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Al Ain v Esteghlal Pre-Match Press Conferences

Al Ain head coach Cosmin Olaroiu acknowledges that his side’s chances of qualifying to the final 16 of the AFC Champions League are slim, but insists that they will do their utmost to make a positive impression of the club on the competition. Al Ain must beat Esteghlal at the Tahnoun bin Mohamed Stadium on Tuesday night and also rely on the result between Al Rayyan and Al Hilal in order to progress out of Group D, and the Romanian manager is eager for Al Ain to put their best foot forward in the final group game. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Coach Cosmin said: “We have a small chance of qualifying, but it remains very important to get the win and put in an outstanding performance in order to promote a good image of the Club. It’s a great opportunity for our players to gain more experience, and whilst it has always been our aim to progress in the tournament, we have faced a number of problems – some of which were unforeseen – so it has been a useful exercise to reveal some important issues we hadn’t encountered in the domestic League.” Stressing the importance of making a good name for UAE football in general, Cosmin added: “It is unfortunate that we find ourselves dependent on the result of the other game, but the main thing is to win our match and leave a positive image on the continent.”

Etseghlal head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed his regret in his pre-match press conference that only two Group D teams are able to progress in the competition, noting that all four teams are very strong and deserve to remain in the tournament. “Al Ain are a very professional team with strong players particularly in midfield and attack. We will try to secure our place to qualify top of the group, but we are well aware of the difficulty of the task for us as it is also a crucial match for Al Ain,” he said.