Xavi: The draw is a fair result, we were close to winning

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez described the 2-2 tie between his side and Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia as a fair result for the two teams.

Speaking during the press conference after the match, Xavi said: “It was a very difficult match. Al-Nasr is a good team and has excellent players such as Amrabat and Hamdallah, and the last quarter-final match against them was the same level.”

He added: “I hope that everyone enjoyed the match, both the fans of Al-Nasr and the fans of Al-Sadd.”

Xavi also said: “I am happy with the mentality of Al-Sadd players in the game. I was hoping to win, but we got a good point.”

Regarding the result of the match and if it was fair for the two teams, the Spanish coach said: “The draw was fair for the two teams. We were close to winning and also, we could have lost. I enjoyed my team’s performance and we now have to work for the remaining matches in the Champions League which will definitely be difficult.”

He continued: “Losing Salem Al-Hajri, Ali Asad and Abdulkarim Hassan at the same time due to injury and suspension is not an easy thing, but this is not an excuse and we must work with the rest of the players. Our group is difficult, as it includes the Iranian team Sepahan who won away at Al Ain. Also, the strength of Al-Nassr was visible today, so we must give our best to qualify for the second round.”

On the level of the Al-Nassr team today, Al-Sadd coach said: “I was not surprised by the level of Al-Nassr, we had studied the team well.”

He also said: “The match was difficult but the AFC Champions League does not deserve the pitch that we played on today; we needed a better pitch than it.”

Xavi concluded by saying: “I thank the fans of Al-Nassr for greeting me and my team during the match. It was an honor for me to play here. I came here 3 times as a coach and felt the warmth of the reception. I thank the Saudi fans for this special reception.”