We are the champions

The introduction of the professional UAE Football League (UFL) in the 2008-09 season led to many improvements and changes in the country's game. It had an effect on the mentality not only of professional players but also the officials of the UAE Football Association (FA) and clubs. Most importantly, it encouraged local capital and national companies to invest in football by sponsoring local teams.

Al Ahli, as the champions of the first season, have also won the honour of representing the UAE in the Fifa Club World Cup, which will be held in Abu Dhabi this month. Al Ahli are the first club to achieve such an international feat.

But the gains of the game were greater than just playing with the world's top clubs in Abu Dhabi in an event the city will also host next year, with the champions of the second season of the UFL being a participant.

The degree of professionalism applied by the clubs and the facilities offered are highly regarded by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which gave the country four representatives in the AFC Champions League; Al Ahli, Al Jazira, Al Ain and Al Wahda.

The standards of the game and local competition in the first season of professionalism created a fame and goodwill for the country and some of the world's best players are arriving to play in the UFL. Ricardo Oliveira, Jorge Valdivia, Velanueva, Fernando Baiano, Emerson and Rafael Sobis are already featuring in the domestic competition. Coaches such as Winfred Schaefer, Abel Braga, Josef Hickersberger and Jurcic Katanec are working with the national teams and clubs.

The bigger transformation happened to the mentality of the players, who started to act like professionals. They have realised they have to keep fit and give their all. They also realised they can get big offers from the biggest clubs if they showed their best. Already offers have been made for more than ten million dirhams for players with great promise.

The outcome of this transformation was evident in the results achieved by the country's youth and junior teams in the finals of the Fifa Under 20 World Cup in Egypt, in which they reached the last eight, and in the Fifa Under 17 World Cup in Nigeria in which they were promoted to the second stage.

Officials of the UAE Football Association have already set ambitious plans for the future. Hosting the Fifa Under 20 World Cup in 2013 will be the first step in this direction. The UAE FA has announced they will apply to host the event after the successful in 2003.

New age realities

Most clubs have four foreign players this season, with the fourth an Asian player according to conditions set by the AFC. The movement of local players between domestic clubs, which was almost impossible some years ago, became a regular transaction at the start of the season or during the transfer window.

The fans are more interested to attend the matches at the grounds with the good quality of foreign players available and the game in going one way, to a more glorious future.