Qatar will have a strong team by 2022: Jorge Fossati

The trademark candour of Al Rayyan coach Jorge Fossati remains very much intact even after a record-breaking season which has seen one of Qatar’s most popular clubs win 20 out of 21 games - wrapping up the QSL title on Saturday with a convincing 5-1 win over Al Wakrah. “It is easy to say that I changed the style of football at Al Rayyan when I took over at the beginning of this season. But that would be unfair to the previous coach and the team, who had a good run in the second division in the second half of last season,” Fossati said in an exclusive interview with www.sc.qa. “All I have done is tried to impart my ideas and philosophy of football and the players have to take all the credit because they have responded well. The same goes with Al Sadd when I coached them to the AFC Champions League in 2011.”With Al Rayyan’s stadium currently being re-built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, it was in the Al Sadd Stadium that the Uruguayan knows so well where the title celebrations began. The modesty which marks Fossati is also shown in the process of setting targets for the club. “It would have been crazy to set a target at the beginning of the season to be 18 points ahead at the top of the standings after 20 rounds,” he laughed. “Initially the target was to bring back the smiles to the fans and to improve our standards game by game. Then we revised it to a top four finish. It was only three rounds ago that we upgraded to winning the league.”The former Uruguay coach conjures up another moment of his disarming honesty while talking about one compatriot in particular, whose evolution as a modern legend he saw at first hand from a very early stage. “I could lie to you and say that I saw Luis Suarez playing in the junior ranks at Nacional and was convinced he was a child prodigy, a talent who would blow your breath away at first glimpse like Maradona or Messi,” Fossati, who was the Uruguay national team coach when the Barcelona striker made his first professional appearance at Nacional in 2005, said with a smile.“But the truth is that there was no indication, at least for me, in his younger days that he would become the special player that he is now. He worked hard and made strides at every stage and Uruguay must thank God he did that.”   In the same spirit, Fossati promised to Al Rayyan fans that his side will keep working hard to win more trophies. “We just need to continue playing good football and keep the winning mentality for the remaining part of the season. Triumphing by a historic margin is the icing on the cake. Now we need to focus on the Qatar Cup and Emir Cup. And regaining the league next season.”Fossati said he is not focusing yet on his new club replicating the triumph he achieved in the AFC Champions League with Al Sadd in 2011. “Right now the target is to win the league and then hopefully defend it successfully next season. Asia is not on the radar.”  Fossati believes the football revolution he is heralding at Al Rayyan will also help build a strong national team ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. “Interest in Qatar football is growing. There is a big positive difference now from the time I managed Al Sadd. Stakeholders of Qatar football must have one target before 2022 – a strong national team. This is possible only with strong clubs. It is a feasible target as most Qatar national team players play in the Qatar league. The level of the Qatar Stars League is improving season by season and Inshallah I can continue helping in my own humble way.”The 63-year-old tactician, however, added with a smile that talking about a strong national team for 2022 can be a bit premature. “I am convinced that Qatar can go far in 2018 qualification. The team must be positive in the third round of qualification – they must believe that they are better than most teams. I agree that Japan and South Korea are a step ahead but Qatar are on the same level as Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE.”Fellow Uruguayan Jose Carreno’s side have secured qualification to the third round after topping Group C in the second round Asian qualifiers. They will host Hong Kong on March 24 and travel to China on March 29 to complete their assignments – the results of these matches having no bearing to their position in the group standings.“Qatar must believe in themselves ahead of the third round of qualifiers for Russia 2018. I remember when I was the national coach we got Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan in the draw for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Many people asked me if it was time to quit my job, but I said I will continue and we will compete on even terms. Now, Qatar’s standards have shot up while those of these teams have dropped – yes I will include Asian champions Australia in that list.”Fossati believes that the national team’s standards will continue rising till the country hosts the showpiece event in 2022. “I am confident Qatar will have a good national team by 2022 and also that it will be the best ever World Cup ever because of factors such as logistics, football facilities and organisational skills.”Fossati, who coached the Uruguay national team to third place in the Copa America in Peru in 2004, says his home country needs Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani back as a centre-forward for them to book a place in Russia 2018. He has some advice to his 29-year-old countryman who has been linked to various English Premier League clubs next season including Manchester City where Pep Guardiola will be at the helm of affairs.“Cavani needs to play as a centre forward,” said Fossati. “He is being used as a winger by PSG and also sometimes as a midfielder. I can understand this is because Zlatan Ibrahimovic plays as a centre forward.” “Guardiola normally employs two or three forwards and therefore I would strongly advise Cavani to join them next year. I remember I benched Diego Forlan when I was national team manager. He was getting very little playing time at Manchester United then. When he moved to Villarreal his national team partied because we knew that he will get valuable match time which would also benefit us.”