The Spanish coach of the Qatari national team, Julian Lopetegui, expressed his sadness after losing to Saudi Arabia on penalties in the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup (Gulf 27), stressing that Al-Anabi bid farewell to what he described as “the best team in the tournament,” and pointing to the great influence of the Saudi fans in the confrontation.
Lopetegui said in the press conference after the match: “We feel sad for not reaching the final. We faced very strong fans that were an influential factor and gave the Saudi team an advantage. We also faced a strong team playing on its home soil.”
He added: “We feel frustrated because we lost on penalties, and I told the players that we lost to the best team in the tournament.”
Regarding the defensive approach followed by the Qatari team, he explained: “We had to play defensively; Because we faced a strong team. We were tired, and we had some chances that we didn't take advantage of. “Fatigue was a major reason for us choosing to play this way.”
He continued: “We faced a team that defended well, and there is a lot of pressure as a result of playing this number of matches. The weather and temperature also had an impact, and we had to adapt to these conditions.”
Lopetegui explained the reasons for replacing Akram Afif, saying: “We wanted to make the best decision for the team, and we needed more energy. As a coach, I think about the best interests of the team. Afif is a good player and has energy and strength, but we also have other players who can provide an addition. Some players were feeling tired, and in general I think the changes were good.”
The Qatar coach revealed that his team was prepared for the possibility of the match going to penalty kicks, and said: “I told the players about the possibility of going to penalty kicks. We did not implement it well in the match, even though we practiced it better yesterday, and I think what happened was due to psychological pressure during the confrontation.”
The Saudi national team reached the 27th Gulf Cup final in Jeddah, after its exciting marathon victory over Qatar 3-2 on penalty kicks, in the semi-final that brought them together at Al-Enmaa Stadium, amid a large crowd who waited a full 120 minutes, anticipating the green decision, in which goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais played a major role by saving three burgundy penalty kicks.
Saudi Arabia, which won the title three times, most recently in the sixteenth edition in 2004, set a date in the final with the winner of the confrontation between the UAE and Oman, which is being played now.
During the penalty shootout, Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Kanno scored for Al-Akhdar, while Hassan Timbukti and Firas Al-Braikan missed, and Mukhtar Ali scored the final decisive kick.
From the beginning of the match, the Saudi fans recorded an amazing attendance, raising Tifo “glory and pride” and supporting the players until the last breath, despite the strict Qatari defensive style that thwarted many of the Green offensive attempts.
The CEO of the Formula 1 World Championship, Stefano Domenicali, announced on Saturday, contrary to all expectations, that the final two rounds of the season will be held in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, despite the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The Italian official told the French channel Canal Plus, on the sidelines of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was scheduled to be held in the spring before being moved this week to the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia: “Based on the information available to us, everything is certain regarding the holding of the two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi,” the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The head of the first category of motorsport returned to confirm to Sky Sport Italia the “calendar for the final two rounds” of the season, scheduled for November 29 and December 6 in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, two Gulf countries that have been affected for months by the military conflict between the United States, Iran and Israel.
Domenicali said that he received “assurances that everything is fine,” stressing that “the teams and drivers are informed of the situation with complete transparency,” in case the situation deteriorates further before the end of the year.
Hosting a single Formula 1 race requires a budget of tens of millions of dollars.
Domenicali explained to Canal Plus that “99 percent of the tickets” for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix scheduled for the Yas Marina Circuit have been sold, noting that the event enjoys “great enthusiasm.”
It now remains to be seen how drivers react to this announcement.
In a press conference held Thursday in Sepang, the four-time world champion, Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, said in a diplomatic tone that he was counting on “the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Formula 1 to make the right decision.”
One of the alternatives that were discussed was moving the UAE race to Imola in Italy.
In another motorsport championship, the World Endurance Racing Championship (WEC) decided to replace the Bahrain and Qatar rounds with two races in Barcelona, Spain, and Monza, Italy, at the end of the season.
