Dubai: Coach Cosmin Olaroiu has called for a rethink of priorities after a listless Al Ahli were held to a goalless draw by Iran’s Foolad Sepahan in Group D of the AFC Asian Champions League late on Tuesday.
After opening the season with a UAE Super Cup triumph, Olaroiu’s Red Knights are chasing a domestic quadruple as they lead the Arabian Gulf League and are still in the League Cup and the President’s Cup. Not only has this resulted in a cramped schedule, but also put the players under tremendous pressure to deliver.
However, after Tuesday’s poor show against Foolad, Olaroiu admitted the club will have to be “clever” as they consider their priorities.
“We didn’t have the power and swiftness to finish. I would have liked to finish with three points so that the pressure of qualifying to the next stage would have eased off to a certain extent,” the Romanian coach said.
“But I think my players are heroes tonight [Tuesday]. They don’t have the energy to even talk and this is normal as this is our sixth game in 20 days. I doubt any team in Europe has a schedule like ours. We definitely need to sit down and reassess where our priorities lie.
“With so many competitions all coming up in such a short space of time, we need to be clever and choose well.”
Things are in fact going to get even more busy for Olaroiu and his team, with league encounters on April 6 (against Al Jazira) and April 10 (Al Wasl) before they host Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the Champions League on April 15. Four days later, the Red Knights will be up against Al Ain in the final of the League Cup, before going to Qatar to face Al Sadd in their final continental group match on April 22.
“Tell me which match should I prepare for first,” he asked reporters.
“I don’t blame my players. They are tired. They are complaining of injuries and this is normal. We need to find a solution.”
Sepahan coach Zlatko Kranjcar, the former Croatia boss, said: “This group is wide open and all four teams have equal chances to advance. We have no excuses for the draw tonight and now our task is to win the remaining two games,” Kranjcar said.
“Our next match [against Al Sadd] is going to be the most important as that will determine a lot of things. We are in a better position to win as we are playing at home and we need to push for positive results. Maybe we will take more risks in order to take the necessary results and maybe we won’t need all six points [from the last two games].”
