AFC Champions League group stage exit a lesson for Al Sadd, says Gracia

Javi Gracia

Al Sadd bowed out of the AFC Champions League 2022 after beating Saudi Arabia’s Al Faisaly 1-0 in their final Group E match, with head coach Javi Gracia saying the tournament was a lesson for his ranks. Al Sadd – the reigning QNB Stars League champions – finished third in the group with seven points, crashing out in the group stage for the second year running. “We won with 1-0, but it will not change anything after we exited the tournament in the previous round,” said Gracia. “We did not enter the tournament well. We drew with Nasaf having lost two players to red cards, and then we lost against Al Faisaly, and Al Wehdat. We did not compete well and paid the price, before we lost to Nasaf and were eliminated. This tournament is a lesson and we learned from it, and we have to take benefit from the mistakes that occurred, both as coaches and players so as not to repeat them,” he added. Meanwhile, Al Sadd defender Khoukhi Boualem expressed his disappointment after his side exited from the continental event. “We did not enter the tournament well. Our ambition was to progress from the group, and unfortunately we did not do the best to achieve this.” He added: “Qualification from the group was within reach, but we were not at the required level. We lost focus. I hope we will be up to the mark in the new edition, God willing.”