Argentine Hernan Crespo proved that Al Ain management’s bet on him to coach Al-Zaeem instead of Dutchman Alfred Schroeder did not come out of nowhere, after he returned the purple team to the Asian crown after an absence of 21 years.
Crespo, born on July 5, 1975, in Buenos Aires, is considered one of the best strikers to ever play football, and was included in the list of the 100 best players of all time, chosen by FIFA.
Crespo was known as a bright player and played for major teams in Argentina and Europe, where he began his career with the Argentine giant River Plate, then moved professionally in Parma, Italy, in 1996, and from there he played with Inter, Lazio, Milan, and Genoa in Italy, and Chelsea in England. He also played 64 matches with the Argentine national team, scoring… 35 goals.
On the coaching level, Crespo had some highlights, as his name shone after he led the Argentine team, Defensa Justica, to win the Copa Sudamericana title in 2020. The following year, he coached Sao Paulo of Brazil, then coached Al-Duhail of Qatar in 2022, winning a local treble with them.
Doubt and reply
Many doubted Crespo’s abilities as a coach, especially since Al Ain’s journey with him locally was not successful, with it finishing third in the league, losing the League Cup final, and bidding farewell to the President’s Cup to Ittihad Kalba.
On the contrary, the Asian march was victorious, and Crespo confirmed in more than one statement that continental brilliance influenced the local journey.
Crespo often gets his due for his wonderful work in Al Ain from the Al-Zaeem players themselves, as they said wonderful words about him during their statements.
Al Ain goalkeeper Khaled Issa said about the extent to which he benefited as a player from the star Crespo: “Throughout my football career, I have not been accustomed to talking about technical matters or a specific coach, but it is certain that the coach who is able to reach the Champions League final with his team is special.”
He continued: What I am saying now is not a secret because I mentioned it before to my close friends. Crespo has an advantage that is not found in many coaches. He has the ability to bring out all the energy of the Arab player, as many Arab players are naturally temperamental, but Crespo in every match sets a goal and motivates the team to achieve it.”
For his part, Moroccan striker Sofiane Rahimi said about his opinion on the ideas of team coach Crespo and whether his career as a senior player helped them with Al Ain: “Crespo gives us some advice in the locker room, which makes you stand out better, especially for us as strikers.. We learned. A lot of him, and he always motivates us in the locker room, especially since he is from Latin America, and you know that they have certain rituals and have a fighting spirit, and although he seems calm while sitting on the bench, when he enters the locker room he shows enthusiasm and spirit.
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