Rabiei: Tractor were not prepared for match against Shabab Al Ahli

TEHRAN — Tractor head coach Mohammad Ali Rabiei admitted his side’s lack of preparation made it harder to manage the game against UAE club Shabab Al Ahli.

The Iranian team were beaten 3-0 by Shabab Al Ahli in the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16.

“The players were really passionate and motivated, and we were able to keep our shape and discipline, especially in the first half,” Rabiei said.

“Our team suffered because, for 40 days, we have been far from training. We managed our energy in the first half with our strategy, and we created opportunities in the first half.”

Tractor goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was sent off in the 52nd minute after coming out to challenge Sardar Azmoun.

“That incident changed the game,” Rabiei said. “After we went behind, we did our best to come back. We played high-risk football to try to score an equalizer, but our opponents were able to exploit the space behind our defense and score more goals.”