Dubai: Cosmin Olaroiu is hoping success in the AFC Champions League will launch Al Ahli’s ambitions for the remainder of the season.
The Red Knights have reconvened training to start preparing for a busy schedule starting with their AFC Champions League quarter-final clash against Naft, Iran away on August 28 and at home on September 16.
However, prior to that will be the start of the domestic season that will officially launch with the Arabian Gulf Super Cup between Al Ain and Al Nasr on August 15 followed by the opening round of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) from August 20.
The AGL will take a nearly three-week break after this to accommodate national team engagements during the compulsory Fifa days break. During this period the joint committee of the UAE FA and Pro League Committee (PLC) has decided to host two rounds of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
Following a short summer break, and new contract under his belt, Olaroiu is now ready with a no-nonsense approach to start a hopefully trophy-laden season ahead. “I want this to be a balanced season. We are trying to improve on things that we faltered on last year. We want to be stronger from within as I know this team can achieve a lot this season starting against Naft of Iran where we will be representing the UAE,” Olaroiu said.
“I have this belief that most of our players are ready and one of the main reasons for succeeding this season will be down to the effort put in by our players,” he added.
Next week the squad will depart for a training camp in Italy during which they will play a few friendly matches, including Napoli and FC Carpi. “The idea is to play against strong teams and know where we lack. We are running out of time and we need to start challenging ourselves early and learn from the big games,” Olaroiu said.
The coach hinted that there will be some changes in the line-up for the season. “No one can take his place for granted. We need to have players who can motivate themselves and others while carrying the team forward. They need to have spirit and character. We do not need players just to put their names on the jerseys, but we need people who are willing to sacrifice and give everything to the team,” he added.
“Our first challenge will be against Naft and we need to be ready for them. That’s the first step. They have had time and they have made changes in their squad and that is a huge advantage. But we will take it one step at a time,” he promised.
