Casas: I promise to work and Qatar is a role model

At twelve thirty in the afternoon, Iraq time, a press conference was held for Casas, coach of the Iraqi national team, which preceded the match of the Lions of Mesopotamia against the Saudi brothers within the second round of the twenty-fifth Arab Gulf Cup hosted by Basra.

After the goalless draw in the first round against Oman at the opening of the Gulf Cup, Casas confirmed: “We are happy with the team’s performance; we did not win, and we have the desire, but the opponents also play well and aspire to win.” We have negatives, such as some slowness, and we are working to address the negatives. The road is long, but we are improving. Day after day, we watched the last match and analyzed the mistakes, and today we implemented what was agreed upon. I trust them a lot, but this does not mean that we will achieve the title. Yes, we want it, but we need to work because all teams aim for the championship, so we have to work hard.

The player, Durgham Ismail, commented: “We are determined to win tomorrow, a very important match to make the fans happy.”

On the importance of tomorrow’s match after a draw in the opening match and losing two points, Casas explained: We do not agree that losing is like a tie. We have to change the culture. We will try to create more danger than the Oman match. The project is not instantaneous. We will neither be the best in the world if we win nor the worst if we lose.

On the importance of achieving the Gulf Cup Championship: How many times has Iraq won the Gulf Cup? only three times. We have the desire to win and achieve the title, but losing is not the end of the world and does not constitute a major crisis.

And about the next stage: We must focus and make some changes, such as to the nutrition system, the discipline in training, and the players’ understanding. Change does not happen in the blink of an eye; it comes in stages.

Regarding the importance of the public’s presence, Dergham said: “It is certainly very important, and it gives us great support.”

And about the reason for Ayman’s absence, and will he apply the Barcelona ideology? The main team has 11 players; I choose the appropriate one for the meeting; if I put Ayman, I will ask about Alaa Abbas, and vice versa; the 11 players will certainly not satisfy the whole audience; all the players are present because they are important; we chose only 23 out of 500, each of whom is important. It is very important here; the idea will not be like Barcelona, but it is almost the same.

And about what the national team suffers from the old age of some players: I do not look at the age of the player who is important to perform; we had Ramos, 36, in Spain, and the playmaker position I do not see a problem with; we have Paish, Jabbar, Hassan, and Alaa Abbas can also be late. I am happy with all the players.

And when asked about the emergence of positive changes in the national team, I said, “I think yes, and Dargham can confirm that videos were shown for players in the league, each player separately, and with time everything will be corrected, but mistakes will not disappear, as it is a feature of football in the world that everyone makes mistakes.”

Regarding the Saudi side’s statement of its ability to win: It is natural for it to defend its players. They have young players who have won two championships as well as senior players who are similar to us in the way we play. It will never be an easy match.

And about his message to the Iraqi audience: I hope for support every minute and that they have enthusiasm like us. Stay away from everything that is negative.

And with Dergham’s question about how far his career with the national team will extend and whether the Gulf Cup will be the last in his career: “I participated in three Gulf championships, and I hope to represent my country for decades; I do not know the impossible.”

On what Iraq needs to win the title and his opinion on Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Casas said: “Saudi Arabia and Qatar are in the second row, but they have distinguished players who have been working together for a long time.” Qatar is a mirror that deserves to be a model. The results need much work. We corrected the mistakes of the last match, and yes, we strive to win the title.

In conclusion, by asking Casas about what he can promise the Iraqis, I can promise to work and give all my time and effort to serve the team as well as the players. None of them appeared sluggish in the first meeting. The players and I promise to work to make the Iraqi public happy.