The Yokohama manager's interview blaming the loss in the match has become a controversy.
Yokohama was eliminated after losing 1-4 to Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League elite quarterfinals held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the 27th.
Following Gwangju FC, which suffered a 0-7 defeat to Al Hilal, Buriram also faced a 0-3 defeat against Al Ahli. Even Yokohama, which Japan was proud of, could not surpass the wall of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yokohama, with eight Japanese players, suffered a heavy defeat to Al Nassr, a nominal Saudi team with only four Saudi players on the field. Colombian-born Duran scored the first goal in the 27th minute of the first half. Just four minutes later, Sadio Mané, a former Liverpool player, added another goal.
Ronaldo scored an additional goal in the 38th minute of the first half and celebrated. Duran added another goal in the 4th minute of the second half, completing his multi-goal achievement. Among the four players who scored, there were no Saudi nationals.
Yokohama managed to avoid a total defeat after Watanabe scored a goal in the 8th minute of the second half. However, Watanabe was sent off just 20 minutes after scoring due to accumulated warnings.
After the match, Patrick Kisnorbo, the Yokohama manager from Australia, sparked further controversy with an interview stating that the loss was expected.
He noted, "I knew the opponent's strength was strong. Each player overwhelmed us with individual skills and techniques in handling the ball," admitting the defeat.
In a press conference, the mention of Gwangju's 0-7 defeat to Al Hilal highlighted the struggles of East Asian football. In response, Kisnorbo said, "The budgets and scales of the clubs are different. The opponents we faced today were players who were not at a level we could acquire," while blaming the budget.
"If football is ranked only by salaries, there's no reason to play. Even though Gwangju is not a big club in the K League, this is a contrasting statement compared to manager Lee Jung-hyo, who confidently faced Al Hilal."
Ahead of the match against Al Hilal, manager Lee Jung-hyo showed confidence, stating, "It could either be a huge win or a huge loss."
After the match, Jorge Jesus, the Al Hilal manager, displayed bad manners by refusing a handshake with manager Lee Jung-hyo. Manager Lee Jung-hyo responded, "I think Jesus is misunderstanding something. I don’t really want to care. It’s fine since he’s someone I won’t see again."
[OSEN]