Al Wahda keen to win it for fans
DUBAI — Al Wahda have not won a major silverware in a long time and their coach Javier Aguirre is keen to put the demons behind him and give his starving fans something to cherish for the future.
The Abu Dhabi side will leave no stone unturned in their bid to win the Arabian Gulf Cup when they take on Al Shabab in the final at 7.20pm today.
Addressing the media on the eve of the final at the Al Maktoum Stadium (Dubai) where the final will be played, the Mexican, said: “To be honest, they (fans) deserve it (trophy). We had some bad moments in the beginning of the League and the Cup. We have put all this behind us as we think this is the right opportunity to make it up to our fans who have backed us throughout, so we want to bring the Cup to Abu Dhabi.
“We respect our opponents Al Shabab. We had some close games with them, losing the League match and then winning the Cup match, so it is 50-50.”
Aguirre said all the players are raring to go. “Yes, we have come with a fit squad. We had a good rest too as the last league match was three weeks ago which gave some of our players time to recover from their injuries so now they are hungry to have a go at it.
“Now we need to play well tomorrow (Thursday) and give the best to our fans. We are ready and have a good idea of what needs to be done in the final. Although we prepared for Al Ahli who lost their appeal against Shabab for having played an ineligible player, at the end of the day it does not matter who we play as it is the final and we are going with one goal in mind and that is to win,” said The Clarets’ coach.
While football is a team game, Aguirre singled out Sebastian Tagliabue as his main weapon. “He is anything but selfish. He is a very good playmaker. Mind you, when we talk of Tagliabe we are talking about one of the best players in this country. He is one of the top scorer’s but more importantly it’s his performance with the ball and without, that makes him a great player.”
Meanwhile, the Al Wahda striker Tagliabue is relishing the chance to lift his first trophy since arriving at the club three seasons ago.
“There are many challenges for this game, especially as we as a team have not won a trophy for quite a long time, but I think this is a big opportunity for us to achieve something special. Of course we have been gearing up for a game like this for a long time, and we must make sure that we are fully ready to do our best and make the most of this opportunity,” the Argentine forward said.
“This is my third year at the club and I feel like it is my second home, so the idea of being crowned a champion at a club so close to your heart, where you feel at home and welcomed by everyone, it will make the experience all the more special and memorable.”