Sparky’s Column

Deja Vu of Deja Vu

There was a strong sense of deja vu as I watched Josef Hickersberger take off his glasses and put them back in their case. I have seen him go through the same routine on the touchline many times before; I didn't however think I would see him doing it again at Al Wadha. I have spoken to people within the Club and they have always recognised him as the best coach they have worked with and obviously the board thinks the same,  having  invited him back for a third spell. Sadly for him and Al Wahda it was not a fairytale return as they crashed out of the President's Cup, losing 2-0 to Al Shabab. The Hawks dominated throughout the match and showed the form that has made them masters of cup competitions. The standout moment of the match was the dipping swerving strike from Azizbek Haydarov, a player Josef Hickersberger singled out before the game that his side had to stop, but obviously they failed. It caps off a great week for the Hawks as they progressed in the Champions League as well.

Al Ahli gained some consolation for not winning the League by beating champions Al Ain in the other President's Cup semi-final.  Quique Sanchez Flores was left to reflect on what might have been in the Pro League. The Spaniard is convinced that his side are as good as any Al Ain can put out but they just lacked the consistency of the team from the Garden City. The game also saw a sending off for Coach Cosmin of Al Ain; he is a passionate man with a fiery nature. Passion in football is important but I always get a little bit embarrassed when I see team's coach go absolutely crazy on the touchline. These are supposed to be the people that lead the team and set an example. When the players see their leader trudge off to the stands like a naughty schoolboy I always get the feeling the players watch thinking "isn't that how he tells me NOT to act?"   

The season has not yet finished but the fixtures for next year are already being discussed, which got me thinking what's behind a very complex procedure. Think about it, physically doing the fixtures is not that difficult, but when you factor in another million things the calendar throws up then it becomes a logistical nightmare. International weeks, regional competitions and trying to placate clubs is a tough task. It can only be done by a man with a laptop and an ability to multi-task. In fact if it is an ability to multi-task needed then maybe it should be a woman doing the job.