Yassine Marai: We're Preparing for the New Season with Maximum Effort

Yassine Marai, Al Ahly's defender, confirmed that his team is preparing for the new season with maximum effort. He spoke about the upcoming friendly match against Barcelona, stating that it will be a strong and different encounter.

Yassine Marai spoke in an interview with the official Al Ahly website: "The atmosphere at the training camp in Spain is wonderful, and at the same time, there is a lot of hard work. The nature of training camps allows players to spend a lot of time together throughout the day."

He added: "These camps help bring players closer together and get to know each other better, not just on a football level, but also on a personal level, as the constant interaction makes the relationship between players closer."

The coach stated: "We are preparing for the new season with all our effort, trying to be ready for every scenario, and thinking of the first, second, and third solutions for any situation we may face. Our goal is to start the season in the best possible way."

He also said: "Last season was my first with Al Ahly, and I consider it a beginning where I got to know many things, specifically the pressures of matches. Previously, things were relatively easier because you participated in one or two tournaments, but at Al Ahly, the pressure of matches demands you to work harder."

Marai touched on the advice from Hussein Amoutta, the team's head coach, saying: "He always talks to us about coverage; if one player advances, the other three (in the defense) must be ready to cover."

Merai emphasized that Amouta always insists on the need for us to be in a state of focus and strength, and not to give the opponent a chance to think or play comfortably.

Speaking about the upcoming match against Barcelona, Marai stated: "It will be a very strong match and different from any other match, because you are facing a team at a completely different level than the matches you have played before."

The coach stated: "We will try as much as possible to read the opposing team and exploit the great quality we have."

He concluded his statements by sending a message to Al Ahly fans, saying: "We expect the fans to always be behind us, to be our support and our backing no matter what happens, and hopefully we will succeed in the new season and be able to win all the championships."