Dubai: Dr Ahmad Saeed Bin Hazeem became the first casualty of the crisis-hit Al Shabab Club when he handed in his resignation as the president of the board of directors.
Dr Hazeem, who was appointed as the president of the club, was at the helm when Al Shabab surprisingly helped themselves to the league title last season.
His presence also marked the kick–off for the year–long golden jubilee celebrations of the club.
However, with the club reportedly undergoing a huge financial crisis in recent months, the president decided to hand in his papers to club Chairman Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum late on Thursday.
Following last season's success with the league title, Dr Hazeem worked tirelessly to ensure financial stability at the club.
A couple of months back there was talk that some of the players had not even been paid their salaries, a rumour strongly refuted by the management.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman Hassan, one of the board of directors, has insisted that the senior team will not give up their fight to defend their league title.
"We won't give up without a fight as we believe this band of players is capable of making a comeback," Hassan told Gulf News.
The official defended his players, including the two new foreign professionals on the side â€'' Brazilians Marcos Assuncao and Carlos Renato.
"Maybe they are taking more time to adapt to the situation or maybe it is that the full team has retreated and we need to pay attention to this aspect and get them back into peak form," Hassan said.
The senior club official, himself a national team goalkeeper, said that the management will now be seriously looking at bringing in fresh talent when the transfer window opens in January.
"The attempt will be to get UAE players who will in a position to fulfil responsibilities thrown at them by the coach," revealed Hassan.
