Al Ahly head coach Marcel Koller has reacted to the club’s supporters turning on the players and defended his squad after the incident against CR Belouizdad.
The African champions are known for their high standards and after three consecutive 0-0 draws to National Bank, Orlando Pirates and Pachuca, in which they missed the chance to reach the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final with the latter, the fans were on edge.
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And it spilt over after CR Belouizdad took the lead in Cairo on Sunday in their CAF Champions League clash, but the players responded emphatically with a 6-1 drubbing over the Algerian giants.
“It was extremely difficult, primarily because the fans did not support the players strongly at the start. That, in itself, is a loss. In football, setbacks can happen,” he said in the post-match press conference, as per KingFut.
“We didn’t play well in the first half and fell behind, but we managed to equalize. During halftime, I spoke to the players about the need to play positively, and we succeeded in scoring five goals in the second half. We have tough matches ahead, and we need to concentrate fully during this period.”
Addressing the issues between the players and the fans, with the squad not going to celebrate with their passionate support base after the final whistle, Koller admits it’s part of football but at the same time, understands the side of the players after being insulted.
“Our fans are fantastic, and we know they have the right to be upset sometimes. However, we expected their full support today, considering how challenging the match was. No player intentionally performs poorly. I don’t think any team wins all the time. We aim to win every match, but occasionally, setbacks occur.
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“I’m proud of our fans, and we need their presence. But respect must be mutual from all sides. How can you insult a player before the match and then expect things to be fine afterward? It’s difficult to reconcile under such circumstances.”
Ahly now turn their attention to back to back league games against Al Masry and ENPPI before travelling to Algiers to face Belouizdad.
