The position of national team coach is often referred to as the poisoned chalice. If the results are good, glory and honor follow, but if you fail, you have to endure a lot of criticism and rebuke.
There are those who are willing to pick up the chalice. They are the two coaches of Qatar and Jordan, who will face off in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Qatar final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Nov. 11 at 0:00 a.m. ET.
Qatar coach Tintin Marquez took over in December. He took charge of the Asian Cup on home soil just one month after taking the reins, and he handled the pressure to lead his team to the final.
Jordan’s Hussein Amotta also had less than six months to prepare for the Asian Cup and led his team to the final. Jordan’s previous best finish at the Asian Cup was the quarterfinals, but under Amotta’s leadership, they reached the last four and the final for the first time in their history.
With Qatar looking to win back-to-back titles and Jordan already having their best ever performance, criticism from fans was inevitable. In the press conferences held a day before the tournament, it was clear to see how the international media and fans viewed the coaches.
First of all, Amotta seemed to be labeled as the “interim coach” for the tournament, and questions about his future were asked several times throughout the tournament. Even before the final.
When asked about the future, Amotta replied: “To answer the criticism, I have prepared the squad well. We are physically, mentally, technically, and tactically ready. I don’t listen to 99% of the criticism. I only believe in what I have done with the team. We will talk about my future after the tournament.”
Criticism of the performance followed Marquez, who took over the Qatar team just before the tournament. Marquez was the coach of Qatari club Al Wakrah for six years prior to his appointment. While he has a long history in Qatar, his performance at the Asian Cup was far from perfect.
The team lost 1-2 to Jordan in a pre-tournament exhibition match on January 5, and narrowly reached the quarterfinals on penalties after 사설토토 drawing with Uzbekistan during the tournament. There were also criticisms of player selection.
“It’s important to believe in all the players and give everyone a chance to develop,” said Márquez, but added: “It’s normal to lose fitness, that’s soccer. It’s hard to be consistent for 90 minutes.”
Qatar ‘captain’ Hassan Al Haidos added: “We are aware of the criticism we have received. We prepared well for the tournament with the coach, the players, the staff and the association and we are united. We are here in the final and we will fight together,” he said.
“Winner takes it all.” There are two teams in the final, but in the end, the winner takes it all. Which team will be the last to stand and lift the trophy, and who will be the one to take home the true holy grail?