UAE players have a weighty problem

The Etisalat Cup took an unexpected break last week and so it was left for everyone to focus on the national team. The UAE began the defence of their crown in the Gulf Cup in fine style beating Yemen 3-1.

It was also good to see Esmail Mattar getting on to the pitch as a substitute after a difficult few days. He had only just left with the squad when he had to return home due to the passing away of his father. It showed a lot about his character that he returned so soon to play a part in the UAE's win.

Last Friday I was at Al Nasr club watching AC Milan train and decided to walk across the road to get a coffee. The UAE national team were in the hotel reception waiting for the bus to take them to the airport. A few things struck me about the Milan and the UAE national team. First the physical aspect.

The Milan players were built like middleweight boxers while, in comparison, the UAE team have the build of “racing snakes''. The entire squad could do with hitting the weights if they are to compare with the Europeans. There are a number of reasons for the differences. One is simply genetic since the UAE has to pick from a small pool of UAE nationals whereas Milan can buy the players they need that are physically up to the job.

The training methods are also important. Lot of clubs still don't do weight training here. The players themselves are also a part of the problem – lack of willingness to eat correctly and rest properly means they will never grow physically. The other main difference was the lack of hype surrounding the team. The UAE players quietly sat in the reception or got themselves a coffee.

They mingled with hotel guests and not one of them was being pestered or asked for autographs. One hundred yards away every AC Milan player was greeted with adoring screams. A real chalk and cheese comparison and it made you realise that the UAE game has a long way to go to capture the imagination of the public to the same extent as the big European clubs have in the Gulf.

But of course I managed to get a few words with the UAE coach Dominic Bathenay. He said he did not speak English at first but when he realised I was not a hard-nosed hack he regained his use of English. He had the air of a French manager and always started his sentences with “of course'' which is straight from the Arsene Wenger book of giving interviews.

In summary he was “of course, confident they could retain the title'' and “of course, pleased that the lack of TV cameras at the friendly versus Kuwait meant that the team was seen off by a stadium full of fans''. He finally said that “of course, he expected the UAE to have big support in Oman which would help the team''. This weekend will see a full round of Etisalat Cup fixtures and Al Jazira play Bayern Munich on Saturday at 5pm.

You can watch that game for only Dh25 believe it or not. The big one is the international derby match, the UAE v Saudi Arabia on Sunday, kick-off at 6pm. All the Gulf Cup games are on Al Jazeera TV and various Gulf national sports channels for free, but strangely not on Dubai or Abu Dhabi Sports.

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