We aim to be No 1 in region

Dubai: Romi Gai has a definite responsibility on his shoulders. As the CEO of the newly-founded UAE Football League (UFL), Gai wants to see the league evolving into the best in Asia.

Gai has spent 14 long years with Juventus FC. During this time, he has served the Italian giants in various capacities in marketing, sponsorship and merchandising departments.

As an international marketing consultant, Gai spent the next two years with soft drinks giant Pepsico till he was called up to join the UFL and build up the new professional league from scratch.

Gai believes that this experience "has been a fantastic tour and an equally exciting challenge".

Excerpts:

Gulf News: With six rounds of the 22 out of the way, what is your assessment of the UFL?

Romi Gai: We know it is a tough job. But I must say that during our journey around the UAE, we have felt the full commitment of the country and its people at all levels. We really feel the support and the desire to learn. This has helped us achieve a lot and we have come a long way in just four and a half months. We know it's a long way and it is a tough journey, but I think we've made the right start.

What has been the response like?

This season has seen a lot of changes and shifts from what people were formerly used to. They now only need to understand why these changes are being put in place.

How important are the clubs?

The clubs are our shoulders. The league is the clubs and the clubs is the league ... it's one and the same ... it's like the two sides of a coin. We need to therefore explain to everyone that the clubs and the league are one, and that each is dependent on the other.

What sort of role does the UFL have then?

Our role is to help the clubs to grow, to help them to be better organised, help them to receive much more money than they did in the past.

Which brings us to the scope of the league?

Yes, there are two basic principles of running the league. The first is to run centralised cells and secondly to organise the competitions on their behalf. All we are asking them is to make some sacrifices now. They should understand that the more the sacrifices today means a better success for all of us tomorrow.

You mentioned about the start being tough ... what were these elements that made things difficult for you?

The first block we had to encounter is people questioning us about the change. They wanted to know why there should be a change when they have been successful in this sport for the past 35 years. So we had a tough time convincing them that we need to follow the rules if we need to belong and integrate ourselves into the international football family.

So is this not an evolution of professionalism?

Yes, there was this thing of changing the approach on how to manage a club. Initially, we used to have volunteers at the clubs, but now we have professionals working and doing full-time jobs. Just like you have people educating themselves to be doctors and engineers, we want the UAE nationals to look at sports clubs as a career option.

What do the clubs need to do now?

The clubs have to make themselves more and more acceptable by the new generations. The youngsters need to be automatically attracted to the clubs now as people capable of offering professional services, just like they would do in other sectors such as the IT, science or engineering. I must say that there are two aspects to this as far as the clubs are concerned - the old and the new, and the clubs must endeavour to blend these two thoughts together and brace for the future.

How do you drive home this point?

We have regular workshops for officials from the clubs. We want them to come together on a common platform and discuss ideas, communicate and grow together as professionals.

What about the lack of crowds coming to attend matches? Whom do the players play for?

Yes, this is where we need to pay some extra attention. Here too, we have changed the rules a bit. We no longer allow fans to enter the stadium without a ticket. Sometimes it is not easy to make the clubs understand how this system works, so you can imagine how difficult it is for the fans to understand. We need to teach them, need to explain to them and start a new relationship with the fans.

How do you induce the fans to turn up at the ground when you are showing the matches live on television?

This is another point that we have to pay attention to. All over the world, the top football matches are encrypted, thereby limiting viewership and bringing fans into the stadia. I am sure both Dubai and Abu Dhabi channels will be open to the idea of sitting across the table and arriving at a favourable solution here. In the next five years, we should be moving in this direction for sure.

Where do you see the UFL headed in the next four to five years?

We have two clear targets here: we want to be the best league in this region and then we want to be the best in the whole of Asia. I know this is not easy task, but I am sure we can achieve it by all working together as a team.

In other words, spread the concept that dreams can become a reality?

Yes, why not? Look around you, ten years ago there was nothing here, and now we have the best coming up. We have the tallest, the biggest, the best in the UAE. Why can't we also join in and have the best football league?

We have the tallest, the biggest, the best in the UAE. Why can't we also join in and have the best football league?