Jorvan Vieira: They can fire me tomorrow

Dubai: Bani Yas coach Jorvan Vieira has maintained a defiant stance in the face of mounting criticism at the club, where he’s lost three, drawn two in his first five league and Cup games.

Having finished second in the table last year under Lofti Benzarti, Bani Yas turned to the 2007 Iraq Asian Cup winning coach after his miracle work with Ittihad Kalba last season.

The Brazilian master, who speaks seven languages, accrued 19 of Kalba’s 20 points from his 14 games in charge, 15 of these points came from the last ten games of the season – in a defiant run, which saw the east coasters go down fighting.

But being hired by Bani Yas to work his magic in the capital has yet to pay off. Andre Senghor went AWOL, several players were absent on international leave and then tragedy struck when Diab Awana died in a car accident.

Speaking of the pressure, Vieira said: “I don’t care, they can fire me tomorrow. I know my job and I have a name. Which coach doesn’t live with pressure? They were free to contact me and they are free to let me go. I know what I’m doing. This is the way I’ve done it all my life and I have results to show for it so why change now?”

Speaking before last weekend’s league opener, a 1-1 draw with newly promoted Ajman, Vieira added: “We’ve had a difficult start, everything has happened with us. But this is part of life. Who doesn’t have a problem?’

“What we have to do is keep strong, change the panoramic to put things in a positive way. Unfortunately a lot has happened with us – especially with Awana – and then injuries to Trezeguet, Yousuf Jaber getting an allergy, Haboosh Saleh non-performing and Fawzi Basheer returning late from Oman.”

“It’s okay, this is part of my job. I’m in charge and I have to find a solution. This is what I tried in the last four matches but it wasn’t good enough – what can I do? This is what I have.”

“If I was a miracle worker I would have used my magic to save a life not win football games.”

“I’m not here to give excuses. We haven’t played well and I was unlucky to lose my full affective squad, true, but one coach cannot depend on only eleven. I’m starting to play promising boys now from the reserves who haven’t played in two years – this is a crime. When you have good young talent you must give them a chance, they haven’t been given yet. It will take time. You cannot make an omelet without breaking some eggs.”