DUBAI // Al Ahli’s Brazilian star Everton Ribeiro has dismissed reports claiming he is unhappy at the Dubai club and looking to return home less than six months into his four-year contract.
Reports in the Brazilian media in recent days have claimed Ribeiro, who arrived at Ahli in February from Cruzeiro on a €9 million (Dh36.7m) deal, was in talks with Rio de Janeiro club Flamengo and hoping to make a return to the Brazilian league as he is “unhappy” in the UAE.
Ribeiro, who is training in Brazil with the national team ahead of the Copa America has dismissed those reports and said he wants to continue playing in the Arabian Gulf League for Ahli.
“This news that I am unhappy is not correct,” Ribeiro said at a news conference ahead of Monday’s friendly against Mexico in Sao Paulo.
Read more:
– Al Nasr end 26-year wait and beat Al Ahli in penalty shootout to hoist President’s Cup trophy
Brazil will play another friendly on Thursday, against Honduras, before flying to Chile for their opening Group C game against Peru on June 14. The 10-nation tournament kicks off three days earlier, on June 11, with hosts Chile taking on Ecuador.
Ribeiro said he is “very happy” playing in the UAE. “It is a place that has welcomed me very well, where I can show my football,” he said. “Speculations will always be there, but I have been selected for the national team and I hope to continue to appear.
“But, for now, I am not worried about those things. I am totally focused on the Copa America.”
Ribeiro, 26, was left out of the Brazil squad for friendlies against France and Chile, in March, but was recalled to the team by Dunga, the manager, after Chelsea’s Oscar was forced to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury.
“I had expected to be called up for the last two friendlies but, like Dunga said, to bring in the players who were starting pre-season having moved [to another] country would have been too much,” Ribeiro said.
“He told us not to give up and continue working hard and that’s exactly what I did. Today, I am in my best form since the move, scoring goals and making assists.”
While at Cruzeiro, Ribeiro twice was honoured as the best player in Brazil’s top flight before he decided to move. Prominent clubs such as Manchester United, AC Milan and Monaco reportedly pursued him during the winter break, before he signed with Ahli.
Given his form in recent times, Ahli are determined to hold on to their star player with South Korean Kwon Kyung-won also declared sure to return. The club, however, will not be renewing Chilean Luis Jimenez’s four-year deal, which has expired this summer.
Some media reports have suggested Moroccan Oussama Assaidi, who arrived at the club in the January transfer window from Liverpool, could also be on his way out, with a few European clubs interested in his services.
Sources at the club, however, say the management have not made any decision about the midfielder yet.
Ahli also have two other foreign players – Iraq’s Humam Tariq, who spent the 2014/15 season on loan at Al Dhafra, and Brazilian Ciel, who was injured in the opening match of last season. The club is expected to decide their fates after returning from a pre-season camp in Italy.
arizvi@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at our new home at NatSportUAE
