Xavi: The Clasico result was not fair, Al-Sadd don’t deserve to win the league

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez spoke of his disappointment after the 1-0 defeat to Al Rayyan in Round 17 of the QNB Stars League.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Xavi said: “We got two points in the last three games although we were the better team. Al Sadd does not deserve the league title because we did not score goals. I feel very disappointed, and the result was not fair because we had many more opportunities than Al Rayyan.”

He added: “We are happy with the players’ performance, but this is the case with football. It is difficult to win the league considering the gap between us and Al Duhail. We have many other challenges before us – the Champions League and the Amir Cup – and we must continue to work all our strength.”

Xavi continued: “We have to restore confidence among the players, especifically in the attack, and to continue training with full strength in order to keep improving.”

Regarding Tarek Salman’s injury, he said: “Tarek will undergo medical examinations and his situation will be determined after conducting these tests. We are suffering from many injuries and I hope that this will not be a serious injury.”

Asked whether the number of injuries was the reason for signing Marco Fabian, the coach said: “Yes, the Al-Sadd management and I were the ones who chose the player. We did not have enough time to register another player; Fabian was a free agent. Our problem is not with Fabian but in the failure to score goals.”

Xavi concluded by saying: “We had to win, based on our performance against Al Rayyan. I promise the fans of Al Sadd that we will do our best to win the Amir Cup.”