Ooredoo Cup: We are here to win the title, says Xavi ahead of final

Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez yesterday issued to a warning to their Ooredoo Cup rivals Al Arabi, saying his team will be playing the title clash ‘to win’. The two football arch-rivals play the Ooredoo Cup final tomorrow at Al Duhail Stadium. “At Al Sadd, all matches are important. Final is for winning, not for playing! We have enough players. We are here to win. We are Al Sadd, we must be winning. Hopefully, fans will get to see a very good game,” Xavi said during a press conference yesterday. “We are very happy to be playing in this final. To be honest, I did not expect that we would qualify for this game. We have to play with a group of players who are not on national team duty,” the Spanish World Cup star said. “All games are important opportunities for youngsters. And they are doing well. For them, every minute is an opportunity. I am also happy that we have many youngsters, such as Ahmed Sohail and Mohammed Waad, on Qatar national duty,” he added. The Barcelona stalwart urged young players to give their best. “Young players have to fight hard on the pitch. That is the best way to show their level. There is no point in being under pressure. They have to overcome pressure,” Xavi said. “We have to think positively. I do not think negatively. We have to be consistent. We have many competitions, like the league and Amir Cup, ahead of us. Football is not mathematics. It is about playing well, controlling the ball, creating opportunities,” Xavi, who also played for Al Sadd up until last year, added. Veteran striker Rodrigo Tabata, who switched camp from Al Rayyan at the start of the new season last month, said young players needed to deliver for the Doha giants. “This final is a good chance for our young players in particular. We have plenty of experienced players as well. I hope we will be successful and emerge as champions,” Tabata, 39, said yesterday. “The coach (Xavi) and I are of the opinion that we must work to win titles. This game is a good chance not only for our young players, but also for seniors like me to stay motivated for all games. “In training and matches, I try to pass on my experience to young players. It is natural that I am keen to help out youngsters and, in turn, the team,” Tabata added. Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrímsson said his team has a chance to end their barren trophy run in tomorrow’s final. “The Ooredoo Cup final is an important milestone for us as it has been a really long time since Al Arabi won a trophy. It is also a good opportunity for us to turn things around. We need to win this trophy,” Hallgrímsson said yesterday. “I had watched Al Sadd play Qatar SC the other day in Round 2 of the 2020-21 Ooredoo Cup. They had some 10 players in the Qatar national team camp, yet they had depth and quality in their squad. Al Sadd are always a strong team,” the former Icelandic international said. “We had a good pre-season camp, even though a brief one. Chances are same for both teams in this match. We must be playing at our best. We will also be missing some players due to national duty and injuries. But that’s not important. We will play to our capabilities,” he added. Al Arabi’s veteran striker Sebastian Soria said his team remains focused to win the match. “We had more than a month to work and prepare for the final after we qualified for it. We’ve trained well,” Soria, who partnered Tabata in the last few years at Al Rayyan, said yesterday. “We had played some good games last season. I am happy that I am a part of Al Arabi this season. I already played two matches in this season’s Ooredoo Cup. I have confidence in Al Arabi’s abilities. “I am lucky to play in this final. Final is a final. The most important thing is the attitude. We must have a strong mentality. “Al Sadd may be without many players who are on national duty, but we are focusing more on winning this cup. We are in the final because we played well in the games prior to it. We have a big chance,” the 36-year-old added.