Doha (from our correspondent) – Quite possibly none of them know that in the adjacent Aspire, the famous Qatari football academy, the pre-match training of the Qatar national team has just started. Here, on Sunday, the first ever match at the World Cup awaits (from 17:00 Czech time against Ecuador).
“Qatari people love football, they will definitely watch the championship. “Foreigners who work in Qatar, it’s hard to say,” says one of the organizers who guard the entrance to the academy. Three hours before the start of training, they were adamant, they didn’t let anyone into the premises. That is, except for domestic journalists. Media from other countries only for the classic first quarter of an hour .
“No more photos, please, your time is up,” urges the organizer’s media representative. The Aspire complex, where the home team will prepare for matches during the World Cup, is heavily guarded. there are three control frames.
An opaque tarpaulin has been installed on the high fence that surrounds the luxurious complex for 3.5 billion crowns. During the training, it was not even possible to take videos or photos from the Torch Tower View Restaurant. The Qatari team wanted absolute peace to prepare for the premiere.
“The match with Ecuador will be a historic moment for all of Qatar. We feel a lot of support from the fans, we want to make them happy,” said coach Félix Sánchez at the press conference. Anyway, in the company of the Netherlands, Senegal and Ecuador, advancing from the group would be a small miracle. Will the small country in the Persian Gulf be able to fulfill it?
