Sparky’s Column

And Now the End is Near

The end is nigh for for another season; the loose ends are tied up in terms of silverware, relegation and even league names.  Al Ahli finished the season on a high claiming the President's Cup in dramatic fashion. The 4-3 victory looked unlikely for large parts of the game as Al Ahli crumbled, giving up a two goal lead followed by Grafite missing a penalty. The decisive goal came from Al Shabab but sadly for them it was their own net, leaving Al Ahli to claim the trophy for the eighth time.

The post-match celebrations were the usual mixture of delight and congratulation in the various TV interviews. In amongst the post-match comments, the most telling of the night could have been Quique Flores praising his players for their work during the last 2 years... Does that sound like a coach that is about to depart or am I imagining things? If the Spaniard does leave it's with his reputation intact and one as a coach who could step back into any number European Leagues. He would have the distinction of being a rare UAE-based coach who has decided to leave rather than having it decided for him.  He turned the club around post-O'Leary and Hasak, putting Al Ahli in a position where they are genuine title contenders.

The end of season individual awards where handed out for the first time in Abu Dhabi on Sunday at the inaugural Pro League Awards ceremony. The man who took centre stage has rarely been out of the limelight since the Olympics last year. Omar Abdulrahman scooped two awards - Emirati Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year. Abdulwahab Abdulkader of Ajman won a well-deserved Coach of the Year. The Iraqi has worked wonders on a small budget at an unfashionable club, and the key to his success is longevity. He has been at the club for a number of years and he has been able to infuse it with his philosophy from top to bottom. There were 14 changes of manager last season which shows continuity is not key for a lot of clubs. It could be a lesson for other clubs that sticking with your man will eventually pay dividends. 

The latest move in the managerial merry-go-round is Laurent Banide; the former Monaco boss has experience of the Middle East having worked in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE at Al Dhafra, and an impressive 2012-2013 season in the western region persuaded Al Wasl to coax him to the Zabeel Stadium for the upcoming campaign. He is lucky enough to get a one-game watching brief before preparing for the new season with Al Wasl hosting Bani Yas tonight in the final Pro League game of the season. He has already mentioned that he is impressed with the Emitai players in the youth system and with the foreign signings he has in mind he feels the team can challenge the top 3 next season. He will need to hit the ground running as Al Wasl have had five coaches since Maradona's unsuccessful spell at the club. 

The final thing we need to mention is the biggest change. It is bye bye Pro League and hello Arabian Gulf League - the changes will come into effect from next season, and a new name heralds a new era in UAE football.