Al Rayyan coach Leonardo Jardim congratulated Al Khor on their victory in the Second Division League, saying in the press conference held on the sidelines of the Al Rayyan and Al Khor match in the Round of 16 of the Amir Cup:
Regarding our preparation for this match, we are now recovering some injured players after the previous match, apart from Thiago Mendes we have three other injured players, and we are preparing the team for this important match.
He added: Regarding the final match against Al Wakrah, we did not perform as required, and they deserved to win because they were better than us. We must turn the page and think about the Amir Cup due to its importance to us and the fans. We must give our all and play with high morale to achieve victory.
Jardim pointed out that Al Rayyan respects the opponent a lot, as Al Khor has lost only one match in their last 9 matches and has been promoted to the First Division, stressing that if the team plays with full concentration and the players give their best, Al Rayyan will win the match.
He continued: We promised the fans that we would be competing for titles this season, and in the league we were strong contenders and finished second behind Al Sadd by two points, and we are very different from the team last season. In the Qatar Cup we finished second, and we were close in both tournaments, and we don’t want to be second again. But for us, it’s about thinking about the upcoming match against Al Khor, and as a coach I always think about the next match not the finals because this match is how we get to the quarter-finals, and thinking about the match is respect for the opponent.