reasonable to say that it is the reason that led to the final match of the continent’s Champions League football tournament

The basic foundation that I have built at Al-Ain club is strong and durable by the grace of Allah Al-Mighty and with the support and cheering of our fans

Hernán Crespo has a distinctive feature that not all football managers have

On Saturday the 25th of the current month of May it will be a national day on the green pitch of Hazza Bin Zayd stadium

 

 

The protector of “Al-Zaeem’s” stronghold, the international goalkeeper Khalid Essa, that Ainawis are very lucky with the club’s current leadership, where “my lord” His Highness Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed, deputy ruler of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the first deputy of the honorary council, and chairman of the board of directors of Al-Ain sports and cultural club, has ordered to provide all reasons of success for the club, along with all reasons to claim tournaments’ titles and trophies, as well as the honorable representation of the state at all football tournaments, we also that thank His Highness for his supreme patronage, the generous support, and the growing attention. I also thank Shiekh Sultan Bin Hamdan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, chairman of the executive committee, chairman of Al-Ain football affairs company, for his constant moral and material support, as well as his continuous supervision by attending and standing by the side of the team in order to be able to achieve their sought after goals and to satisfy the fans of the United Arab Emirates football.

 

A tingling in my body

In response to a question over the feeling he has when his team is now one step closer to claim the continental trophy, he said: “I will not divulge a secret if I honestly said to you that when I see that we are one step closer to claim the continental trophy and title “I feel a tingling in my body,” while for sure this feeling cannot be described when speaking about making it to this stage of competitions, but our task is not over yet and we are required to realize all sought after ambitions for us and for the fans of the United Arab Emirates football.”

He went on: “I lived and felt the feelings of pride, appreciation, and happiness before while I was playing for the national football team and playing for the club, which is something that is represented in everyone’s support for the nation’s sole representative, because everyone praises, supports, cheers, and asks Al-Might Allah to assist and guide the team, while I personally wish to live this feeling at every season and all the time.”

 

Immortal career

In response to a question over the reason that lies behind his magnificent performance with “Al-Zaeem,” he said: “Reality confirms that, what I have built at this football club, I did not lay the foundation for alone by my self, but there are people who supported me, stood by my side, and trusted in Khalid. In my turn, I have for them all appreciation and gratitude for their trust, and in my opinion I think that the foundation which I had built at the football club of Al-Ain is powerful and durable primarily thanks for Al-Mighty Allah and then thanks for the Al-Ain fans, which is something that is considered a fundamental reason for what I have achieved as for now. I ask Al-Mighty Allah to assist and guide me in my task to satisfy them in the upcoming days.”

 

The unfairly treated star

Commenting on question over the personal awards that was not fair when related to Khalid Essa at the football tournament of Clubs World Cup 2018, he said: “Personally, I totally believe that when Al-Mighty Allah has destined something not to happen with you, He will destine this event to happen at the right time and place, while at the football tournament of Clubs World Cup many people agreed that I was worthy of claiming the award, but I won the most important and biggest praise from our leadership, our fans, critics, and analysts. This is something that was sufficient for me and was the biggest award in my opinion, I also have confidence that Allah will compensate me and we are required to double our efforts, I also have confidence that everyone will work to bring joy and happiness to our homeland by making it to the next version of the football tournament of Clubs World Cup.”

 

The best version

In response to a question over the differences that are present between the current version and the previous versions of the continental football tournament of AFC Champions League, he said: “Some people may agree or disagree with me, but this version of the continental football tournament of AFC Champions League is the most powerful all over the history of this continental football tournament in my personal point of view, when measured by the circumstances, motives, and tournaments that qualify to this tournament, as well as many more considerations among which are Al-Ain’s journey at this tournament and the challenges we witnessed in each match aside from the other. Reality also confirms that the squads current list of players consists of a big number of under 21 and 22 years old players, those players who have engaged in a continental football tournament for the first time, while this specific tournament has shown the true quality of the big football club of Al-Ain and their powerful character, it also emphasized that the team has a bright and shiny future, while there are wonderful circumstances, details, and memories, while the story is not over yet as I have already mentioned to you, and all members of the team are determined to fulfill the quest with the most appropriate manner.”

 

Feeling worried

Over whether he has a feeling of wordiness before the match vs Yokohama F. Marinios, he said: “I am not worried at all, but on the contrary, I have a feeling of peacefulness before taking on the final match of AFC Champions League, and the evidence for this is that when the 1st leg match was over and we were on the plane making our way back home from Japan, I spoke with the team’s commissioner, Mohammed Obaid Hammad, and told him that I am ready now to take on the 2nd leg match, which is something that is not as much exaggeration in confidence as it can be a feeling that is coming from the atmosphere that the team is witnessing on the time being, while every team all over the world who manage to reach the final match of Champions League football tournament cannot make it to this stage of competitions by mere coincidence or mere luck, as we have recently heard that this certain team has managed to qualify by mere luck or by mere coincidence, but there are several factors which are hard work, effort, determination, planning, directions, recommendations, and limitless support, for we have a leadership that provided us with all reasons that assisted Al-Ain in reaching the final match of AFC Champions League football tournament, and we have behind us our cheering fans who have always been supporting the team with all power they have at all of our continental matches inside and outside the state, so I am not feeling worried at all.”

 

The match vs Saudi Al-Nassr

Over the match which he felt afterwards that the team will reach the final match of the continental tournament of AFC Champions League, he said: “This is not only related to the feeling that is connected with reaching the final stage of competitions but after our match vs Saudi Al-Nassr on our pitch at Hazza Bin Zayed stadium, I had a feeling of certainty that we will go far in AFC Champions League football tournament, and we will also be a difficult team to defeat, as well as a powerful opponent at all challenges regardless of the after match result, because what I have seen after that match was something magnificent, where I saw in my teammates’ eyes the determination and I felt in them the spirit of one team and one family, as well as the commitment to show the powerful character of Al-Ain.”

 

Hernán Crespo

Over how much he benefited as a player from Hernán Crespo as a football star and the team’s manager, he said: “I am not accustomed all over my professional football career to talk about coaching affairs or over any specific manager, but it is for sure that the manager who manages to make it with his team to the final match of Champions League football tournament, whether he is a player or a manager, and what I am saying now is not a secret because I have already mentioned it to my close friends, this is because Hernán Crespo has a feature that is not present in many football managers, for he has the capability to make the most out of the Arab players, while many Arab players are naturally temperamental, but Hernán Crespo at every match sets a goal and motivates the team to realize it.”

 

The nation’s day

Over his feeling towards the unusual demand to order tickets to support Al-Ain, he said: “I have already mentioned to you that what distinguishes football at the United Arab Emirates is the unusual support for the nation’s representative, whether the representative was a club or the national football team, on the contrary of some fans. As a player, whatever was the number of tournaments you achieve and claim with your club, you will be able to live the feeling of representing the nation, because this feeling is magnificent and cannot be described with the most eloquent phases, while on the 25th of the current month of May on the green pitch of Hazzan Bin Zayed stadium it will be a day for the nation to remember, we also ask Al-Mighty Allah to grant us success in order to be able to satisfy the United Arab Emirates and all Arabs.”