Javi Gracia
Doha: Al Sadd coach Javi Gracia is targeting a victorious start to his coaching tenure at Al Sadd when the QNB Stars League points leaders face Al Khor in their Round 10 clash at the Qatar SC Stadium today.
Reigning champions Al Sadd are topping the table with 25 points with an unbeaten record, the only team to do so thus far.
Spaniard Gracia was named as Al Sadd coach earlier this month after his compatriot Xavi Hernandez took over the reins at Barcelona, having achieved remarkable success with The Wolves, both as a player and coach.
The highly experienced Gracia, who has coached 13 major teams including Premier League side Watford and Spanish giants Valencia, yesterday said he is keen to start with a win.
“This is my first match with the team and it is the most important match for us. We know the importance of good starts and to start with three points, and we must prepare well in order to achieve that," Gracia said ahead of the match against Al Khor who are at the bottom of the points table.
“We were training with part of the team during the Arab Cup, but now we are training with the full team and we look forward to preparing in an ideal way for the next match against Al Khor," the Spaniard said.
Three of Al Sadd's key players, Khoukhi Boualem Saad Al Dosari and Pedro Miguel, will miss today's match due to injuries, but Gracia has faith in the rest of the players.
Al Sadd players during a training session.
“The available players have performed really well in the last period. We had the opportunity to work with the young players and some of the first team players, and we needed to know more about them and I think it was a good thing for us, as our first experience here in Qatar," he said.
“Our international players performed well in the Arab Cup and they were really close to winning the title, and could not do it because of simple details, but in my opinion they deserve appreciation and praise because they all played very well,” said Gracia.
Al Khor have collected just four points and are yet to register a victory along with Al Ahli. They recently parted ways with German coach Winfried Schafer. Their new coach Andre Lima has been given the mammoth task of reviving the struggling team, but facing Al Sadd will be the last thing they want right now.
“We know that it will be a difficult match against Al Sadd," Lima said during a press conference. “I trust all the players. It was an excellent period during the break and we worked well on the team’s harmony and played good matches in the Ooredoo Cup, which brought back the taste of victories to the team, which restores confidence to the players, mentally, physically and tactically," Lima said.
“I think we are ready to face Al Sadd. The players are confident in themselves and this is what I am looking forward to in the match,” he said.
In other matches today, Umm Salal face Al Duhail at Al Gharafa Stadium (16:05) and Al Gharafa meet Al Arabi at the same venue at 18:15.
