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Khater newest top signing for Al Jazira
Al Ain and uae midfielder joins former team mate hilal Saeed for the professional season ahead.
- By Sayed Ali, Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:05 July 29, 2008
- Subait Khater (left), Al Ain and UAE national side midfielder, who has become the latest signing to Al Jazira club.
- Image Credit: Ravindranath/Gulf News
Dubai: The Al Ain midfielder Subait Khater is set to play for Al Jazira club in the coming season after signing with team for 2008-2009.
Subait, who has been a regular figure in the UAE national team for many years, joined his former team mate Hilal Saeed who also signed for Al Jazira last week.
Subait expressed gratitude to General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the Al Ain Club President, and to his deputy Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their consent to transfer him to Al Jazira.
"I take this opportunity to thank Shaikh Mohammad and Shaikh Hazza for all the support they are giving to Al Ain club and players, also, I thank them for accepting to free me to sign for Al Jazira," said Subait on his official website.
He said in witnessing a new time of professionalism, he hoped players would be able to move to other clubs without difficulties
"Professionalism means a smooth and legal moving for players between clubs. I hope club's supporters will accept it and do not show dissatisfaction for transfers."
The Al Jazira new signing said he was aware that there were some Al Ain supporters who would be disappointed he was going to play for another club.
"In professionalism, one has to accept anything. I know the Al Ain supporters love Subait and their admonition came due to this love, I also love them as the most loyal and truehearted supporters in the UAE."
Continued support
"I want them to support all the Al Ain players as they were doing in recent years. If Subait leaves Al Ain, the club will continue with the efforts of other players who can achieve success and win titles for the club as we used to do in the golden era of the Al Ain club," Subait said.
Al Jazira strengthened their team by signing many Emirati players bidding to win the league title for the first time in the club's history. Last year Al Jazira clinched the GCC clubs title before even winning a domestic title. The Abu Dhabi based club was established in the late sixties and has never won the league title or the President's cup before.
They finished runners up in the league last season, missing the top place by a narrow margin.
Meanwhile, Al Jazira signed with Brazilian striker Fernando Baiano, former player of Real Murcia of the Spanish first division league last season, as Murcia has been relegated at the end of the season.
Baiano who is 29, has played for many Brazilian and Spanish clubs in the last 10 years. He scored four goals with Real Murcia in 15 matches last season. Al Jazira will be looking for a third foreign player to join Tony of the Ivory Coast who will enter his fourth year with the club in the coming season.
Factfile
Name:Subait Khater Fayel Al Mukhaini
Birth date: 27-2-1980
Birth place: Al Ain
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Position: Midfielder
Shirt No: 24
Joined Al Ain: 1999
Subait played for the UAE national team in 2000 and was a member of the team that won the Gulf cup in 2007.
He is best known for his superbly long range free kicks which have resulted in impressive goals.
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