Lopetegui: Saudi Arabia the best team in Gulf Cup 27, and this is the reason for defending against them

The Spanish coach failed to lead Qatar to the final

Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui hailed Saudi Arabia as the best side in the Arabian Gulf Cup "Gulf 27" after his team's semi-final defeat to the Spaniard's compatriots.

Saudi Arabia edged Qatar on penalties, the two sides having played out a goalless draw across normal and extra time. The semi-final took place on Saturday at the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, in comments carried by the Saudi newspaper "Al-Riyadiah", Lopetegui said: "We feel sad about not qualifying."

He explained: "We played a difficult match in front of a strong and tough crowd, and we tried to change some elements to enter the match in the best way."

He added: "We feel great disappointment because of our loss on penalties, but I feel proud of the fighting spirit the players showed, and I told the players that we played against the best team in the tournament."

Asked about his team's reliance on defence throughout the match, he responded: "We had to play in a defensive way. Our team is exhausted, and the opposing team also played in a defensive way, and it was difficult to score against them."

He continued: "Both teams were unable to score, and the weather affected the match, and I tried to choose the players to fight until the end of the time."

Expanding on his selection, the coach added: "In every match we choose the best, and as a coach I must choose the right player regardless of names. I did that because of the exhaustion of some players, and I chose attacking players, and the changes were good in the match."

On the shootout, he went on: "I chose the best players to take the penalties, and I told my team that it was possible to reach the penalties, and we played today with a positive spirit."

Lopetegui concluded: "The situation is difficult with penalties. We trained on them in the last session, and our performance was excellent, but today, because of the pressure, we were not successful."

Saudi Arabia now await the winner of Oman against the UAE in the Gulf 27 final, which takes place next Tuesday at the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah.