Doha, August 14 (QNA) - Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins and Umm Salal coach Patrice Carteron spoke to the media ahead of their 2025-2026 season Doha Bank Stars League Week 1 match, slated for Friday.

Al Gharafa Coach said: "In our pre-season preparations, the technical level was very positive and good, and that the team has great aspirations and is ready to face Umm Salal."

"Given the increasing number of foreign professional players, I believe the competition will be interesting and will require greater effort from the coaches," he added.

"We have great ambitions to perform better than we did last season, and that is our main goal. We have to win another title, so we are required to fight for the league title, and that is our primary goal," said Martins.

For his part, Umm Salal coach Patrice Carteron said: "We are confident in our strategy. The most important thing is to have a plan and ambition to achieve something this season."

"As for Al Gharafa, they are a strong and organized team, and their players are of a high standard. We have nothing to lose, and we know who is stronger and who is tougher, but in football, anything is possible. We will play positively and respect our opponents," he added.

"The presence of a large number of professionals in each team will make the league difficult and every match will be full of difficulty and great challenges for all teams," said Carteron. (QNA)