Ferreira: We are not under pressure, we are going to realize our dream

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira has expressed his confidence in his players ahead of the upcoming clash against Persepolis in the semifinals of the AFC Champions League.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ferreira said: “There wasn’t any special preparations for this game. We have played an important game in the league three days ago and we won it. Our focus now is on the psychological factor, as it is an important game, not just for Al-Sadd but for the whole of Qatar. We will try to motivate the players to perform at their best.”

He added: “We know how strong Persepolis is and I want to invite all the Al-Sadd and Qatari fans to support the players tomorrow. We need to score many goals and we cannot do that without the support of the fans.”

Asked about the pressure on his team, Ferreira said: “We are not under pressure and this will be a good thing for me and the players. Al-Sadd have to win in order to reach the final; this is a dream and we are going to realize it. All the Al-Sadd players are looking forward to play and are ready to give their best.”

Further, he said: “We must not just think about Tuesday’s game. The second half of this tie will be in Iran. Tomorrow’s game is important for us but this is not a competition for points. We are competing over two legs.”

“The semifinal clash will be a lot different from our matches in the group stage. The motivation level is going to be a lot higher and we need to be careful and focused throughout the 90 minutes. Our aim is to score many goals and not concede any.”