“Qualification for the round of 16 or a great passage to the quarter-finals has never been our goal. We are realistic and wanted to be as competitive as possible,” Sánchez said at a press conference following the 0-2 defeat against ‘Holland, who closed the tournament for his selection.
The hosts had more chances to score points against Senegal (1:3), in the duel with the Netherlands the difference in performance on the field was noticeable from the kick-off. “We played against a very good team, I am convinced that the players gave their all. An excellent experience for us to go forward,” says the 46-year-old manager.
Montage of the Ecuador – Senegal World Cup matchvideo: Czech television
“We thank all the fans for their support, so they can enjoy the rest of the championship. It’s a fantastic World Cup,” he added.
The performance of the organizing team certainly didn’t impress, as the Qatari fans also demonstrated during the opening duel with Ecuador, when they stormed out of the stadium en masse at half-time with the score 0:2.
The question is what steps the Qatari football leadership will take. “Honestly, I don’t know if I will continue in charge. It doesn’t depend on me. The national team has a long-term plan, but it doesn’t depend on my continuity,” explained Sánchez.
“Now we will rest for a few days, the players deserve a break. After that we will continue to work and plan for the future,” he outlined the plans in case he still had confidence.
