Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Jeddah: A revamped Al Ittihad side left for the Netherlands for a pre-season training camp as they are set to play six friendly matches ahead of their ACL 2014 quarter-final clash against inaugural ACL champions Al Ain.
Coach Khalid Al Koroni, who took an average Saudi Arabia team to the final of the AFC U-22 Championship earlier this year, was appointed to the helm of Ittihad in the later part of Saudi’s football season after a series of disappointing domestic results and a slow start to the continental campaign, but he swiftly guided the Jeddah club into the knockout stages of the ACL.
They were the comfortable 4-1 aggregate winners over fellow Saudi Arabia rivals Al Shabab in the Round of 16 tie.
“We have many locals and foreign-based players in our group so the main intention behind this camp is to promote harmony amongst the players,” Al Koroni was quoted as saying by the Arabic version of goal.com.
Ittihad signed three new foreign-based players by capturing the services of Brazilian Marquinho, Samba Diakite of Mali and Didier Ya Konan from Ivory Coast. They also landed Jordan international Mohammed Al Dmeiri and former captain Mohammed Noor joined the team back from a year’s loan deal to Al Nasr.
“We will have four friendly matches against local sides in the Netherlands and once we come back to Jeddah will have two more matches to work on the fitness of the players ahead of the ACL quarter-finals and the beginning of the new season in Saudi,” Al Koroni, who was appointed as the head coach of the two-time Asian champions to replace Antonio Oliveira, added.
“I am full of confidence that the team has a nice blend of experience and youthful exuberance and we will go on to challenge the titles that we compete for in upcoming days.”
Al Ittihad, who finished at a disappointing seventh position in the previous campaign, will open the new Saudi season in a tie against the 2012/13 champions Al Fateh on August 14.
The Saudi giants will then cross the border to meet UAE side Al Ain in the first leg of the ACL quarter-finals on August 19 while the second leg is scheduled for August 26.