Sparky’s Column

Luis Jiminez: The Man Behind the Football

It's 9:30pm at Al Ahli's Rashid Stadium and a rather warm 38 Celsius. I am waiting outside to meet Luis Jimenez, the Red Knights' Chilean playmaker. The players' entrance door creaks open and out walks Luiz who greets me with a warm handshake and invites me into the air conditioned comfort of the players' area. We settle down for the interview, which I hope will give me an insight into a man who has plied his trade on three continents and is Ahli's longest serving overseas player.

Me: You are the rarest of rare things in the UAE; a foreign player who has spent a long time at one club, now being in your third season.

Luis: Yes and the fact we have won two trophies in my time here makes it even better.

Me: This season you have Coach Cosmin at the helm. What are your thoughts on the new manager?

Luis: He is a good coach and he has won the League twice before with Al Ain. This season with him we will try to take the League and hopefully do so.

Me: You have Palestinian citizenship from this season. A lot of people don't know that Chile has a huge Palestinian population dating back many years, does this make you proud to be a citizen?

Luis: For sure I play for many years for Palestino, a team in Chile. It is a big colony in Santiago with the club as its heart and I am very proud of that.

Me: Do you hope to get back in the national team just as your team mate Jorge Valdivia did whilst playing for Al Ain?

Luis: It's difficult, I signed for Al Ahli and have not played in the national team since even though I played every game in the South American Championships before coming here. Even if I play very well here it is difficult to be noticed back in Chile.

Me: You and your wife have triplets who have just turned 3; how difficult is that? Do you even get enough sleep before games?

Luis: The team take us to hotels before games so sleep is not too much of a problem. I have the life of a footballer so that means plenty of downtime with my wife and kids.

Me: You have worked with some very big-name coaches in the shape of Mourinho and Mancini. Tell us about them.

Luis: Mourinho is a very intelligent coach who can always choose a big club and he has chosen Chelsea, I think he will do well. Mancini is a difficult character, but I feel he was unlucky at Manchester City.

Me: You have the Luis Jimenez Foundation in Chile, what is that?

Luis: It's about children and sport. It is about giving children the chance to play sport, plus we provide food and kit for them to participate. We have it in Santiago and five other cities all over Chile. We work with the poorer children who may have problems at home. We have linked up with Inter Milan and the foundation is doing a lot of good, plus it gives me a great deal of happiness.