Sanchez says he ‘won’t change a thing’

Qatar coach happy with team’s performance after hosts were first team to get knocked out

DOHA:

Qatar's coach Felix Sanchez said he would not change a thing if he were to go back in time to before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

The host nation were the first to be eliminated from the finals after losing to Ecuador and Senegal, and they are playing the Netherlands on Tuesday in a game the European side need to win to advance to the last 16.

Qatar are bottom of Group A with no points, while the Netherlands and Ecuador share the lead with four points, ahead of Senegal on three points.

"If I go back in time? It's easy to talk about things after it's over," Sanchez told a news conference.

"I think we have prepared in the best possible way, but everything has to be considered in perspective, we have been working with this group for a long time. Sometimes things don't go the way you want them to."

The Spanish coach refused to give a glimpse of what the future holds, indicating that he still has a match with the team. His contract with Qatar ends this year.

Sanchez said each tournament marks the end of a cycle for the national team and that the next tournament is the beginning of the new one.

"The last cycle ended with winning the Asian Cup, then the new one began in the Copa America and the Gold Cup and ends with the World Cup. We are turning a page and starting a new one. Qatar are committed to football at all levels and will continue to prepare for a new tournament and play at the highest level."

Sanchez believes that the finals showed that Qatar still lags behind other teams.