Al Wasl’s Olivera wants victory and a contract
Wants to prove his worth by firing Maradona's men to Champions League glory
Al Wasl striker Juan Olivera is hoping to fire his side to their second GCC Champions League triumph since 2010 on Sunday — and win himself a new contract in the process.
Diego Maradona’s men have the cushion of a 3-1 lead over Bahrain’s Al Muharraq from Tuesday’s first leg, with the return kicking off at Zabeel Stadium at 7.50pm.
But, despite this healthy advantage, Olivera insists his side will still go on the attack as he chases personal and club glory.
The striker, whose contract expires at the end of the month, has scored 29 goals in 38 games in all competitions this season.
And he insists he is unconcerned about the likes of Didier Drogba being linked with the club, stressing he is keen to stay.
He said: “I’ve read something [about Drogba] but for me it’s not important, it’s not my business. I want to do my best in matches and training and I want to stay but it’s not down to me.
“Personally it’s been a great season. I’ve scored 29 goals and I’m very happy. Any player that scores 29 goals proves he wants to stay, but I’m not a psychiatrist. Other people make the decisions. I only try to give my best for the club in order that I could prove I want to stay.”
The Uruguayan said winning silverware tonight would compensate somewhat for a disappointing domestic season for Al Wasl in which they exited both cup competitions early and finished eighth in the league.
Olivera said: “The GCC Champions League is important to us because we didn’t do well in the rest of the season and this is our last tournament. We want to win.
“The first leg was an important step, but it’s not enough. The second final will be more difficult and we need to be clever and keep attention. Muharraq are a dangerous team and we have to continue playing the way we did in the first leg. It’s not a good idea to defend; we have to attack as more goals would be better for us.”
While Olivera looks to have done enough to remain at Al Wasl, others may not be so fortunate.
Coach Maradona showed he was prepared to wield the axe on his squad by swapping key men Edson Puch and Richard Porta for Mohammad Khalatbari and Juan Mercier in January.
Now the talk is of Wasl lining up moves for Zamalek’s midfielder Mahmoud Shikabala and Lanus’ striker Mariano Pavone after an unlikely bid for free agent forward Drogba was ruled out by the Argentinian.
A loan bid for Napoli striker Eduardo Vargas also fell through.
