Former Tajikistan national football team coach, Croatian Peter Siegret, who attended the national team’s match against Iran from inside Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, said that it is wrong to judge what the “Whites” players presented in the match based on the final result of the confrontation, pointing out that the national team players presented a good performance against a team that was full of a group of European club players.
“Some people may only see the result of the match and this is not fair,” the coach, who knocked the Whites out of the last 16 of the Asian Cup in Qatar, told Emarat Al Youm. “The players played good football. They tried hard to show their best. They passed the ball well, and there may have been some aspects that they lacked during the match, but we must also not forget that the match was not easy.”
He added: “The Iranian team controlled most of the match. Their players were able to control things. It is true that they did not score more than one goal, but even if the UAE team had equalized, Iran would have been able to score more goals.”
The Croatian coach, who is currently based in Germany, praised the overall performance of the team, saying: “The UAE team has a great group of players who play very well. I like this kind of performance. The team must try to make things right in this group. Iran are the most prominent candidates for first or second place, and we must not forget that even third place is very important.”
Peter Siegert continued: “At the moment, as I mentioned, Iran is the best and most likely team, but we must also take into consideration the Uzbek team, which also currently has six points, and let’s not forget that Qatar also returned with a draw away from home against North Korea.”
Regarding the factors that may affect the change in the scene in the group, the Croatian coach said that all the group matches are difficult, and that the teams are required to play in a balanced manner between defense and attack, as this philosophy is important in Asian football, which has the ability to do so compared to the European style.
Asked why he was watching the match from the pitch, the former Tajikistan coach said he likes to spend a lot of time watching matches. “I want to see new football. I like to see different football schools. There are different styles that I might learn. As for me, I don’t know when I will return to coaching, but for now I have to keep working,” he added.
The coach stressed his desire to work in the Asian continent, saying: “I am still waiting for opportunities. What I agree on is that I want to stay in Asian football. I believe that I have the keys to development. I believe in Asian football, and I believe that next year there will be a surprise in the World Cup. I expect the team that will achieve surprises will be from the Asian continent.”
The coach reiterated that the keys to the development of football in the UAE are the need to care for young players, saying: “It is important to work on developing things, starting with caring for young players in clubs. This makes football stronger, and certainly the fans I saw in the Iran match, who supported and backed the players, are indispensable.”
“It is important to build a strong relationship between the players, the technical staff and the fans. The UAE has a great future in football. I was pleased to see the great support the fans gave to their national team at the match. They were really wonderful. The atmosphere could not have been better,” he added.
Asked if he would prefer to work with national teams or clubs, the Croatian said: “I will see what happens because it is interesting. Everything depends on what the situation will be in the future. Above all, I am looking to take on the task of coaching a team that is among the 18 competing to qualify for the World Cup.”
• I believe in Asian football, and I think that next year there will be a surprise in the World Cup.
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