New Buriram United head coach Mario Silva says he’s relishing his first taste of Asian Champions League football, but insists his side’s focus is squarely on their own performance rather than picking apart Johor Darul Ta’zim, as the two AFC Champions League Elite regulars renew their rivalry in Matchday 1 of the 2026/27 League Stage (East Zone).
Speaking alongside club captain Kenneth Dougall at the pre-match press conference, Silva made no secret of his excitement at taking charge of a club he described as one of Asia’s biggest, in what will be only his second game since arriving at the helm.
“First of all, I’m very happy to be here as head coach of this big club in Asia,” Silva said. “I’m very proud — it’s my first game in the Asian Champions League with Buriram, so for sure it will be a special game for me. The most important thing for us is to make a good collective performance and win the game.”
The Portuguese coach was quick to acknowledge the scale of the challenge in front of him, describing the fixture as one of the region’s genuine heavyweight encounters. “It will be hard, a tough game for both teams. Tomorrow on the field you’ll see two big teams — it’s a big classic in Asia, one of the biggest games between clubs. It’ll be difficult for us, but I’m sure it’ll be difficult for Johor too.”
Despite the whirlwind start to his tenure, Silva praised the group he has inherited. “It’s not easy for a coach to arrive right at the start of the league and the Champions League at the same time. But I trust so much in these players — I’m very happy with all of them. We haven’t had much time to train, but they are very strong professionals with big quality.”
He also drew a parallel with his opposite number in the JDT dugout. “I know Johor also has a Spanish coach. I think both of us will try to get our teams playing good football and give the fans a good game — and of course, I hope in the end to be happy with a victory for Buriram.”
Club captain Kenneth Dougall, who has faced JDT regularly over recent seasons, struck a note of caution despite Buriram’s strong recent record in the fixture. “This will be match number seven now against JDT — the third year running we’ve played each other. We’re expecting a tough game, as always. We’ve been quite successful over the last two seasons, but that counts for nothing tomorrow.”
Dougall also flagged the increased difficulty of this season’s format. “With the expansion of the ACL Elite, we’ve got, in my opinion, a much tougher draw. It’s very important for us to start well and see how we go throughout the group stage.”
Asked how much scouting had gone into JDT’s threats, Silva confirmed his staff analyse every opponent in detail but declined to give specifics away publicly. “Like all coaches, we analyse every detail of the opponent, not just in this game but in all games. I know Johor have a strong team with strong individual players — domestically, they don’t usually have too many problems. I hope tomorrow we give them problems and beat them at a higher level. We know the strong points and the weak points, but it wouldn’t be right to tell you now.”
Pressed further on a specific opposition player flagged by JDT’s coaching staff as one to watch, Silva turned the question back onto his own squad. “All teams normally have key players, but we look at the team in general, collectively — and I hope tomorrow the key players can be the players of Buriram. We need to respect the opponent and analyse where we can hurt them, but for me, the most important thing is our key players — our team, beginning with Kenny as our captain, our first eleven and the players who come on afterwards. That’s more important to us than looking at Johor’s key men. I know they have quality players and a quality eleven, but for us, what matters most is our team, our eleven, our players.” Silva added plainly: “From what I’ve seen, we’ll only beat Johor if we’re at a high level.”
Dougall, who has faced JDT across seven meetings and several squad rebuilds on both sides, echoed his coach’s team-first philosophy. “Every year they bring in new players, and so do we. We’ve had a bit of disruption recently, but what’s helped us over the last couple of seasons is that we play as a team. We don’t really try to stop individuals — it’s more about how we can stop the team, and where we can be strong. I think that’s why we’ve had positive results over the last two seasons.”
The Buriram captain was also honest in his assessment of the sole recent defeat to JDT in the fixture. “The one time JDT beat us was the last game — but I think if you ask most of the guys in the team, it still felt like a loss for them, because ultimately they went out in the semi-final. Every club goes through changes of personnel, so we’re not too worried about who they bring in or who’s left — the same things happen for us.”
Buriram United travel to face Johor Darul Ta’zim in Matchday 1 of the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 League Stage, East Zone, on 15 September.
Credit Photo : BRUTD
