Dubai: Al Ahli hope to prove themselves one more time in what could be their last game as a football club, at home to Saudi Arabian namesakes Al Ahli Jeddah in the Asian Champions League (ACL) Last 16 second leg, on Monday.
The Red Knights were merged with fellow UAE sides Al Shabab and Dubai Club on May 16 and will become Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club from next season.
But in the meantime they are still in this season’s ACL which ends in November, as Al Ahli, and they have also qualified to next year’s ACL after finishing third in this season’s Arabian Gulf League.
At the moment, it is still unsure what will happen if they win this game and make the quarter-finals — the game is tied 1-1 after last week’s first leg.
If they win and make it through to the quarters in August, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club will already be in formation by then for the new domestic season, and sides are not allowed to change their name midway through a competition.
Al Ahli will either have to continue as a parallel team to Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club for as long as they are in this year’s ACL, or withdraw from the competition entirely. “If we get through to the quarter-finals we can be whatever you want to call us, but the important thing is we just qualify for the quarters, after that we will see,” said Al Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu of the unprecedented situation.
“This is the last game in the season and we want to go out with a good impression and a good result with qualification, of course.
“After all the difficult moments and the great effort from my players I hope they can still find the energy, power, strength and motivation to take one more step.
“I know it won’t be easy as Al Ahli Jeddah are a very strong team with a lot of quality players but I think we have the possibility to do our best and go forward.
“We have to play good to pass this and hope they show one more time their strong character.”
With three football clubs merging, the future is obviously uncertain for the players as well as the coach, especially Brazilian striker Everton Ribeiro, who is linked with a US$7 million transfer to Brazil’s Flamengo.
Will this be his last game? “I don’t know,” he replied. “It could be, but for now the most important thing is making one more game to get to the quarters and to focus on this as best we can. As always I’ll try to help the team and give goals to qualify.”
Asked if the team were more determined to go out on a high given that they didn’t know what the future held, Olaroiu replied: “I’m always motivated at the same level, I’m not more or less [given the circumstances] I’m always the same.”
Al Ahli Jeddah coach Christian Gross said: “The tension will be high but we are willing to give everything. Of course we need to score at least two or three goals [because of the away goal rule] but we also need to find a balance between defence and going forward.”
