Abu Dhabi: A criminal court in Abu Dhabi on Monday found Cosmin Olaroiu, the head coach of Al Ahli, guilty of defaming Al Ain Club and served him a suspended sentence of three months’ imprisonment. The court also imposed a Dh21,000 fine on Olaroiu. A repeat offence will draw a jail term of three months.
Olaroiu, who coached Al Ain to back-to-back professional league titles in the past two seasons before shifting base to Al Ahli in Dubai, was found guilty for his derogatory comments earlier in the season, which his former club claimed had degraded it and its fans and upset them. The court also ordered the Romanian coach not to repeat any insulting comments against his former employers.
Al Ain had already won a court decision against Olaroiu last year and were awarded half-a-million euros for breach of contract by the coach who had reportedly agreed on all terms to renew his contract at the end of last season before deciding to take charge of Al Ahli. The Dubai club are currently on top of the standings of the Arabian Gulf League and also reached the final of the President’s Cup.
Olaroiu was earlier suspended for six months from accompanying his team in the local competitions and his assistants are supervising the team in the official matches while he must remain in the stands. Olaroiu can communicate with his assistants via the mobile phone.
Following the court ruling, Mansour Lutah, the Legal Adviser of Al Ahli Club, said in an interview to Sharjah TV: “The Dh21,000 is the civil rights of Al Ain club. They can take the case to a higher court and ask for compensation.”
Asked if the club or the coach would appeal the ruling, Lutah said: “We will sit with the coach to decide our next move.”
Sources connected to the case, however, told Gulf News that an appeal is on the way.
