HOSTS Al-Saad SC (Qatar)
Representing host nation Qatar will be Al-Saad SC. The club had an outstanding campaign as they swept towards their title and headed the standings after four rounds. Al-Saad showed their steel when they lost the top spot to rivals Al Duhail before regaining pole position in December. Al-Saad led from that point on and sealed the title with an emphatic 7-2 win over Al Ahli to claim the title by a margin of seven clear points. It was the club`s 14th league championship and gained them entry to only their second FIFA World Club tournament the first being in 2011 when they finished a commendable third.
COACH
Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi Hernandez has been crucial in the success of Al-Saad. He joined the club in 2015 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner was captain in Al-Saad`s domestic success and fittingly, the title win in April, was the final trophy of an honour-laden career. After retiring as a player Xavi took on the mantle of Head Coach and made his official managerial debut against Al Duhail in the last 16 of the 2019 AFC Champions League.
PLAYERS
Al-Saad are blessed with a plethora of quality players none more so than strike partnership, Algeria`s Baghdad Bounjah and Qatar international Akram Alif. Last season the pair were instrumental in Al-Saad`s success netting 65 goals between them. In midfield the team relies heavily on the South Korean axis of Nam Taehee and Jung Wooyoung. The rest of the squad is laden with players who won the Asian Cup this year. As well as Alif they have Hassan Al-Haydos, Asian Player of the Year Abdul Karim Hassam, goalkeeper Saad Al-Shaib, Boulam Khoukhi, Hamid Ismail, Tarek Salaman, Pedro Miguel and Salem Al Hajri.
The key to Al Saad`s chances in the World Club Cup is a philosophy based very much on attack. In inning their league Al-Saad amassed a total of 100 goals at an average of 4.5 per game
