(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Al Jazira coach Henk ten Cate said it will be a dream-come-true moment for his boys as they step out against Real Madrid to play the semifinals of the Fifa Club World Cup 2017 at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night.
"It is a big surprise that we are sitting here as nobody expected it. We believed in it and dreamed about it. This is a big thing for us to play against a club like Real Madrid. This is something special for all of us," the Dutchman said during the press conference.
Al Jazira are the first team from the UAE to reach the semifinals of the Fifa Club World Cup and play arguably the biggest match in the UAE club football history. "With our achievements, we have put the UAE football on the world map. The achievements, so far, get bigger and better when you consider the UAE is a small football country. Hosting tournaments like this and achieving something like this will give the whole country a boost."
Star-studded Real Madrid are two-time Club World Cup champions and aiming to be the first team in the history of the tournament to defend their title.
When asked if his experience of managing Barcelona as an assistant coach from 2003 to 2006 will help Al Jazira's cause on Wednesday, Ten Cate said the Catalan side and the Abu Dhabi club can't be compared.
The coach said his young side was super-motivated and doesn't need any additional dosage from any quarter. The Dutchman then got real: "There is no need to motivate this team, especially the young players. They play PlayStation in the bus when we drive for away games. And a lot of them support Real Madrid. They know all the players. It is kind of funny that the same boys who are playing PlayStation in the bus will be facing the real stars."
Al Jazira has couple of students and amateurs in their ranks. The coach said it will be good experience for the young minds and life-changing situation for them.
"Someone like Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards and now they will be standing next to him in the tunnel to enter the field and play against him. I can only imagine what that means to those boys. They are super-motivated. I just hope they are not too nervous. It's going to be alright."
He noted that many players are still smarting from injuries and there are some new names to the list after match against Urawa Red Diamonds. "Maybe by the morning we will know who's available and who's not. The staff is working really hard to bring everyone to the field for the semifinal."
Anything can happen in football. So can they pull one off against the Fifa Club of the 20th Century? He jokingly said: "We will need three buses. Dreaming is OK but we must not become stupid. We have to be realistic. The chances of getting a good result and of winning are not really big. The difference in quality is just too big but my team will fight like they did before."
Ten Cate said irrespective of the outcome, he is proud of his team and this tournament was his biggest achievement. "Being here with Al Jazira is probably the biggest thing I've done. The semifinals of a Fifa Club World Cup with a team from the UAE, it is almost something you can't imagine."
Echoing similar views, Al Jazira's hero Romarinho said the achievements so far in the tournament have been very big for the UAE. "This is a big surprise. Many people didn't expect this to happen. We are very happy for us and this is also a big achievement for the country."
He said the youngsters in the team will be up for the fight. "This is a very young team but one with quality. We are hopeful that we will show something in the semifinal."
It will be biggest step ever for a UAE club as Al Jazira march out with Real Madrid with a final spot up for grabs. All roads lead to Abu Dhabi and all eyes on Al Jazira.
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