Emirates gear up for new season

Dubai - "We finished 10th with 30 points in the AGL which was by all means the best achievement in the history of the club," Baroot told Khaleej Times.

The Emirates Sports Club are hoping to build on last year's success as the Arabian Gulf League's side launches its preparations for the new football season, said the team's manager Khalifa Baroot. "We finished 10th with 30 points in the AGL which was by all means the best achievement in the history of the club," Baroot told Khaleej Times.
To start with, the Emirates Eagles did not make any change with reference to their head coach or his staff. The club's management decided to keep the Brazilian manager Paulo Comelli and his assistants to ensure the required level of stability at this level. But, three foreign players have been terminated and they will be replaced very soon, he added.
However, the club retained the services of Moroccan forward Isam Erraki while replacing Korean player Jin Ho Shik with Australian Brett Hollman as the fourth Asian recruit.
The club's sources said that discussions are underway with the Egyptian side Wadi Degla to transfer their Zambian forward Ronald Kampamba despite the financial barriers which could prove a spoke in the wheel. It's reported that Wade Degla have asked for a big amount to release the top international striker.
"We need a striker and playmaker to join Hollman and Erraki after the termination of the Brazilian duo Luis Henrique and Alexandro," said Baroot but he declined to elaborate. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the final selection of the two foreigners will be decided after the arrival of the Brazilian coach who's expected to return to the UAE in a couple of days from his annual leave.
As regards the national players, the club renewed the contracts of 12 of them, including veteran Haider Alo Ali and Mahmoud Hassan who is on loan from Al Nasr FC.
We have already started our preparations with internal training camp before the players head for Serbia for a three-week European tour during which they are supposed to play three friendlies and return home on August 5 to start their final preparations.