Al Hilal Will Have A Tough Match against Foolad: Coach

Foolad has promised another committed and gritty performance when it plays Al Hilal SFC in the AFC Champions League 2022 (West) quarterfinals at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah on Thursday.

The Iranian football side advanced to the last eight stage with a 1-0 win over Al Faisaly of Saudi Arabia while defending champion Al Hilal cruised to a 3-1 victory over UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli Dubai despite not firing on all cylinders.

Foolad will have a new head coach in charge following the resignation of Javad Nekounam with Rajabi to guide the side.

“I want to thank Nekouman as he was with us for four years. With him in charge, Foolad Club is one of the best four teams in West Asia.

“I know that his heart is with us. He is a professional coach and due to this fact, his expectations are also professional. We were hoping he would be the head coach for the next match. We will miss him,” said Hamidreza.

Having said that, Rajabi was confident that Foolad will be ready for the quarterfinals.

“Tomorrow’s match is very tough for us because it is against the best team in the history of Asia, the defending champion and runner-up of the FIFA Club World Cup.

“However, we have not suffered any losses in the AFC Champions League (this season) and every team must know that when you play Foolad, you will have a tough match.

“I would like to thank my players for they have remained focused and are really determined to be at their best for the quarterfinals,” he concluded.