Earlier this summer, as Al Nasr contemplated the offers they had received for star midfielder Habib Fardan, a concerned Walter Zenga urged them to think twice.
Nasr had already replaced Leonardo Lima with Renan Garcia, and the Italian legend, a former coach at the Al Maktoum Stadium, believed Fardan’s departure would leave a massive hole in the midfield.
“These are two players with huge potential and if Nasr lose Habib, they will lose a lot of quality in the midfield,” Zenga said.
“I was lucky to have Lima playing in front of our defensive line when I was the Al Nasr coach.”
Nasr, of course, could not convince Fardan to stay and he joined the defending league champions, Al Ahli, while Lima was loaned to Sharjah.
Not many at the club, however, seem to share Zenga’s concerns, for there is a new wave of optimism, after having tasted rare success. With their GCC Club Championships triumph, Nasr won a trophy for the first time since their President’s Cup win in 1988/89.
They are looking forward to adding to their collection of silverware. “No club depends on a single player, or even two or three,” said Khalid Obaid, the director of the Nasr team. “This is the professional era, and players will come and go.
“Our job, as the administrators of the team, is to provide suitable alternatives. I believe that we have brought in players who will make a big impact in the coming season.”
Nasr have, indeed, made some notable additions, especially to their roster of Emirati players.
In the midfield, the exciting Fahad Hadeed has been brought in to replace Fardan, Amer Mubarak has returned from Ahli and Abdullah Qassim has come in from Al Jazira. Essam Dahi and Ahmed Ibrahim have arrived to strengthen the defence. Coach Ivan Jovanovic also can pick the Moldovan international Ivan Trickovski, who played for the Serbian manager at Apoel, when they reached the Uefa Champions League quarter-finals.
“Winning the GCC championships has had a huge impact on the team,” Obaid said. “Also, our coach now has more knowledge of UAE football after a successful first season.
“So we are confident Nasr will compete for the honours in every competition.”
FOREIGN SIGNINGS
Ivan Trickovski
One of the two newcomers to the team, the Macedonian was an important member of Jovanovic’s Apoel squad and helped the Cypriots reach the quarter-finals of the Uefa Champions League in 2011-12 before their loss to Real Madrid. Together with his manager again, the 27-year-old striker will be looking for another successful alliance.
Renan Garcia
The 28-year-old Brazilian has some big boots to fill. The midfielder comes in as a replacement for fan-favourite Leonardo Lima, but given his performances for Italian club Sampdoria over the past two seasons, Renan should be able to win over the fans and help the club end their long wait for a domestic title.
Brett Holman
One of Nasr’s standout performers last season, the tireless Australian appeared in 25 league matches and barely stood still in the 2,203 minutes he spent on the pitch. Having announced his international retirement earlier in the year, Holman, 30, has promised even more this season and that might not be good news for Nasr’s opponents.
Ibrahima Toure
One of the stars of Monaco’s Ligue 2 triumph in 2012/13, the Senegalese striker, 28, has not lost any of his steam since returning to the UAE from France. He scored 16 goals in the AGL last season, but for the Nasr fans, his opening goal in the GCC Club Championships final against Saham must have meant a lot more.
arizvi@thenational.ae
