Al Hilal manager Ramon Diaz would not be drawn on Friday on rumours linking Lionel Messi to the club, preferring instead to focus on this weekend's Asian Champions League title defence.
Reports this week claimed Messi has a hugely lucrative contract offer to move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, with current domestic and Asian champions Hilal said to be vying for his signature.
Messi, who in December led Argentina to World Cup success, is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season. The forward, 35, was suspended by the French champions for two weeks on Wednesday having travelled to Saudi Arabia without the club’s permission, in his role as tourist ambassador for the kingdom.
Hilal, though, are currently getting set to take on Urawa Red Diamonds in the second leg of the 2022 Champions League final in Saitama on Saturday, after drawing 1-1 with the Japanese side in Riyadh last week.
On Friday, Diaz was asked about the Messi rumours at the pre-match press conference, but simply replied: “Now we are focused on the game - we have a final. And after the final we will see whatever happens.”
Hilal, four-time Asian champions, are seeking a record-extending fifth Champions League title, and third in four years. The Riyadh side, whose cross-town rivals Al Nassr are captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, are the continent's defending champions having defeated South Korea’s Pohang Steelers in the 2021 final.
On Saturday, Hilal will be without two of their most prominent players for the match at Saitama Stadium: captain Salman Al Faraj, who picked up an injury in the first leg, and suspended winger Salem Al Dawsari.
After opening the scoring last week for Hilal, Al Dawsari was sent off in the closing stages for kicking out at an opponent.
“Actually, we were not expecting to be missing two key players in our team, but we have a full squad,” Diaz said. “All the players are ready. We prepared the full team, the full squad for this final. So, no matter who is going to replace them, they are going to do well.
“We are ready. This is a very experienced team; they played in many, many situations like this. We are strongly looking forward to win this trophy.”
Al Hilal relinquished the lead in the first leg, when an Ali Al Bulaihi mistake early in the second half allowed Urawa striker Shinzo Koroki to equalise.
Hilal have never captured the trophy after drawing the first leg at home, losing on aggregate in 2014 and 2017 – the latter final to Urawa. The pair meet in the showpiece for an unprecedented third time.
“Those are statistics, it doesn’t mean anything,” Diaz said. “The scenarios are very different. We have a big team. We know we are going to face a lot of fans here, but we are used to it.
“This team won the Champions League twice - this is the third time. This is our target: to get it a third time and to bring the trophy back home.
“We’re going to try to be concentrated, not to have any mistakes like the one that happened in Riyadh and caused the goal.”
If Hilal are to prevail, they will have to overcome a Urawa side unbeaten in 12 matches. The two-time champions will also enjoy the backing of around 60,000 fans at their home ground.
Yet Diaz said: “Sure, Al Hilal is the biggest team in Asia. It has proved it in the last two Champions Leagues, been the champions two times in a row.
“We know that Urawa have a good defensive discipline, but they are not that good offensively. In the first game in Riyadh we didn’t demonstrate our real image, the reality of the team.
“But now we have worked on correcting some mistakes, we have prepared the team to perform under pressure and to put Urawa under pressure, to make use of the spaces and try to penetrate therm.
“Our main goal is going to be to score once - that will open the game for us. Now, it is all possible. We still have the possibility to win, and my team are going to go for it.”
Meanwhile, Urawa manager Maciej Skorza is wary of the threat posed by Hilal on Saturday.
"You can't leave such a good team with too much space," he said on Friday. "It wasn't our intention to play so defensively [in Riyadh]; it was because Al Hilal are such a good team and they didn't let us play offensively.
"It was also our lack of experience playing in games like that. Al Hilal are playing more in games like this - they are more experienced and can stay calm.
"Now we have more experience we can play a little bit more open, but the most important is the result."
Champions in 2007 and 2017, Urawa defeated Hilal to land the second of their continental titles only to lose their other final against the Saudi side four years ago.
"Our target is to win, it doesn't matter how demanding it will be," Skorza said. "Our target is to give our best.
"We have achieved not a bad result in Riyadh, but this week we have stayed humble and focused on our cooperation. We've stayed calm and are waiting for tomorrow's game."
