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Bani Yas dismiss coach Al Banzarti and Mahdi takes over

 

The executive management team at Bani Yas dismissed their Tunisian Senior Football Team coach, Lotfi Al Banzarti, late on Saturday and has appointed UAE Olympic Team Coach Mahdi Ali as a caretaker till the end of the current season.

Mahdi arrived yesterday from Spain where he was taking part in a training course and will start his new role this afternoon when he supervises the first training session. The new coach will be watching the President's Cup final with much interest in order to collect information about the Etisalat Pro-League leaders Al Jazira, as Bani Yas will host them on Friday, April 15 at Al Shamkha Stadium.

Commenting on the decision Al Banzarti said, "I am leaving the team and my conscience is satisfied. I accept the decision with an open mind as such things can happen at any time and any coach must expect such a decision. I did my best with the team and helped them to qualify from the first division to the Etisalat Pro-League." He added, "At the time some teams were not able to stay in the Etisalat Pro-League, such as Ajman and Emirates, however BaniYas made it and moreover became one of the strongest teams in the League demonstrating a convincing technical standard. This makes me feel satisfied with my level of work throughout the whole period I have spent with the team. I thank all the Club's officials for the time I spent with them and I wish them every success and good luck in the forthcoming days."

Mahdi Ali assured fans that the responsibility he will shoulder became double, as Bani Yas are currently sitting in second place in the Etisalat Pro-League competition, which simply means they must continue moving towards the top of the table and keep their hopes alive to compete for the title. He also stressed that he doesn't have a magic wand and therefore and will need time to make any changes.

Bani Yas has won nine matches in the Etisalat Pro-League so far, drawn twice and lost four games which sees them with 29 points and on second spot of the ladder. However, they have lost five points in the last two games, following a goalless draw with Al Wasl and their 1-2 upset defeat to lowly placed Kalba.