Esperance coach Kanzari on Club World Cup: “The timing is the worst”

Maher Kanzari, head coach of Tunisian giants Esperance, expressed his pride in participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup during an interview with beIN Sports. He described the tournament as an opportunity that anyone involved wants to be part of but also criticised the timing of the competition.

“It’s an honor for me to take part in this competition,” said Kanzari.

“It’s an international and global tournament—every person wants to be involved, whether they’re a coach, player, official, or journalist. We hope to be up to the level, do our duty, and we’re happy to be part of this event and give everything we have to present the best image of Tunisian football.”

 

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At the beginning of the season, Kanzari was coaching Stade Tunisien before taking charge of Esperance partway through the campaign. On this, he commented:

“At the start of the season, I never imagined I would be involved in the Club World Cup. But things change over time. So far, our mission is on the right path, and I hope we can deliver a performance that makes Tunisian and Arab football proud.”

Regarding the team’s preparation for the tournament, Kanzari admitted:

“We didn’t have major preparations specifically for the Club World Cup, but you should never go into such a tournament without proper preparation. It’s a huge opportunity, and no player or coach would pass up the chance to give their all in this competition and represent Tunisian football and Esperance with pride.”

As for the club’s decision not to sign new players before the tournament, Kanzari explained:

“If we had the opportunity to add a player before the competition, we wouldn’t say no—as long as it was on a medium- or long-term contract. But I’m against the idea of signing someone just for the Club World Cup, unless he’s a super, super star.”

“It’s unfair to bring in someone for one or two weeks at the expense of the players who worked hard over the years and earned Esperance this qualification. That’s the mindset that was rejected within the club.”

Esperance were drawn in a tough group alongside Chelsea (England), Flamengo (Brazil), and Los Angeles FC (USA). Commenting on that, Kanzari said: “This is a great motivation for us. We’ll try to create the right incentives for the players so they can push themselves to their limits.”

Speaking about the opening match against Flamengo, he stated:

“We’ll play the match without focusing too much on the opponent. We’ll prepare ourselves without any fear that the other team is stronger. We’ll give everything we have. If we manage to get points in the first game, our mental and technical level will be much better in the following matches, and we’ll enter the tournament with a positive spirit.”

Kanzari also addressed the decision not to play any friendlies before the competition:

“There was no room for friendly matches. We focused more on the end of the domestic season—maybe that was a mistake on our part. But I don’t think it will affect us. We were inactive for just two weeks, which is not a big deal.”

Finally, Kanzari expressed concerns about the timing of the tournament:

“This timing is the worst period for a coach and player to meet. It’s when most injuries happen. Mentally, the players are not fully ready—it’s a difficult time, no doubt.”

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