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

“I’m happy to be back at Al Rayyan’s helm after a gap. I’ll try to equip the team to play games strongly in the league right from the beginning.

“Al Rayyan are always Al Rayyan. This club have a mentality to win. I know it very well, I’ve worked with the players and I’ve felt a great response from them to carry out the duties that’re offered to them.

“I think that the players also have this mentality. We’re preparing the team to compete for the title and there’re strong sides in the league. Al Sadd are always a competitive team. So are Al Duhail.

“It’s difficult to compare the present team with that I coached because we’re in a completely different period and in different circumstances with different players. We don’t want to think about the past. We must focus on the current situation.

“All matches in the league are important, including the opening game, and we’re all eager to know the real level of players in official games. I’ve trust in their abilities,” said Aguirre.