Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 HAHA! Its oubvious it wasnt his choice. They are close to relgation this season. They wont be relgated, but they have to fight against it. Its a shame my favorite Emirati Club is struggling.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Al AHli claimed their 5th championship, winning on the final day in the closest championship for a number of years. The championship has gone down quite well and UAE domestic football seems to be on the up and news and views can be found in the local press aswell. One sour point of the season was the withdrawal of Sharjah from the Champions League which could harm the number of allocations in the future. As it stands, Al Ahli, Al Jazira, Al Ain and Al Wehda (qualifier) will enter the 2010 AFC Champions League
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 It's nice to see Al Ain back in the champions league again but a shame that Abu Dhabi won't have a team in the World Club Championship (Al Ahli are from Dubai btw). Any ideas on where UAE - S.Korea will be held. I'm hearing Al Wasl stadium in Dubai but they're always changing it. Will be my last match before leaving the UAE and going to Qatar.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Yes, it is a bit of a pity that the host team will be coming from another city. Maybe FIFA should change it so that the host team actually play host and have it in their own stadium, but never mind, it certainlly adds something to the championship. The UAE - korea game is currently down for the Al Maktoum Stadium, but like you stated before, it does normally change, so personally i wouldn't count on this until about the 4th June. Best of look in Qatar.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Toulon Tournament The under 20 national team kicked off the French tournament with a 1-0 victory over Egypt. Although totally outplayed, they stuck to the task and collected the 3 points. Argentina and Holland are also in their group. Qatar also represent Asia in Group B
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Hasek quits as Ahli coach ABU DHABI: Ivan Hasek resigned as coach of UAE champions Al Ahli on Monday after leading the club to the league title. The 45-year-old former Czech international steered Ahli to the league silverware last week with the club set to represent the host nation at December's FIFA Club World Cup in the UAE. Hasek joined Ahli from France’s St Etienee in mid 2007 and turned around the side slowly. They finished third in 2007-08 before staying ahead of Al Jazira this year year to win the title. However, they fared poorly in the AFC Champions League, failing to cross the group stage. http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168722446.html
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Al Ain sack Schaefer ABU DHABI: Al Ain gave the boot to German coach Winfried Schaefer Wednesday night, barely a day after they lost to Al Wahda in the UAE League. Schaefer (pictured) led the team to a season-opening Super Cup win. Al Ain went down to Al Wahda 1-0 in the league on Tuesday, a defeat that sees them trail current pacesetters Al Jazira by five points. “The club management decided to terminate the coach and his staff with immediate effect,” said a statement from the club. “We appreciate the good work he had done for us last season and wish him well for his future endeavours.” Al Ain won the UAE President’s Cup last season under the German trainer, a feat which booked their place in the 2010 AFC Champions League. Al Ain are in the hat with league champions Al Ahli and runners-up Al Jazira for the December 7 draw at AFC House here in Kuala Lumpur. Moroccan Rasheed Mahmoud will be caretaker coach until a new appointment is made. http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-champions-league-2010/26222-al-ain-sack-schaefer
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Al Wahda crowned champions today for the 4th time...qualification for the Club World Cup
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Al Jazira crownd Emirates Cup champions today, defeating Ajman 2-0
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 how the hell did Ajman get to the final - they're bloody awful.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 i did wonder myself how they could pull it off. i can only assume that other clubs don't really take it too seriously.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Wow - some surprising news here but Fabio Cannavaro has joined Al Ahli on a two year deal! http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=791953&sec=transfers&cc=3888 Funny, that doesn't look like Dubai in the picture. Pretty cool though because usually they don't go for defenders in these types of deals - it's usually big name flair attacking players but would be good to see Fabio in the UAE next year.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 David O'Leary appointed Al Ahli coach. It will be interesting to see what he brings to the club and if the club and Emirati football is what he expects.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Greetings. Anyone here a fan of Al-Shabab? If so, what is your opinion of Carlos Villanueva? How has he been doing? He's rumoured to be possibly going back to Chile. Thanks in advance for any info. Cheers!
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 The 2010-11 Campaign Fixtures: Week 1 Al Ain v Dubai Al Dhafra v Al Ahli Al Wasl v Al Wahda Kalba v Sharjah Al Jazira v Al Nasr Al Shabab v Baniyas Week 2 Dubai v Al Shabab Al Nasr v Al Ain Sharjah v Al Jazira Al Wahda v Kalba Al Ahli v Al Wasl Baniyas v Al Dhafra Week 3 Al Ain v Sharjah Dubai v Al Nasr Al Wasl v Baniyas Kalba v Al Ahli Al Jazira v Al Wahda Al Shabab v Al Dhafra Week 4 Al Nasr v Al Shabab Sharjah v Dubai Al Wahda v Al Ain Al Ahli v Al Jazira Baniyas v Kalba Al Dhafra v Al Wasl Week 5 Al Ain v Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda Al Nasr v Sharjah Kalba v Al Dhafra Al Jazira v Baniyas Al Shabab v Al Wasl Week 6 Sharjah v Al Shabab Al Wahda v Al Nasr Al Ahli v Dubai Baniyas v Al Ain Al Dhafra v Al Jazira Al Wasl v Kalba Week 7 Al Ain v Al Dhafra Dubai v Baniyas Al Nasr v Al Ahli Sharjah v Al Wahda Al Jazira v Al Wasl Al Shabab v Kalba Week 8 Al Wahda v Al Shabab Al Ahli v Sharjah Baniyas v Al Nasr Al Dhafra v Dubai Al Wasl v Al Ain Kalba v Al Jazira Week 9 Al Ain v Kalba Dubai v Al Wasl Al Nasr v Al Dhafra Sharjah v Baniyas Al Shabab v Al Jazira Week 10 Al Ahli v Al Shabab Al Dhafra v Sharjah Al Wasl v Al Nasr Al Wahda v Al Ahli Kalba v Dubai Al Jazira v Al Ain Week 11 Al Ain v Al Shabab Dubai v Al Jazira Al Nasr v Kalba Sharjah v Al Wasl Al Wahda v Al Dhafra Al Ahli v Baniyas Week 12 Baniyas v Al Ahli Al Dhafra v Al Wahda Al Wasl v Sharjah Kalba v Al Nasr Al Jazira v Dubai Al Shabab v Al Ain Week 13 Dubai v Al Ain Al Nasr v Al Jazira Sharjah v Kalba Al Wahda v Al Wasl Al Ahli v Al Dhafra Baniyas v Al Shabab Week 14 Al Ain v Al Nasr Al Dhafra v Baniyas Al Wasl v Al Ahli Kalba v Al Wahda Al Jazira v Sharjah Al Shabab v Dubai Week 15 Al Nasr v Dubai Sharjah v Al Ain Al Wahda v Al Jazira Al Ahli v Kalba Baniyas v Al Wasl Al Dhafra v Al Shabab Week 16 Al Ain v Al Wahda Dubai v Sharjah Al Wasl v Al Dhafra Kalba v Baniyas Al Jazira v Al Ahli Al Shabab v Al Nasr Week 17 Sharjah v Al Nasr Al Wahda v Dubai Al Ahli v Al Ain Baniyas v Al Jazira Al Dhafra v Kalba Al Wasl v Al Shabab Week 18 Al Ain v Baniyas Dubai v Al Ahli Al Nasr v Al Wahda Kalba v Al Wasl Al Jazira v Al Dhafra Al Shabab v Sharjah Week 19 Al Wahda v Sharjah Al Ahli v Al Nasr Baniyas v Dubai Al Dhafra v Al Ain Al Wasl v Al Jazira Kalba v Al Shabab Week 20 Al Ain v Al Wasl Dubai v Al Dhafra Al Nasr v Baniyas Sharjah v Al Ahli Al Jazira v Kalba Al Shabab v Al Wahda Week 21 Al Ahli v Al Wahda Baniyas v Sharjah Al Dhafra v Al Nasr Al Wasl v Dubai Kalba v Al Ain Al Jazira v Al Shabab Week 22 Al Ain v Al Jazira Dubai v Kalba Al Nasr v Al Wasl Sharjah v Al Dhafra Al Wahda v Baniyas Al Shabab v Al Ahli
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Round One starts tonight with Al Dhafra taking on Al Ahli and Al Wasl taking on champions Al Wahda For all following the league, the UAE National Newspaper has a good intake on the local scene: http://www.thenational.ae/section/SPORT?profile=1004
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Round 1 Results Al Ain 4-3 Dubai Club Shabab Dubai 0-1 Baniyas Ittihad Kalba 0-3 Sharjah SC Jazira Abu Dhabi 3-0 Al Nasr Dubai Al Dhafra 2-0 Al Ahli Dubai Wasl Dubai 2-0 Wahda Abu Dhabi Wahda and Al Ahli will be extremly disapointed with their opening results. Jazira get an impressive result and will look to be challenging again.
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 One week into the new season, defending champions Al Wahda sack their coach László Bölöni http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100902/SPORT/100909956/1004
Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09 Round 2 & 3 Results Wasl Dubai 2-1 Baniyas Al Ain 1-1 Sharjah SC Shabab Dubai 4-0 Al Dhafra Jazira Abu Dhabi 0-0 Wahda Abu Dhabi Dubai Club 1-3 Al Nasr Dubai Ittihad Kalba 2-2 Al Ahli Dubai Al Nasr Dubai 0-3 Al Ain Dubai Club 0-2 Shabab Dubai Baniyas 2-0 Al Dhafra Sharjah SC 1-2 Jazira Abu Dhabi Al Ahli Dubai 4-1 Wasl Dubai Wahda Abu Dhabi 3-1 Ittihad Kalba Big match of round 3 was between Al Jazira and Wahda in the Abu Dhabi derby. Ended goaless. Kalba and Dubai club have found it hard since being promoted. Currently both sit at the bottom.
Anyone for hire? The season might not be very old, but already two coaches have bit the dust, both from defending champions Al Wahda. Former Bahrain coach Josef Hickersberger is back in charge. http://www.thenational.ae/sport/uae-sport/hickersberger-back-to-steady-ship
Week 7 results Jazira Abu Dhabi 3-1 Wasl Dubai Al Ain 1-1 Al Dhafra Shabab Dubai 4-1 Ittihad Kalba Sharjah SC 0-0 Wahda Abu Dhabi Al Nasr Dubai 4-0 Al Ahli Dubai Dubai Club 1-4 Baniyas Dubai and Al Ittihad already cast adrift at the bottom, going to be a very long season for them both.
Hi, first post here. Aljazeera leading the table so far, its something we've seen happen every year for the last decade or so, but they continuously fail to win their first title. Can they rid themselves of the choker tag? time will tell. Alwasl lost the first place in one of the highest attended matches in the last 5 years, but the damage was more than dropping points and losing, they lost their cool at the end with two unnecessary red cards, the first for their best Central back, the Omani international Alshaiba, it may cost them badly in the next two games. Im impressed by Bani Yas, they played in the second division two years ago and now with a squad full of youth, they are set to contend for titles, still they are not as deep as Aljazeera or Alwahda but with the potential they have, they can reach that level in the near future. Alain struggling badly, im surprised they didn't change their coach so far,knowing how obsessed teams in these parts of the world are with coaching changes. Just when Alwahda started to make a push forward, they were shocked by the news that their coach is leaving the club which evidently effected them in their last draw against Sharjah.Hickersberger is back after only few months. Good move IMO. Alahli's defence looked to be the best this year but against Alnasr they looked silly, Cannavaro had his worst game so far, Carlos Tenorio won that duel. Yes druryfire, Both Alittihad and Dubai just dont belong in the first division, good news for them is that there is a lot of talk about expanding the league to 14 teams which means they both stay in the league for one more season. Nothing official yet about that.
Welcome to the thread Abu Hamid. Expansion hurts my ears!! Yes, they need to expand to keep in line with the AFC Criteria for participation in the ACL, but what is the point in expanding when it is quite evident that the league doesn't have the strength in depth to host more teams. The bottom two teams look like being a long margin behind everyone else, so what is the point in keeping them up? The same thing has happened to the bottom two for the last 3 seasons, they are terribly out of their depth, so to get a life line doesn't really help them? I know they need to expand, but hurting the quality of the league is a big risk.