Abu Dhabi: Al Wahda defender Hamed Al Kamali, the younger brother of UAE star Hamdan, could become the first Emirati to feature in the Uefa Champions League after joining Maltese league and cup champions Valletta on Friday.
Valletta play Azerbaijan league champions Qarabag in the first leg of the Uefa Champions League’s second qualifying round in Ta’ Qali, Malta, on Tuesday, before the return leg in Baku, Azerbaijan, next Tuesday.
If Al Kamali, 22, features he will make history for the UAE as the first Emirati to play in Europe. His older brother Hamdan, 25, who is also a defender, previously came closest to this feat in 2012 when he spent six months on loan at French Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais, however, he failed to make a first team appearance.
UAE midfielder Omar Abdul Rahman also had a two week trial with English Premier League side Manchester City but he failed to make the move permanent. UAE strikers Esmail Matar and Ahmad Khalil have also previously been linked to European clubs but nothing materialised.
Valletta have qualified to the Uefa Champions League preliminaries on 14 previous occasions but have never progressed beyond the second qualifying round, their most famous first round exit came in the form of a 10-0 aggregate defeat to Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers in 1990.
Elsewhere, Bani Yas have appointed Spanish coach Luis Garcia, 41, to replace outgoing Iraqi tactician Adnan Hamad, rubbishing earlier reports of the Abu Dhabi club having agreed terms with Uruguayan coach Juan Ramon Carrasco. Garcia led Spanish La Liga side Getafe to three consecutive mid table finishes, before being sacked in March. He has previously coached fellow Spanish sides Levante, Benidorm, Elche, Villareal B, Altea and Villajoyosa.
Ajman have also appointed 51-year-old Tunisian coach Fathi Al Jabal in replacement for outgoing Iraqi coach Abul Wahab Abdul Qader. Al Jabal won the Saudi Arabian league and super cup double with Al Fateh in 2013.
Meanwhile, Sharjah have signed 25-year-old Brazilian striker Luan Michel de Louza from Sao Paulo’s Palmeiras to replace outgoing Brazilian striker Jose Carlos Ferreira Filho.
De Louza, formerly of Uniao Sao Joao, Sao Caetano, Toulouse and Cruzeiro, will feature alongside retained Brazilians, Fellype Gabriel in midfield and Mauricio Ramos in defence. South Korean striker Kim Jung-woo retains the Asian player allocation.
