DUBAI // Majed Hassan, the Al Ahli midfielder, is confident the Dubai club will be back to pursuing trophies this season after disappointing as defending champions in their last campaign.
Winners of the Arabian Gulf League and Arabian Gulf Cup double in 2013/14, Ahli lost Ciel to injury in their opening match of last season and never really recovered from that blow, finishing seventh in the league and failing to make it to the knockout stages of the AGC. Cosmin Olaroiu’s side did bounce back to reach the final of the President’s Cup and made it to the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League, where they defeated UAE rivals Al Ain in the round of 16.
Ahli will visit Iran for the first leg of their quarter-final against Naft Tehran on August 26, before hosting them for the return leg on September 16.
Getting ready for those two games has been the primary focus of their pre-season camp in Italy, where they played teams such as Inter Milan in warm-up matches, but Hassan and company first have business to attend to at home: their opening league match against Fujairah on Wednesday.
“We have just come back from Italy and I believe the camp went really well,” Hassan said, as he launched Ahli’s new football kit for the season at the Dubai Mall on Sunday. “We did really well at the camp and the friendly matches we played over there.
“So we have come back really confident and we are now looking forward to doing well this season. We are looking forward to entertaining our fans, making them happy and basically giving them their money’s worth. God willing, we should be able to do that.
“We would first like to focus on the Champions League and try to go as far as we can. I personally believe we have the team to bring back the title, but we should not look too far ahead.
“We should try and win every match we play and that will be our main goal this season. If we can do that, then obviously our fans will have plenty to cheer through the coming months.”
Hassan was accompanied by his Emirati teammate Ismail Al Hammadi and Brazilian midfielder Everton Ribeiro at the event, and both shared his optimism.
“We have really high hopes for this season,” said Al Hammadi, wearing the new chequered red-and-black shirt. “Hopefully, we will make a clean sweep – win all the titles available at home and in Asia.”
Ribeiro, who was a member of the Brazil squad at this summer’s Copa America in Chile, has set aside personal goals for team glory.
“The important thing now is to win championships and to contribute towards the team’s success,” he said. “As long as we keep achieving the team goals, I will be very happy; that’s all that matters. Personal goals don’t really matter.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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