Iraq primed to excel, says Katanec

Doha: It has been only four months that Srecko Katanec has taken charge of the Iraqi football team. But within such a short time the Slovenian has managed to forge such a strong bond with the players and turn them into a fighting fit unit that he believes they will give their all to excel at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019. 

Katanec represented Yugoslavia at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games besides the European Championship in 1984 and the FIFA World Cup in 1990. He is considered one of the greatest players from Yugoslavia and among the new nations to emerge after its break-up. He has also played for Slovenia, besides coaching them for more than eight years in two stints.

In this exclusive chat with the-AFC.com, the former defensive midfielder talks about Iraq’s chances in the AFC Asian Cup.

How have your preparations been for the AFC Asian Cup up to this point?

Our preparations have gone well, very well, actually. Everything is ok. The team is ok. We have been in Qatar for 10 days now. The facilities have been excellent. Everybody is in fine spirits. We have no injured players.

Iraq won the tournament for the first time in 2007. What are Iraq’s chances this time in the UAE?

I don’t talk about chances because football is a very strange game. It has been just four months since I have been with them. But what I know is that they are a very happy group and they are fully committed.
You are in Group D with Islamic Republic of Iran, Yemen and Vietnam. Obviously Iran are your toughest opponents…

Look, these days every match is difficult. Why? Because you can have a bad day and lose what on paper should have been an easy match. That is why I respect all teams. For me, as a coach, the more difficult matches are against Yemen and Vietnam. They are also here to show they belong. They will fight. We will fight. Nothing is easy.

The Iraqi fans are a passionate lot. Does it put additional pressure on you?

Many people and even journalists ask me if Iraq will win the Cup. All I can say is that I am here to do my best. About the results? Well, it depends on a lot of things. Also luck is very important. You never know how some young players will react to certain situations. It’s a game of pressure. Sometimes players from the bench prove more important than players who start the game.
But surely being the national team coach, people have expectations from you…

I repeat this every time. I know my job, I know what I am doing. If someone says we will win I won’t agree. There’s a reason. We are not Japan, Korea Republic or Iran. Their players play in better leagues all around the world. We are not in that position. All I can say is that we will try and the players will give their 100 per cent.

Could you name one or two players who you would be mainly depending on?

Look, I’d rather win matches as a team. There is no one player in any team, whether it’s a team from Asia or from any other part of the world who can win a game on his own. If any player comes and tells me ‘I’ll win this match’, I will not agree with him. I’ll tell him ‘ok, go and let us see you do it on your own, we’ll see.’ And if he doesn’t do it, I’ll kick him out. (laughs) That’s a joke.

But seriously, it doesn’t depend on individuals. We have to play together as a team who play with heart, who play with emotion, not only in matches but also during training.
What were your thoughts when you took charge of Iraq?

A: I took this job as a challenge because I know Iraq has a great past. They have a lot of talented players. I thought this was my chance for me to do something good for those guys.

Photos: AFP


Source: the-afc.com