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Vercauteren reassures Delgado's injury; Hasek upset by the big loss
Belgian Vercauteren coach of Al Jazira expressed his happiness with his team's 4-0 victory over Al Ahli in the opening match of the Etisalat Pro- League for the 2011/12 season. He admitted that luck stood by the side of his team in the first half hour of the match, and said, "Had it not been for the solid display of the players during the first half hour and closing of the spaces in front of Al Ahli's players, the result would have been completely different".
Vercauteren thanked his players in the post press conference held at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, for applying all the instructions in the game, stressing that the errors are still there, but the succession of matches will bring harmony to the team.
Al Jazira's coach expressed his admiration for the readiness of his international players, saying: "I was surprised with the readiness of the international players, because they struggled hard for the entire 90 minutes, and were the source of power."
Vercauteren pointed out that he relied on pressure on the ball's possessor, which is the secret of Al Jazira to retain their goal safe". He assured that the technical standard of his players will improve in the forthcoming games.
He spoke about Delgado's injury assuring that it is not dangerous and he will undergo medical tests and soon be back.
On the other hand Czech Ivan Hasek, technical manager of Al Ahli Club, expressed his upset of losing the game with 4-0, which did not reflect the performance of his team. He attributed the loss to the sent off and the penalty, in addition to the exploitation of Al Jazira to the errors committed by his team, telling that the winners played with realism and mentality of a hero.
Hasek congratulated Al Jazira saying that they deserve to win. He apologized to Al Ahli's fans who attended the game Mohammad Bin Zayed, stressing that the league is still in its first step and they will see Al Ahli in a different shape in the upcoming matches.