ABU DHABI // Winfried Schaefer is considering carrying out his job from the stands in an attempt to escape the TV cameras which he feels are creating controversy out of his actions on the sidelines. Al Ain's German coach, who had just returned from a two-match ban, was sent off midway through the second half as his 10-man team went down Al Jazira 2-0 at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Friday night.
The result all but ended Al Ain's hopes of a trophy treble and Schaefer blamed the defeat on his Brazilian striker Andre Diaz, who was shown the red card for reacting to a booking from the referee Fareed Ali, leaving his team to play 70 minutes with 10 men. Schaefer said: "I told him he must pay for the red card. I can say we lost this game because of the red card so early in the match." Schaefer was not amused at being sent from the sidelines either, saying: "I am thinking of doing my job from the stands. I react and sometimes over react. It is natural for me. That's how I have been all my life and it hard for me to change. As a coach I want to get involved in the game from where I stand. But I have never criticised the refereeing or done any damage that could harm the game or the players."
The Brazilian Fernando Baiano broke the deadlock with a penalty in the 52nd minute and second-half substitute Ali Makbout added a second with a minute left for Jazira to keep up the chase for the Pro League with the leaders Al Ahli, who lead by three points with three games left. Jazira coach Abel Braga knows he will need Al Ain to do them a favour when they host Ahli next week. Braga said: "I can only hope Ahli drop three points from the remaining three matches. And Al Ain are one teamwho can help us."
Jazira's playmaker Rafael Sobis was taken off with an injured knee and is definitely out of the Champions League away tie with Qatar's Umm Salal on Tuesday. @Email:apassela@thenational.ae