Sparky’s Column

The Fall of a Giant

 

On Sunday night, history was made in Argentina for all the wrong reasons. River Plate were relegated for the first time in their 110 year history. It is the almost impossible made possible by an extended period of incompetence both on and off the pitch. The seismic shockwaves of the drop were highlighted when new Al Wasl coach Maradona, a staunch supporter of Boca Juniors, said he didn't want his bitter rivals to go down. A fallen giant had succumbed to the unthinkable, and even though they were 2-0 down from the first leg I for one thought they would turn it around. I watched the scenes in Buenos Aires and couldn't help but think of Al Ain's predicament last season. It would have been a disaster of similar proportions if one of the giants of the UAE League had slipped out of the top division. The decline of River Plate took three seasons before they were relegated so Al Ain must regroup next season to avoid a similar fate.

 

When I first started watching Everton at my beloved Goodison Park in the city of Liverpool, every game kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. In the Bundesliga the traditional kick off time is 3:30 on Saturday. The big leagues around the world have their traditional kick off times but obviously television now has a say so games are moved to suit the schedules. Would the UAE benefit from a set kick off time? The traditional supporters of a club will obviously know that kick off times are fluid and change week to week but not necessarily the wider community. The idea that the UAE follows the European leagues is not a new one but would it work here and serve a useful purpose? It is open to debate and the reduction to two match days from next season will see games kicking off similar times each day, so this may be a good way of testing the water.

Yeste, one of the star performers of last season, appears to be on his way out of Al Wasl. The former Athletic Bilbao midfielder does not fit into Maradona's plans of reducing the average age of the foreign players. Olivera who was the wrong side of 30 has already left the Club and it seems he won't be the last. Despite Yeste having a year left on his contract it seems he will be a one season wonder with the Panthers. I doubt there will be a shortage of takers in the UAE if he decides he wants to stay in the Middle East. It will be interesting to see where the new young, hungry players will come from - I am sure River Plate will have a few for sale.