Three years ago, I spoke with two top officials with the Pro League Committee about their clubs’ strategy of splashing the cash on famous but veteran foreign players.
I voiced my concerns on the direction in which the Arabian Gulf League was moving: spending millions on star signings when the stadiums were, and still are, poorly attended for most games. Most stadiums seemed to need a facelift.
Why was the money not being spent on stadium upgrades? I was told the worldwide exposure the UAE gains by the presence of big names such as Diego Maradona, Fabio Cannavaro, Luca Toni, and David Trezeguet would be a huge benefit to football in the country in the coming years.
There were also failed offers to sign former Chelsea and Manchester United players Didier Drogba and Michael Owen, respectively, in 2013. The argument from the directors at league and UAE Football Association was that big-name players attract more fans and more local, regional and international exposure.
Take Maradona’s case, in his one season as Al Wasl coach. Average home crowds were up by more than 2,000 and lifted the attendance to 5,476 per league match. Considering all the shortcomings of the league, it was an impressive surge in numbers. But the crowds at Wasl gradually faded back to the normal average.
In publicity terms, the AGL exploded. During Maradona’s tenure at Wasl and 2006 World Cup winner Cannavaro’s time at Al Ahli; the league’s worldwide coverage increased by 1,600 per cent, according to league figures.
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Cynics might ask how publicity improves the quality of football. It does, when it is part of a bigger strategic plan.
What many fans and critics did not know was that this was part of a five-year strategic plan, drawn up in 2012 to position the Arabian Gulf League among the top five football leagues in Asia, as confirmed by FA president Yousef Al Serkal.
Fast forward three years to the 2015/16 season. The league has taken advantage of the momentum generated by the presence of big-name stars to move to the next phase of its five-year plan.
The next phase is to improve the quality of football on the pitch, undoubtedly the most important of all.
Al Ain’s successful signing of Asamoah Gyan from Premier League club Sunderland and Jires Kembo Ekoko from French Ligue 1 club Rennes was the catalyst that kicked off this trend and convinced the other clubs to follow a similar route.
Studying the pattern of clubs in the transfer market for the past two years, most were and are interested in signing young, talented foreign players to improve their squad, rather than well-known but expensive foreign veterans.
Looking at the top foreign players in the AGL at the moment, many of them are below 30 years of age: Emmanuel Emenike (28) of Al Ain, Jo (28) of Al Shabab, Ryan Babel (28) of Al Ain and Royston Drenthe (28) of Baniyas are some of the top names who are playing in the UAE.
The young foreign players have added extra hunger and competitiveness to the squads, which has improved the overall quality of the teams. Last season, the AGL was one of the most competitive since football turned professional in 2008. Many expect this season will be the most entertaining and interesting ever.
It is one step at a time for UAE football to achieve its goal of being one of the best in Asia. It is taking shape and the results are being witnessed every week on the pitch. Most importantly, the fans are appreciating the quality of the teams and the league’s competitiveness.
Slowly but surely, the AGL’s image is changing from a league that spent lavishly on declining or washed-up foreign veterans for publicity purposes to one interested in quality and excellence on the pitch.
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