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Dubai: Al Shabab manager Obaid Ali is hoping his young squad can continue to live the dream during the inaugural year of football turning professional in the UAE.
"Ours is a young squad. We do not have big names, but we have the guts, courage and self-belief to perform on the field," Obaid Ali told Gulf News as the Al Shabab team underwent pre-season tests.
"Besides the five major competitions charted out by the Professional League Committee, we have to also represent the country at the AFC Champions League and this will be a tremendous learning experience for our team," Obaid Ali stated.
"We have the talent and the grit, but not all our players have got the opportunity to play at an international level. Now is their chance and I hope they can perform on the biggest stage in Asia," he added.
Never seen as a serious contender before the start of the season, Al Shabab had a dream start under Brazilian coach Toninho Cerezo by going on to win the UAE National Football League last season.
"That was not luck. It was a dream that our players had thought about and they went ahead and fulfilled that dream. I hope they can repeat this dream this season too," he said with a smile.
But one man who made all the difference with his charismatic approach is former Brazilian player and coach Toninho Cerezo.
Disciplined approach
Not one to accept any indiscipline, he made it clear to the players, especially the so-called self-termed 'stars', that no one was indispensable. That not only brought in results, but it kept the players together as a unit. "So it is not that we are experiencing professionalism for the first time. We've been through it last year and this season we will take it a step further, but as a team," Ali said.
At the same time, the former UAE defender admitted that the clubs will need a time span to turn totally professional. "The players may take ten years to absorb the full essence of being a professional. I think we've made a head start and we will ensure we keep the tempo going," he added.
Obaid Ali pointed out that his players were aware of maintaining their fitness levels. "They see the need to be in peak shape throughout as only that one element will keep their value in the transfer market," the manager said.
"We've had a great season last year and we hope to make a great start to the new season," he added.
Preparation: Taking on italian job
A 40-member delegation from Al Shabab will leave on Saturday for a training camp in Italy.
"We will be away preparing in Europe for one full month and I am confident our players will make full use of the opportunities to learn and grow during this trip," manager Obaid Ali told Gulf News.
The trip will be divided into two parts. "The first half of the camp will be to get the players in top physical shape and hence we may have only one friendly match there," Ali stated.
"In the second half of the camp we have planned at least three games against local teams from the area."
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