Weah to play for Al Jazira

George Weah, the world's best footballer in 1995, and his Liberian countryman James Debbah joined Al Jazira Sports and Cultural Club for the new season 2001-2002 in a double deal that is expected to increase the club's hopes of winning the league. Last year the team finished in third.

Weah attended the press conference held at the club's premises yesterday with Butti Mohammed Al Qubeissi, the Chairman of the club's board of directors, Saeed Hamad Al Suwaidi, the secretary general, Debbah and Yousuf Abdulla, the FIFA authorised players agent.

Al Suwaidi announced that his club signed a deal with Weah and Debbah as per the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Honourary President of the club.

Expressing the club's delight in signing Weah, he said: "Al Jazira Club is proud of succeeding in signing a deal with a world famous player as Weah. We expect his presence will help the club inside and outside the field of play and as a role model, he will inspire many youngsters. It is the club's policy to bring players that can help in providing the experience to our young players in addition to help the team win trophies and titles."

"We have also signed his compatriot James Debbah who is a great player with vast experience in Africa and Europe," Al Suwaidi concluded.

Al Qubeissi disclosed that the contract with Weah was for two seasons and one season for Debbah.

He announced that Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE FA, thanked the club for bringing to the local competitions a player of Weah's calibre and fame saying that Weah will enrich the standards of the game in the UAE.

"Football is a team work but with good foreign players the standards of the teams will improve and the local players will benefit from their foreign colleagues especially the youngsters," Qubeissi added.

"We don't promise to win the league title but we are trying our best to provide the best facilities for our team to excel and achieve results."

Al Suwaidi, meanwhile, requested the domestic referees to protect the players, not only of Al Jazira's but of all the other teams so that they can show off their best forms.

Weah said that he opted to play in the UAE instead of the U.S. where he was when the negotiations started with Al Jazira Club.

"I preferred to come to the UAE as I know that they have a good league and that some of the players who were professionals in Europe are playing here like Joel Tiehi. I asked my wife and she encouraged me to play in the UAE so I decided to come to Al Jazira. I hope that I can do my best for my new club." Weah told Gulf News.

Weah said that he did not watch any tapes of his new club before signing the deal. However, he said he had a talk with their Dutch coach, Jan Versleyen, who briefed him about the team and his future colleagues.

"I cannot promise to win the league but I promise to do my best," Weah said.

Asked whether he will feel more at ease to play alongside Debbah or the third foreign player Emmanuel, who is still with the club, Weah said: "Selecting the players is the responsibility of the coach and I will do my best to play whether with Debbah or Emmanuel. I cannot ask for a certain player."

Weah expressed his admiration for the facilities at the club. "Of course I didn't expect to find the same facilities as in AC Milan or Paris St. Germain but the stadium is good and the other facilities are excellent."

When Gulf News asked him about his reason for leaving AC Milan, Weah said: "It was a problem with Alberto Zakaroni, the coach, who said he didn't need me in the team and wanted to sign Spanish Jose Maria. So I have to leave Milan.

"Besides I had a good opportunity to play in England so I went there."

Weah expressed his thanks to Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed for providing him the opportunity to join Al Jazira. Weah will join the club in ten days.

Meanwhile, Debbah, a former teammate of Weah in France where they played together with Monaco, has already joined the club's training and is expected to feature in today's FA Cup match against Sharjah.

How the deal was struct

Butti Mohammed Al Qubeissi, the Chairman of the Al Jazira club's board of directors, told Gulf News how they managed to rope in George Weah.

"Our club did not start negotiating with George until we got an assurance from Al Ain (with whom Weah was negotiating) that they stopped their attempts to sign him.

I spoke to Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Vice President of the club's Honourary Council, who confirmed that his club was not involved in further negotiations with the player," Qubeissi said.

"I have good relations with George since his days in Milan. I felt that he will be the ideal player for our club. I sent one of my friends to George in New York and we started the negotiations.

"The deal was finished easily as George did not ask for any exaggerated deal and I assure you that his deal is similar to those of most foreign players with the other domestic clubs despite the fact that he is now the best and most famous player to play in our local league.

"We regard ourselves lucky to sign such a player who will earn more publicity not for Al Jazira Club only, but to the whole UAE league in international media," Qubeissi said.