German coach Matthias Jäissle, manager of the Al-Ahli Saudi FC first team, confirmed his team's complete readiness for the highly anticipated match against Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai of the UAE, as part of the 2025-2026 AFC Champions League. This came during a press conference held by the coach to discuss Al-Ahli's preparations for this Gulf derby, which is eagerly awaited by Asian football fans.
This match holds particular significance as it falls within the framework of the newly revamped AFC Champions League, a continental tournament featuring fierce competition among Asia's strongest clubs. Al-Ahli Saudi, bolstered by a star-studded squad and a large fan base in Jeddah, aims to reaffirm its strong return to continental contention and capitalize on home advantage to secure a perfect start and boost its chances in the later stages of the competition.
Rotation policy to cope with calendar pressure
Speaking about the physical challenges, Yasle explained that the coaching staff will adopt a rotation strategy as the best solution to deal with the pressure of consecutive matches both domestically and continentally. Yasle said, "It's great to be back in the AFC Champions League. We enter the match with high confidence, especially since it's being played at our home ground. We are fully aware of the importance of our position in the standings, but we must manage the busy schedule intelligently to replenish the team's energy.".
The German coach added, explaining his philosophy at this stage: "We always make sure to prepare all the players and bring them to the highest levels of physical readiness. The rotation policy will allow us to benefit from all the available names and rest some to avoid fatigue and injuries, and we will make the final decision regarding the starting lineup in the coming hours based on the technical and physical readiness of each player.".
Player ambition and international representation
Goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi, for his part, reflected the high fighting spirit within Al-Ahli's dressing room, emphasizing that the pressure of matches cannot be an excuse for a team of Al-Ahli's stature. Al-Sanbi pointed out that the coach's rotation policy strengthens team spirit and creates healthy competition among the players.
Al-Sanbi said in his statements: “All the players are working hard to take advantage of the available opportunities. Every player must take advantage of every minute to participate in order to represent the team in the best way possible, as this brilliance is the main gateway to representing the national team, which is a great honor that everyone seeks. The effort exerted within the green rectangle is the only way to achieve results that satisfy the ambitions of our fans.”.
These statements confirm the players’ awareness of the importance of the current stage, as attention is focused on Saudi clubs to deliver levels befitting the great development witnessed by the sports sector in the Kingdom, and to compete strongly for the leadership of the Asian continent.
