Sport | Football

Beginning of a new era for Al Jazira

In winning the double, Al Jazira have set a number of records in the history of UAE football

  • By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 May 18, 2011
  • Gulf News

Al Jazira players
  • Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
  • Al Jazira players celebrate after winning the UAE Pro-League 2011 on Monday night. Al Jazira trounced Al Wasl 4-0. "The players were keen and determined to win the titles and they have a good technical staff that know everything about the team and the opponents." - Mohammad Thani Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the club
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Abu Dhabi: Al Jazira ended their title drought in the more than 40 years of their history. And they did that in style by winning the President's Cup and the UAE Pro-League (UFL) in less than a month.

They kept their best for the last when they defeated Al Wahda 4-0 to win the Cup and Al Wasl with the same margin to win the UFL. The team, formerly nicknamed the spiders, are called the Abu Dhabi Formula this season because of the speed in which they demolished their rivals on their way to winning the titles.

Along the way, they have set a number of records. They have gone 26 league matches without conceding defeat, equalling the mark set by Al Wasl in the 80's. They are the only team in the history of the UAE football that have won the title in little less than four weeks before the end of the competition and they are also the first team to have a difference of 12 points between them and their nearest rivals.

The milestone was achieved not only due to the team and the management's hard work this season, but is deeply rooted in the foundation laid down in the past few seasons. It started with the former management that was keen to develop the talent of youngsters in the club by relying on local players for a strong and talented substitute bench.

All these factors have played a big role this season as the club fielded two different teams in the domestic and continental competitions. The team which used to have a single player in the UAE national side have now more than five in the seniors and three in the Olympic squad. The success of the team is also because of the quality of foreign players the club signed to help their local colleagues.

Their foreign recruits Ricardo Oliveira, Delgado and Bare were outstanding and have played a significant role in winning the double.

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"We have earned the right to win the titles," said Mohammad Thani Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the club.

"Every one worked hard in his capacity to achieve this victory. The support and encouragement from Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and President of Al Jazira Club, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Honorary Chairman of the Al Jazira Club, was unlimited and motivated all of us to do our best.

"The players were keen and determined to win the titles and they have a good technical staff that know everything about the team and the opponents. It is the natural outcome of settlement as we have the same technical staff for the last three years."

It is a new era in which the ‘Formula' has started winning titles and with the standards they have set this season, it unlikely any team will dethrone them in the next few seasons.

Double win dedicated to Mansour and Hamdan

All the players of Al Jazira have dedicated the team's double win this season to Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and the President of the club, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and the Honorary President of the club, for their support in the past few seasons when the titles eluded the team, despite finishing runners-up in the last five years.

"It is a small gesture of thanks and gratitude to their efforts and support for providing all facilities for us to excel, improve and win the title and for their patience after bad luck deprived us of winning the titles in the past few seasons," Yasir Mattar, the pivot, told Gulf News.

Mattar, the younger brother of Esmail, the UAE and Al Wahda's ace striker, was in a joyous mood celebrating with the team's fans by dancing and playing on the drums, after his team trounced Al Wasl 4-0.

" I wanted to share our joy with the fans. Our fans are fantastic and have played a real role in helping us to win the double this season. They have never let us down. We have the greatest attendance in the UFL and we are proud of them."

Ali Khaseef, the team's custodian who is regarded as the best goalkeeper this season, said "Thank God we have succeeded in winning the title this season and we have not faced the same problems that we used to face in the second round of the competition in the past five seasons which was the main cause we did not win the title.

"We worked hard from the start of the season and we continued to work hard with magnificent support from the leadership of the club, the management, the technical staff, the players and the fans and it was natural to win the titles. We dedicate the double to Shaikh Mansour and Shaikh Hamdan and we promise them that we will never look back and will do our best to defend both the titles next season. We are also thankful to our loyal fans."

Saleh Bashir, the defender, said: "It is a dream came true. We have waited long for this moment. Even after winning the President's Cup we did not celebrate because we were concentrating on the UFL and now we feel overjoyed and happy to win the double and I believe my colleagues, the club's leadership, the management, the technical staff and the fans have all done their best to ensure that we win the titles."

FACTBOX

Al AJazira Sports and Cultural Club

Founded: March 19, 1974 with the merger of Al Khalidiya and Al Buttain clubs.

Stadium: Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium, capacity: 40000.

Website:www.jc.ae

Location:Abu Dhabi Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Road behind the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police and facing the Abu Dhabi TV.

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