Abu Dhabi: Winning the President's Cup has always been a matter of great pride for UAE clubs, but today's final between Al Ain and Al Shabab will also be a battle for the winner's purse of Dh5 million and much more in the form of bonus.
Less than 10 days ago, Al Ain lifted the etisalat Cup, defeating traditional rivals Al Wahda. The win earned the team Dh3 million in prize money while each of the players were also given a Dh50,000 bonus.
Today's winner will take home Dh5 million while the runners-up will gain Dh2 million. And that, coupled with the prestige of winning the Cup and a subsequent meeting with President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, make this one of the most sought-after trophies in domestic football.
Both sides have won the trophy four times, but there ends the similarity. Al Ain go into the final boosted by their current form and success. The 2003 Asian club champions and one of the UAE's most successful clubs are on track for a treble as they look to more than make up for a barren 2007-08 season.
With the etisalat Cup in the bag, Al Ain are in third place in the League, just four points off leaders Al Ahli with six rounds of action remaining.
For Al Shabab, the defending League champions, today's final is their only chance of winning silverware as they have failed to deliver both in the AFC Champions League as well as the UAE League.
Though they are just one spot behind Al Ain, 11 points separate the two finalists, and this means a do-or-die effort today for the team.
Jorge Valdivia will be aiming to add some Latin American flavour to the President's Cup, which has been under the Brazilian spell in the previous two editions. Brazilian Clederson Cesar scored both goals in Al Ahli's win last year while in 2007, two goals by Oliviera and one by Anderson featured Al Wasl's win.
Although Al Ain have in Andrez Diaz a star Brazilian, it is the Chilean Valdivia who is expected to be the spearhead against Al Shabab.
