Nuno: Losing the Qatar Cup has made us more united and stronger

Al-Sadd assistant coach Nuno Miguel addressed the media on Wednesday, speaking about the difficulties that his side is facing ahead of the upcoming clash against Al-Khor in the Emir’s Cup quarterfinal.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference held on Wednesday morning, Nuno said: “Our preparations for this game has been normal, we haven’t done anything new. The players have prepared well, although we didn’t have enough time for training. We must keep in mind that if we lose this game, then we bid farewell to the tournament. We don’t want that. Our goal is to get the win and go all the way in the Emir’s Cup.”

He added: “We have faced a lot of difficulties recently, including injuries and refereeing errors, especially in the game against Al-Duhail in the Qatar Cup final. It was like there were three teams playing – Al-Sadd, Al-Duhail and the referees. Each had to do its role. Whenever there’s a mistake, it goes against Al-Sadd.”

“We won the Super Cup in the beginning of the season. Our goal in every season is to win every tournament and also to compete strongly in the Champions League.”

“We are human beings. We have emotions. And losing in the Qatar Cup final has hurt us. We don’t like losing.”

“(However,) losing the title has made us more united and stronger. Unfortunately, some of our key players won’t be available for tomorrow’s game so all the other players have to take the responsibility and help clinch the win.”

“Al-Khor will create problems for us. We must remain strong and give our best, maintaining our winning philosophy to reach the semifinals.”