The Portuguese Artur Jorge, coach of Al Rayyan, stressed the importance of the Al Rayyan vs. Al Gharafa match in the Doha Bank Stars League. He said during the press conference held on the sidelines of this match: “We expect a big match against one of the most interesting opponents in the league. Certainly, in terms of quality and intensity, we will have a good game because both teams want to win and play good football. So we expect a good match between two big teams. It is also true that we are going through a good moment—not enough yet, but a very good moment. I am very happy with the players, not only with the performance and results, but with the commitment, and for me, that is the most important thing because I can trust the players when they fight in this way. It is good for me, for the players, and for the club to have a team at this moment that has confidence, ambition, and good performance as well. So we are ready and fully focused on ourselves, on what we will do and what we expect for the match, and we have only one goal in our minds: to win the match and keep the three points.”
Regarding facing Al Gharafa at this time, he said: “The way we approach the match is what will determine whether it is a good moment or a bad one. We must think about ourselves, with the same ambition and the same behavior we had in the recent matches, without thinking too much about the opponent. We know they are a very good team and have excellent players, so we must respect the opponent but think only about ourselves and what we have to do to win the match. And the way we face this match will give us the opportunity—or more opportunities—to keep the three points for ourselves.”