Umm Salal coach Raul Caneda spoke to the media ahead of their 2019-20 QNB Stars League Week 1 match against Al Rayyan.

“We’ve completed our preparations for the first match of the new season, against Al Rayyan. We’re excited about the start of yet another season.

“For Umm Salal, whom I coached last season, our aim is to play with high spirit, especially since most of our players have been together for some time.

“And we’re now trying to rebuild the squad. In the QNB Stars League, we’ll start with one of the strong teams in Asia (Al Rayyan). They’re one of the favorites to win the title this season.

“We’ve signed many new players this season and we’ll try to find the right combination to face Al Rayyan.

“In general, I’m happy with the present group of players. As a coach, I try to help the side compete for good results.

“I agree with those who say the competition will be stronger this season in light of the changes made in a number of teams. Last season, Umm Salal were ranked ninth, so we want to finish the season in a better position,” said Caneda.