Sobis, Oliveira, Braga convinced me to join Jazira, says Neves

Abu Dhabi - The Brazilian playmaker signed a three-year deal with the Pride of Abu Dhabi and was officially unveiled by the club.

Thiago Neves said that the previous stints of compatriots Rafael Sobis and Ricardo Oliveira as well as having worked under Abel Braga earlier, convinced him to make the switch from Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal to the UAE's Al Jazira.
The Brazilian playmaker signed a three-year deal with the Pride of Abu Dhabi and was officially unveiled by the club. "I'm proud to wear the Al Jazira shirt, the Pride of Abu Dhabi," said Neves, who will don the No. 10 jersey previously worn by Argentine Manuel Lanzini.
"One of the reasons that convinced me to come to Al Jazira was because Sobis, Oliveira and many other Brazilian players told me good things about the club. Of course, I have a fantastic relationship with Abel Braga previously. This also helped me to join Al Jazira," revealed the 30-year-old.
Striker Ricardo Oliveira, one of the biggest signings back then, plied his trade for Al Jazira from 2009 to 2014, while Rafael Sobis, was with the Pride of Abu Dhabi from 2008 to 2012. Neves and Sobis were also teammates when the Brazil Under-23 squad won the bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They were also teammates at Brazilian side Fluminense, coached by Braga.
Having played with the likes of Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, his captain during the 2008 Olympics as well as Neymar, Neves is now looking forward to striking a strong partnership with Al Jazira front men Mirko Vucinic, last season's top goal scorer as well as Emirati ace Ali Ahmed Mabkhout. "I used to play with Neymar, Ronaldinho and I was proud to play with them. Also, now, I am happy and proud to play with Mirko Vucinic and Ali Mabkhout and it will help all of us to succeed. We have to work together and get the title together," Neves said.
After a successful two seasons with Al Hilal, Neves is eager to raise the bar with Al Jazira. "I had a fantastic career with Al Hilal, especially good relations with the fans. I hope the fans here at Al Jazira will help me in the future," he said. "I'm with Al Jazira now and I promise my best with Al Jazira. I promise the fans that I will do better than what I did with Al Hilal," added Neves.