Al Sadd's players during match against Al Faisaly on Wednesday.
Al Sadd bowed out of the AFC Champions League 2022 after beating Saudi Arabia’s Al Faisaly 1-0 in their final Group E match, with head coach Javi Gracia saying the tournament was a lesson for his ranks.
Al Sadd – the reigning QNB Stars League champions – finished third in the group with 7 points, crashing out in the group stage of the event for the second year running.
“We won with 1-0, but it will not change anything after we exited the tournament in the previous round,” said Gracia.
“We did not enter the tournament well. We drew with Nasaf having lost two players to red cards, and then we lost against Al Faisaly, and Al Wehdat. We did not compete well and paid the price, before we lost to Nasaf and were eliminated.”
“This tournament is a lesson and we learned from it, and we have to take benefit from the mistakes that occurred, both as coaches and players so as not to repeat them,” he added.
We apologise to fans: Turki Al Ali
Meanwhile, Al Sadd CEO Turki Al Ali has said that the season did not culminate in the way the fans or the management wished for.
“We did not want our season to end in this way, and there is no convincing justification that we can offer to our fans. We acknowledge the wave of anger and every constructive criticism written against all of us is appreciated and respected, and our work and our self-evaluation will be based on that,” he said.
The CEO added: “We, as the management, bear the most responsibility, as we did not prepare the team and players mentally for this tournament. Just as we admit our mistakes, we are also proud to belong to this institution, and we trust our capabilities and we will return better than before.”
Turki reiterated that the reaction from the fans and their demands for correction in the upcoming period are natural and logical.
“Personally, I appreciate the comments of all Qatari fans, from Al Sadd fans to the rest of the fans, from other clubs, and even those who do not follow football.”
As for some statements from the players about the coach during the tournament, the CEO stressed that this is unacceptable and said: “We will not allow it, as it is neither the club’s approach nor its style.”
As for the coach Gracia, Turki said: “His contract expires at the end of the season, and he has done what he owes to the team. I do not hold him responsible, and it is possible he was not fortunate.”
Turki concluded his statement by addressing the Al Sadd fans: “I apologise on behalf of everyone who works in the club for what happened, and we promise our fans that this will not go without correction. We will change the current situation in the coming days. This is a new step after the end of a chapter, as we preferred not to declare anything until the end of the team’s participation in the tournament.”
