Portuguese coach Sergio Conceição, manager of Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad, expressed his complete satisfaction and immense happiness with his team's resounding 4-1 victory over Qatar's Al-Sadd. This win came in a hard-fought match held at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, as part of the eighth and final round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League, the most prestigious and oldest club competition in Asia.
Conceição's statements and tactical vision
In the post-match press conference, Conceição emphasized that the victory was not merely a positive result, but "important and well-deserved," attributing it to the perfect execution of the strategy devised by the coaching staff before the match. He said, "It was an important and well-deserved victory, especially with the complete implementation of our planned strategy. Three important points, and now we're thinking about what's next." The Portuguese coach added, in a decisive tone that underscored his high ambitions, "This victory will be meaningless if we don't improve in the coming period and continue on the same path.".
The importance of winning in the continental and local context
This victory holds immense significance for Al-Ittihad on several levels. Continentally, it solidifies the team's position as a powerhouse in Asian football and boosts their chances of progressing further in the tournament with confidence and high morale. Furthermore, defeating a team of Al-Sadd's caliber, one of the most prominent clubs in Qatar and the Gulf, provides Al-Ittihad with a tremendous morale boost and underscores the technical and tactical prowess of the team under the guidance of coach Conceição. Domestically, these positive results in the Champions League directly translate into improved performance in the Saudi Professional League, where the team is striving to compete strongly for the title.
Defending the club's values and continuing the winning streak
Conceição continued, emphasizing the immense responsibility placed on the team, saying, “We are defending the club and its values.” He noted that the team is progressing steadily, and the goal is to maintain their winning streak in all competitions, both domestic and continental. This statement reflects the professional mentality Conceição seeks to instill in his players: never resting on a single victory and always focusing on the next challenge.
It is worth noting that Al-Ittihad's victory came with a score of 4-1, reflecting the Saudi team's field control and offensive effectiveness in the match, and putting the team in a strong position to successfully complete its journey in the continental championship.
