Dubai: Al Wasl team manager Humaid Yousuf has confirmed Argentine midfielder Mariano Donda, Diego Maradona’s fourth overseas addition, will be in the UAE within the week.
Speaking on the sidelines of the first official open training session on Saturday night, where more one hundred fans and swathes of media were camped out to catch a glimpse of the world-famous Argentine coach, Yousuf said: “I don’t think it will be long before Donda is here. He is on the way. It’s difficult to say because it’s a matter of communication between the committee and his club. But I think it’s just a matter of one week.”
Donda, aged 29, who has represented Bari and Nueva Chicago, is currently under contract for another year at Godoy Cruz but has apparently shown an eagerness to sign for Maradona’s new club according to Argentinean press.
To a backdrop of “Diego” chants and flares let off on the training pitch terraces Yousuf added: “I think when he comes he will fit into the group quickly. For this season we have a good set of foreign players. [Juan Manuel] Olivera comes with experience in Saudi [Arabia] and Edson Puch is coming in with goals directly. It will be nice once Donda gets here.”
“No coach in the world thinks its going to be easy. Diego has told everyone we must work to become champions in order to achieve something. The players old and new, Emirati and foreign are giving their full force in training they’re giving their full power to make a good team for the competition,” said Yousuf.
The Al Wasl team manager added; “Diego is coming into this slowly, it’s a new group of players for him but they all have the same idea we must play for the top. He knows the competition will be difficult but with good players we’ll be champions for sure.”
Diego’s first official training session open to press started at 11.30pm and went on till 1am. New signings Edson Puch and Juan Manuel Olivera were the first out, closely followed by Diego who took time to sign autographs and meet with supporters.
Ali Hassan, Hector Enrique, Torito and Xavier Vilamitjana, Maradona’s assistants, conducted a range of drills and warm-ups while Diego himself watched on diligently, no doubt with Cup and League openers against Al Jazira and Sharjah to think about from September 15 and October 15.
