Al Ain Coach Ivic Reacts After Heavy Defeat to Man City in Club World Cup

Vladimir Ivic head coach of Al Ain FC expressed his disappointment following his team’s 0 - 6 defeat to Man City in their 2nd group match at the 2025 FIFA Club World cup.

Back to Back Blows for Al Ain

The heavy loss to the Premier League champions comes just days after 0 - 5 defeat against Juventus, effectively ending Al Ain’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.

"We can’t be satisfied"

Speaking in the post match press conference, Ivic admitted:

"When you lose two games by five and 6 goal, there's no satisfaction. We understand the gap between us & our opponents"

Still, the Serbian tactician pointed out some positives:

"I commend the players for their defensive discipline and the way we transitioned after recovering the ball"

Collapse After 82 Minutes

Ivic attributed the late game collapse to complete loss of focus:

"Until the 80 minute, we were organized. City scored 3 from set pieces but we completely fell apart after the 82 minute. Even the substitutes knew their roles yet something changed"

Final Group Game: Dead Rubber vs Wydad

Looking ahead to the final group fixture against Wydad Casablanca, Ivic said:

"It’s not Man City or Juventus but Wydad's team that fights for results. I saw that clearly in their 1st match. We must learn how to play with that mindset and focus on positive outcome"

With both Al Ain & Wydad already eliminated, the upcoming clash will serve only as formality but Ivic insists his players must treat it as chance to rebuild pride.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.