JEDDAH :Yokohama F Marinos’ interim manager Patrick Kisnorbo says he is not allowing his attention to shift beyond his own squad as the clock ticks down to Saturday’s Asian Champions League Elite quarter-final against Cristiano Ronaldo-led Saudi side Al-Nassr.
The meeting in Jeddah’s Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium will be Kisnorbo’s second since replacing Steve Holland last week, when the Englishman was sacked due to a disastrous start to the J-League that left the club bottom of the domestic table.
Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran are among those who lie in wait for Kisnorbo, who lost his first game as interim boss against Urawa Red Diamonds on Sunday, but the Australian remains single-minded in his approach to the quarter-final.
“We focus on ourselves and nothing else,” said the former Melbourne City coach, who joined Marinos as Holland’s assistant in December.
“The main focus is what we do on the pitch and what we do for tomorrow’s game. We have a great group of players who are ready for this opportunity.
“I just started here but I’ve been in the Asian Champions League with other teams and I know what is expected. At the end of the day, you want to play with the best and we have the opportunity to do that.”
Marinos reached the final of the 2024 edition of the competition, where they lost over two legs to Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates, but the strength of the cash-rich Saudi clubs means the Japanese outfit go into the game as outsiders.
Last year’s loss, however, remains a motivating factor for the Marinos squad.
“I was so disappointed about last year’s final,” said defender Katsuya Nagato. “The most important thing in tomorrow’s game is that we’re here to win the tournament.
“On the field it’s 11 against 11 and that’s the start. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli dismissed suggestions that Marinos’ early-season struggles would have a bearing on the outcome of the quarter-final.
“It doesn’t matter where Yokohama are in their league,” he said. “We know Japanese teams are technically sound and they can hurt us if we are not ready for the challenge.
“In this competition this is now the team who will be the clear favourite and that is what is beautiful about competition at this level.”
