Ramon Diaz, coach of Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, expressed his pride in his team, despite the 5-3 defeat by Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup final in Morocco yesterday.
Real conceded three goals for the first time in the final of the tournament, which it crowned its title for the fifth time, reinforcing its record.
The Argentine coach told a press conference after the defeat, “I think we did not make many mistakes in general, but the quality of the opponent made him excel in attacking situations, and we fought until the end.”
He added, “When you face a competitor of this size, the offensive pressure worries you because of the quality of the players he has, but we scored three goals as well, and this is not easy against Real Madrid, and we could have scored more.” He continued, “It was an enjoyable experience for the players, and the team showed an ability to recover and always tried to compensate and take risks, so it was possible to score more.”
The Asian champion began his career in Morocco by defeating the hosts, Wydad, on penalties, then ousted South American champion Flamengo, the Brazilian, in a surprise by defeating 3-2 in the semi-finals. Diaz continued, “We always play to win. I am proud of the team and its ability to compete against a competitor of the highest level. “We reached the final despite the absence of prominent players, but this is no excuse and certainly Al Hilal fans are proud of us.”