The head coach of the Lebanese national football team, Serbian Alexander Ilic, held his first press conference at the Ramada Hotel, attended by team captain Hassan Maatouk. He discussed the upcoming preparations for the Asian Cup. Coach Ilic presented the squad that will participate in the training camp in Turkey, followed by two international tournaments in India next month. The squad consists of 28 players including goalkeepers Mehdi Khalil, Ali Al-Sabaa, Antoine Dweihy, and players Mohammad Ali Dahini, Maxim Aoun, Khalil Khamis, Mohammad Al-Husseini, Hussein Al-Zein, Said Awada, Mohammad Al-Hayek, Abdul Razzaq Dekramanji, Jihad Ayoub, Hassan Sarour, Ali Tanish, Nader Matar, Walid Shour, Ali Shaeeto, Hassan Maatouk, Mehdi Al-Zein, Hassan Kourani, Hassan Saad, Zain Al-Abidin Fran, Khalil Badr, Mohammad Sadiq, Mohammad Nasser, Mohammad Qaddouh, Ali Al-Maraqbawe, and Karim Darwish.
Ilic began his speech by reviewing the previous period following his contract with the Lebanese Football Association, where he was not well-acquainted with Lebanese football, thus using the past time to gain experience and knowledge about it. The Serbian coach highlighted the difficulty of the mission given the numerous challenges faced by Lebanese football but confirmed that progress and development for the Lebanese team are possible.
Ilic pointed out that the national team has gathered on several occasions where many players were tested, leading to a project for the upcoming phase. He revealed that this phase would begin with a preparatory camp in Turkey starting next week, followed by participation in friendly tournaments in India. Regarding the decision to participate in the tournaments in India, the Lebanese coach indicated that the reason was the nature of the match schedule and the number of teams similar to the Asian Cup, as there will be three other teams and the national team will play every three days, simulating what the team will experience at the Asian Cup.
On the team lineup, the Serbian coach considered that the most important factor is the mentality of the players, stating, "That's where the beginning lies. When there are good and positive mentalities, it becomes possible to build a good and organized team and work in healthy environments for the benefit of the team," he mentioned during the press conference.
Ilic emphasized the criteria for forming the team, highlighting "respect: respect for being part of the Lebanese national team," noting that he had previously observed a lack of enthusiasm among players for joining the Lebanese team or considering it an ordinary matter, which he believes is a mistake. He shared a personal example of how he felt when he contracted with the Lebanese association to oversee the national team: "At that moment, I felt happiness and pride. Supervising a national team is not an ordinary matter and it’s a huge responsibility. I think players should feel the same way. Wearing the Lebanese national team's jersey is a big deal, and whoever accepts this honor must understand that a significant effort awaits them."
Ilic expressed his dissatisfaction with the overall level of the players, attributing it to the sports environment from which they come, particularly their clubs, especially since most of these players are from the local league. This motivated the team’s decision-makers to seek players abroad, either those holding Lebanese nationality or those who can regain their citizenship.
Ilic also spoke about the difficulties he sometimes faces when forming the team: "At times, the summoned lineup does not solely depend on our opinions. Several circumstances play a role in the absence of players we would like to have with the team." Regarding player Basil Gradi, he mentioned that he is talented but every time he is summoned, he makes excuses for not joining the team, which has happened again with the current lineup.
Answering journalists' questions, he discussed the challenges presented by the artificial turf on which most league matches are played and its negative impact on the players. "Another thing to note is that the number of clubs capable of providing players for the national team is low. There are 12 clubs in the first division, which is a small number to provide the quality of players needed for the national team," Ilic added.
For his part, team captain Hassan Maatouk discussed the phase, stating that any renewal for the team requires patience, effort, and time for the responsible parties, away from focusing on results. Maatouk confirmed that the team has good elements, but they need time and matches to gain experience and better adapt, citing his personal experience when he previously joined the national team, which had prominent players at that time.
Maatouk urged the public to be patient and give the coaching staff led by Ilic the opportunity to work, while helping the players during this period, affirming that every player wearing the national team's jersey fights for this honor and strives to maintain their place on the team.
