Vising takes responsibility as Al-Ittihad seek response after Al Ain loss

Jens Vising has accepted full responsibility for Al-Ittihad’s heavy 4-1 defeat by Al Ain in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite, but insists the team’s progress cannot be judged by one difficult night.

The German coach said Al-Ittihad remain a work in progress and rejected the idea that the side could instantly reach the level expected by supporters.

“I am very happy with the players in my team and I will defend them until the last moment,” Vising said at his post-match press conference. “This is the same team that started pre-season with us. But what has happened from the beginning of pre-season until today? We have developed. We are not machines that can change at the push of a button.”

Vising acknowledged that building a team would involve difficult periods, while stressing that results often dominate assessments of a coach’s work.

“It is normal to go through difficult days,” he said. “We work day by day and week by week to improve. The fans deserve the best and the club deserves that too, so there is a lot of work ahead. Unfortunately, results alone judge coaches, and sometimes results are unfair.”

The defeat was particularly frustrating because Al-Ittihad had made positive starts to both halves but failed to turn that advantage into goals. Vising also warned against judging his players solely on their performance against an Al Ain side with considerable continental experience.

“It was a difficult night and a drop in level can happen,” he said. “How many times have we fallen behind and come back in matches? The latest was against Neftchi. How many times have the players shown the spirit of the tiger? I would be unfair to judge the team only on what it produced today.”

He said the squad still needed improvement physically and mentally, adding that strong early-season results had not hidden the problems identified by the coaching staff.

“If we want to compete, we have to be better,” Vising said. “Pre-season was good and the results at the start were good, but some people did not want to see the mistakes when we were winning. We were monitoring them and working to correct them. What is happening now is part of the development process, but it is not an excuse. I do not make excuses.”

The coach pointed to the difference in preparation time between the teams. Al Ain had a full week to prepare, while Al-Ittihad had only three days amid a congested schedule and increasing physical demands. Vising said the team had played 18 matches since his arrival, making recovery and workload management increasingly important.

He also rejected the suggestion that the result was caused by a tactical failure, saying: “As a coach, I take 100% responsibility. Whenever things do not go well in a match, I take responsibility. I do not need to repeat that every time.”

Vising admitted fatigue had affected his players and said Al-Ittihad had struggled to match Al Ain physically, mentally and technically. He described the second goal as “silly”, adding that another poor concession followed Al-Ittihad’s goal.

“We are not yet the Al-Ittihad we want to be,” he said. “We cannot become that overnight. We must develop and work. We are still at the beginning of the journey, and we have to work to return as quickly as possible.”