DOHA (Qatar): Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez said the Amir Cup champions are ready to take on Al Rayyan in the Qatar Stars League tomorrrow.
Sadd on Friday had won the Amir Cup by beating Al Arabi 2-1 in the final.
“We have to change the mentality after winning the Amir Cup because this is a different tournament. We have to forget what happened in the Amir Cup final and focus on this match because it will be very difficult and complicated,” said Xavi.
The Spaniard said that the match on the morrow is important.
“We have the Qatar Clasico. This is a very important match and means a lot to us. It is also important in terms of competition for the league because the gap between us and Al Rayyan is 12 points. Our goal is to win, to continue the series of victories,” added the former Barcelona legend.
On Al Rayyan’s new coach (Laurent) Blanc, Xavi said: “I have not played against him, but I respect him a lot because he is a big name in the world of football. I welcome him to Qatar and QNB Stars League. It will be an honour for me to meet him again because he is a great player and coach.”
Star of Amir Cup final Baghdad Bounedjah said, “A big match awaits us. Our games with Al Rayyan are always enjoyable and strong, and the most focused team will reap match points.”
“I always strive to score in every match in order to help my team and the most important thing is to help the team stay on top of the league table.”
(Inputs from QSL)
