Dubai: Brazilian Abel Braga made a comeback to Al Jazira in place of Eric Gerets while Cosmin Olaroiu got a three-year extension on his contract from Al Ahli.
“Al Jazira Football Company announced that the Brazilian manager Abel Braga has officially signed a contract to coach the first football team, as a replacement of the Belgian Eric Gerets, and he will be presented to the media and fans later with a press conference,” a statement on the Abu Dhabi club’s website said.
The 62-year-old Braga, who previously worked at Jazira Club from 2008 to 2011, took up an assignment at Fluminense four years ago. While ushering in a new culture of football, the Brazilian ensured Al Jazira won the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) and President’s Cup double in 2010-’11.
After a testing three seasons, the club from Abu Dhabi signed Belgian Eric Gerets on a two-year contract last year when he joined following a trophy-laden stint at Lekhwiya Club, Qatar.
However, Gerets could not come anywhere close to what Braga had achieved in his three seasons in Abu Dhabi. Al Jazira were eliminated early from the President’s Cup, but did well to end runners-up in the AGL.
Their performance in the AFC Champions League was a disaster as they failed to get past the play-offs while losing to Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan. Gerets becomes the sixth coach to depart from Al Jazira in a mere four seasons.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Khalifa, CEO of Al Ahli Club made the long trip to France and back to offer coach Olaroui a further three-year extension on his contract with the Red Knights.
Initially, Olaroiu had struggled to get the best out of the Red Knights. However, as they approached the end of the season, Al Ahli deservedly bagged their best results knocking out AGL champions Al Ain to enter the Asian Champions League quarter-finals.
A source from Al Ahli told Gulf News that the club CEO had travelled to France last week to get Olaroiu’s signature for a further extension of his contract at the Al Ghusais club. “Cosmin will be at Al Ahli till the end of the 2017-18 season,” the source said.
