Al Nasr manager: unfortunate but 'correct' to let Tenorio go

Khalid Obaid justifies cancelling of the contract of the Ecuador striker but denies it has anything do with a change in club management.

Carlos Tenerio, in blue, had lot of problems with the hamstrings and those did not look like getting solved soon in the future, according to the manager Khalid Obaid.

DUBAI // Al Nasr were left with little choice but to release the injury-plagued Carlos Tenorio from his contract, according Khalid Obaid, the team manager.

The 32-year-old striker, who joined the Dubai side in 2009, was let go at the weekend because of fears regarding his ability to last a full 22-game league season without suffering a breakdown.

Tenorio, who has 51 Ecuador caps and once scored 10 goals in a match in Qatar, has been hampered by hamstring problems over the past 18 months, and it became clear that these fitness issues had not been resolved.

"Carlos is an excellent player and we are sorry he had to leave, but it is the correct decision," Obaid said. "He has had a lot of problems with his hamstrings for a while now, and it has been the case that he played four or five games at most, and then was out injured for a couple of weeks.

"This situation would not have changed, and we need every one of our players ready to play every game this season."

Tenorio has a return of 28 goals from 45 league and cup games for Nasr, but he played only 17 matches last season. "Carlos played really well for us when he was fit," Obaid said. "It is unfortunate that he could not get 100 per cent fit. We will now look to bring in a replacement as soon as we can."

Tenorio scored 15 goals in just 16 matches for the Qatar side, Al Nassr, in 2003. He moved to Al Sadd the following season and scored 25 goals on the way to the league title, finished second-top goalscorer behind the Argentine legend, Gabriel Batistuta, who played for Al Arabi.

The club refused to sell Tenorio, by now an established international, despite reported offers from the Italian club Siena and France's Lille. Al Nasr eventually signed him up two years ago.

Obaid, meanwhile, stressed that the recent changes at board level would not affect his or the head coach Walter Zenga's position.

Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Al Maktoum has stepped down as chairman of Al Nasr after two years.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, who is also president of the club, will take on the role of chairman, one of number of changes at boardroom level.

"What is happening at the club [at board level] has no impact on the coaching staff," said Obaid.

Meanwhile, the Football Association's disciplinary committee has banned the Nasr striker, Ismail Bangoura, for three matches and fined him Dh10,000 for his misbehaviour towards the assistant referee in their Pro League opener at Al Ain. Bangoura apologised to the officials that followed a red card for dissent in the 75th minute.

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