AGL preview: Rodolfo Arruabarrena, Fred Rutten and the league’s new managers

The Arabian Gulf League 2016/17 season kicks off on Friday night with three matches across the Emirates. Ahead of the new UAE domestic season, John McAuley takes a look at the league’s new managers and their tasks ahead.

• For more, see John McAuley's other preview items: Emiratis to watch | Foreigners to watch

Rodolfo Arruabarrena (Al Wasl)

The Argentine, 41, replaces Gabriel Calderon following an initially successful two-year spell with South American giants Boca Juniors. He led the club to the 2015 Argentine Primera Division title and the Copa Argentina crown. However, Arruabarrena was dismissed in February after a poor start to the new campaign. Needs to better Wasl’s sixth-place finish last season.

Fred Rutten (Al Shabab)

Seeking a shift from Brazilians, Shabab swapped Caio Junior for Rutten, the Dutch manager with a wealth of experience. Previously employed by, among others, PSV Eindhoven, Schalke and Feyenoord, the 53-year-old left the latter last year having secured a fourth-placed finish in the Eredivisie. Was installed at Shabab in May so has had significant time with new side.

Pablo Repetto (Baniyas)

The Uruguayan, 42, arrives in Abu Dhabi on the back of almost taking Ecuadorian minnows Independiente del Valle to Copa Libertadores glory. Although his side were defeated in the final, Repetto had already agreed to replace Abdullah Misfir at Baniyas. Has managed a number of clubs in his homeland, while also enjoying a brief spell in Bolivia.

Giorgos Donis (Sharjah)

After initially rejecting Sharjah’s offer, the no-nonsense Greek, 46, decided to accept, succeeding Abdulaziz Al Anbari at the ambitious UAE club. Has experience of Gulf football having spent 15 months at Saudi Arabia heavyweights Al Hilal. Won the King’s Cup and Crown Prince Cup there, and took club to 2015 Asian Champions League semi-final. Was dismissed in May.

Paulo Sergio (Dibba)

With Theo Bucker first staying put but eventually leaving for Emirates club, Dibba moved for the much-travelled Sergio. The 48-year-old has managed various clubs in his native Portugal, most notably a disappointing nine-month spell at Sporting Lisbon from 2010. Led Hearts to 2012 Scottish Cup success. Last managed Academia in his homeland.

Fabio Viviani (Kalba)

A curious choice by the newly promoted side, who last month dismissed Division One-winning manager Mourad Okbi. Instead, Kalba recruited Viviani, 49, who recently spent two years on the backroom staff of Italy’s Palermo – a role that included a one-match stint as caretaker manager. Previously assistant manager at Udinese in Serie A, he also managed lower-division Italian clubs.

Duminy's Test career in numbers

Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.

Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia on October 10