With the mercury climbing steadily towards its stifling summer peaks, the country’s football clubs, professional and amateur, have headed out for their annual sojourn to the cooler climes of Europe.
Among the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) clubs, Germany tops the list of destinations again. Last year nine clubs picked the country for their pre-season camp.
This year the home of the newly crowned world champions will host seven.
Italy is second on the list, with four AGL clubs choosing to camp there, including defending AGL champions Al Ahli.
Austria and the Netherlands will host two teams each, and Al Jazira have picked Switzerland.
The temperatures in these countries are a pleasant mid-20s. Humidity is on the lower side as well, allowing coaches to have their players in three training sessions a day.
Sceptics wonder if that is an ideal way to prepare, since the conditions in Europe are very different to what the players will experience on their return to the UAE – high humidity and the mercury hovering about the 40°C mark.
"Train as you play is a tried and tested maxim," said Tim March, a former general co-ordinator and adviser at Sharjah club.
“The recent World Cup was a prime example of the need to ensure that teams train in conditions similar to those experienced in a match situation.”
Others do not consider the weather to be the main issue.
"I believe it all depends on how well the coaching team has planned it," said Fahad Ali, the former Al Ain striker, who is an analyst for Abu Dhabi Sports.
“If you can plan it in such a way that you are playing a few friendly matches against good teams, having three training sessions in a day and getting your players to bond, raising their morale, then it certainly is a good preparation for the season ahead.
“The weather at this time of the year in the country is not such that you can stay back here and have two or three training sessions a day. Even one could be really exhausting.
“It is the same as some of the European teams coming here to train during their winters.
“Yes, they are training in much cooler climates than what they will face once they return here, but the clubs plan their pre-season in three phases.
“The first camp is at home, the second overseas and then they return home well before the start of the season.
“It is not like they come back suddenly from Europe and start playing matches here in this heat. The players get enough time to get acclimatised to the weather here after their return.”
According to Ali, teams usually look at five or six sites before deciding on their pre-season destinations and base their decisions on the quality of the lodgings, availability of halls for team meetings and how well-equipped the gymnasium is.
The hotels also should be close to the training ground, so that the players do not waste time on travelling, and good clubs, for organising friendly matches. Often, coaches prefer to play these friendlies against weaker teams to avoid injuries and to be able to return home and brag about victories against European sides.
Last year, AGL clubs played 48 friendly matches during their trip to Europe, winning 26 and drawing 12.
Most of the 10 defeats came in friendlies against teams from the Gulf region, forcing critics to wonder about the quality of the European opponents UAE clubs played against.
The cost of these camps also has been called into question. Clubs could spend as much as Dh1 million each on their 15- to 20-day camps.
March is one of those who said that money could be better spent.
“Money saved on camps could be invested in more long-term tangible assets, such as an indoor training facility or a state-of-the-art academy,” March wrote in a document he presented to the Sharjah board a few years ago.
March said if clubs could “incorporate overseas camps in a holistic development model that exposes young players to global best practice from an early age, real performance gains can be made in a commercially viable and sustainable manner”.
While few could argue with that, Ali said the debate over the cost of these trips is “subjective” and “depends on how well your team does in the season”.
“If you come back and do well, then every penny spent is worth it,” he said.
“Again, planning here is crucial, and if you can get the maximum benefits out of the pre-season camp then the money is well spent.”
Ali also said these foreign trips help build bonds between players, especially with the new members of the team. “You are away from your family and friends, your usual circle,” he said.
“You spend all your time with them, and that certainly helps in developing a strong bond between the players, building camaraderie and team spirit.”
Some wonder how seriously local clubs take their European camps, but Salem Al Orafi, the Baniyas assistant coach, said plenty of hard work goes on.
“When I was a player, we went for a camp to Europe and I thought it was going to be a holiday,” Al Orafi said.
“But once we reached the camp, I found out it was just the opposite.
“At these overseas camps, especially in Europe, you are actually working harder.
“You have to be disciplined and punctual, and no player could leave his room except for team gatherings or the training sessions.”
Of course, it is not all drudgery during these camps.
Winfried Schafer, who helped guide Al Ahli to the league title in 2005/06 and later managed Al Ain, recollected one such moment.
“I remember a training camp with Al Ain near a typical German amusement park,” Schafer said.
“All the players, not only the younger ones, kept going on the roller-coaster again and again.
“This might seem strange to some people, but that is what you need after a long, hard day at work – a good time!”
Schafer also pointed to another benefit from these camps in Europe – the chance to observe and learn from the best.
“Camping in Europe provides an opportunity to have a look at their know-how, at the way, for example, we in Germany handle our youth system, how we organise our trainings, both for individuals and for the teams,” he said.
“The World Cup has, once again, shown us how football keeps changing at a fast pace, and so international cooperation is more important than ever.
“At the moment, the state of the art in football cannot be found in South America, but in Europe.
“Germany, for example, are proud of what they have achieved and are happy to share their thoughts and ideas.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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