Following the treble against the UAE: Talajić takes responsibility and Dalić raises the ceiling of ambitions

Explosive statements following the Gulf Cup 27 battle

Croatia's Dragan Talajić, the Bahrain national team coach, took responsibility for the heavy 3-0 defeat against the UAE, stressing that the technical staff bear the consequences of the result after his side failed to deliver the level expected of them.

Talajić said in the press conference following the match: "I take responsibility for everything, because I am the one who chooses the players who take part. When we win, the players are the heroes and I stand behind them, and when bad things happen, as has happened now, I stand in front of them, and everyone can blame me."

The Bahrain coach admitted the UAE were the better side in possession. His players tried to deal with the problems that emerged during the match, but he conceded that his team were not in the same mental state they had shown in Kuwait, where they were crowned tournament champions.

"As you know, such is life, the past is the past, and we did not play well when we had to play, and we have other reasons that we need to analyse," Talajić added, before apologising to the Bahraini fans for the exit. "I apologise to the Bahraini people for losing this cup, what happened happened."

Read also: Félix and Jesus: a fatherly relationship that unleashed the golden boy's talent

Zlatko Dalić, the UAE national team coach, could not hide his delight at his players' performance. A 3-0 win against the title holders was not something he had expected, especially knowing the strength of the Bahraini team and its experience under Talajić's leadership.

Dalić said: "We know that Bahrain came to defend their title, a team with great experience and a distinguished coach, and we did not expect to score three goals." He singled out the UAE players, and especially the defenders, for a strong match that earned the 3-0 win.

Looking ahead, the UAE coach revealed his plan for the final group-stage match against Qatar. He would rotate his squad and hand chances to some of the younger players, with the aim of preparing the team for the coming stages of the tournament.

Reaching the final, Dalić stressed, demands complete readiness for any opponent. "If we want to reach the final, we have to be ready for any team whatsoever," he said. He insisted the UAE had achieved nothing of note so far despite the win, and that the two teams who played at the World Cup three months ago possess great strength. Even so, he trusts his side to match them.