Talaitich to 'An-Nahar': Bahrain Will Strongly Defend the Gulf Title

The coach of the Bahrain national team, Croatian Dragan Talajić, stated that his side will participate in Gulf Cup 27, which kicks off in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the 23rd of this month, as the defending champions. He added, “We have a responsibility to the Bahraini people and the Kingdom of Bahrain to give our best and retain the Gulf Cup title.” In an exclusive interview with “Al-Nahar,” he said, “The task will be very difficult, but our ambition is to give our best in every match and progress step by step until the end of the tournament.”

Regarding his expectations for the level of competition in the group stage, Talajić believes that “the tournament will be very strong, and there is no doubt about that. We are in a group that includes Qatar, the UAE, and Yemen, which is a tough group featuring strong competitors; Qatar is coming off the World Cup, the UAE has great ambitions, and Yemen is always a threat to everyone.” He continued, “But Bahrain, as usual, will give its best, we will play at the highest possible level, and we will try to surprise everyone.”

He emphasized that Gulf Cup 27 will be the strongest in the history of the Gulf Cup editions, noting, “We know that in the past, teams like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and sometimes Qatar, participated in the Gulf Cup with their Olympic squads.” He pointed out that the previous edition in Kuwait was very strong, as all participating teams fielded their best players, especially since it took place before the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with everyone striving to deliver their best performance during the Gulf tournament.

He went on to say, “We won the title of the previous edition held in Kuwait, and the technical level was excellent from all participating teams. However, this edition in Saudi Arabia will be stronger, especially when we see that among the eight participating teams, three have qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iraq, with full respect to all.” He added, “The tournament will be difficult and very strong, but as is always the case in football, anything is possible; any team can beat any other team, and everyone’s chances are equal before the tournament begins.”

He stated, “We must give our best on the pitch, and I hope the fans in Jeddah will be happy with this tournament and enjoy beautiful football from all participating teams.” Talajić believes that small details will be among the most important factors in deciding matches, because football is always about these nuances. He explained that a team might play a very good match and create many chances without scoring, while in other instances, one team might be much better on the pitch, but the other team emerges as the winner.

He added, “Small details are very important in football, but I also believe in teamwork and team spirit. This tournament will be very exciting to see who will be ready to win the cup, and who will also be ready for the upcoming Asian Cup in January in Saudi Arabia.” He clarified, “We will participate in the tournament with our first team, but there will be some new faces and names, as we also need to give opportunities to some young players to show their potential and prove that Bahrain has young players with quality who can deliver beautiful football.” He noted that a good blend of experienced players and youth will confirm that the team’s ambitions have grown even larger, adding, “We will try to defend our title and bring the cup back to Bahrain.”

Talajić concluded his remarks by saying, “The task will be very difficult, but we will do our utmost. We are also preparing for the Asian Cup in January in Saudi Arabia, and there will be new names and faces. I hope we represent the Kingdom and the Bahraini people in the best possible way.”