AFC Champions League: Al Duhail coach underlines readiness for Al Hilal match

Al Duhail head coach Hernan Crespo stressed his side's readiness for taking on Al Hilal SFC of Saudi Arabia in the AFC Champions League 2022 (West) semi-final at Al Thumama Stadium.In the pre-match press conference, Al Duhail head coach Hernan Crespo said the semi-final was a great chance for his side to create more history, the AFC website reported."It will be a very tough game against a great team. But we are also a great team and step by step, we have been rewriting history for our club and we want to keep going."Al Hilal are the defending champions and are greatly experienced but I have been telling my players that if you want to become champions, you must beat the champions."Yes, they have a lot of experience. Less than a month ago, they beat Flamengo (in the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022). They then played a great match against Real Madrid (in the final). We have great respect for them but our motivation is to reach the final and we have a great opportunity tomorrow."It will be a meeting between master and student with Al Hilal head coach Ramon Diaz having been in charge when a Crespo-led River Plate won the 1996 Copa Libertadores."I am very proud to face him because we wrote River Plate history together when we won the Copa Libertadores in 1996. It was amazing and I am very proud to be challenging him."He has had a great career. I respect his achievements and him as a person and it will be a beautiful story tomorrow."Crespo said he will be plotting to end Al Hilal's reign and take Al Duhail to within a match of lifting the AFC Champions League trophy for the first time."Yes, Al Hilal are very strong but we have seen enough to know we have a great chance. We will respect them but we have a strong belief that we can go through."