Farfan wants to help Jazira win silverware

Abu Dhabi - Peruvian says he didn't feel threatened by Vucinic, Mabkhout

Jefferson Farfan said that he didn't feel threatened by the likes of Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic and Emirati striker Ali Ahmed Mabkhout and added that it was vital to form a good partnership and help Al Jazira win silverware.
The Peruvian international joined the Pride of Abu Dhabi on a three-year deal, and though he had already linked up with the squad during the pre-season camp in Austria, he was officially unveiled by the club at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Thursday.
Farfan joined from Bundesliga club Schalke on a deal worth ?6 million. Farfan, who replaced Burkina Faso international Jonathan Pitroipa, will earn ?3.2 million per year for a total of ?9.6 million for three years.
"It is an honour to be with Al Jazira and I'm very happy to sign with the club. I know Al Jazira from a friend of mine. It is a very good club. I would like to win as many titles as I can with Al Jazira," said Farfan, who will don the No.17 jersey.
Farfan, Brazilian playmaker Thiago Neves, South Korean midfielder Park Jong-woo and the retained Montenegro international Mirko Vucinic form the foreign quartet at Al Jazira.
"It is a new challenge. I'm looking towards a new and long future with Al Jazira. They are a club who have a strong investment in sports and I can see myself building my career in the coming three years. Many international players have played for the club like Mirko Vucinic and Manuel Lanzini, who played in the League and has now gone to West Ham. So, this League is also a stepping stone to other Leagues in the future. I think it's an excellent League," he added.
The 30-year-old was unfazed by the weather conditions he will encounter here and said it was part of the challenge. "I'm a footballer and I have to accept a new challenge. This is what I want always in my life, to accept challenges in football. My ambition is to be No.1 with Al Jazira. We want to win all titles," said Farfan, who also plied his trade with the storied Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.
Farfan revealed that he was surprised by Ali Ahmed Mabkhout and spoke in glowing terms about the Emirati striker's talent.
"I was surprised by Mabkhout's talent, especially in the first game I played with him. I had heard about him but I was surprised by his talent. I was also surprised by Khamis Ismail as well as Abdulla Mousa and Khalid Sabeel. But I'm not worried or feel threatened by Mabkhout or Mirko Vucinic. At the end of the day, we want to score and we want to win. It doesn't matter who scores, the most important thing is positive results. We have to work as a team," said Farfan, who is capped 63 times by Peru.
He was also impressed with coach Abel Braga, who reunited with the club for a second stint. "Braga is a person who is down to earth. He is quite jovial. During training, he demands quality. But outside training, he is a nice human being. He is such a person that everyone can work with him easily. My impression of him is that he wants 100 per cent from each player, when on the field," he said.
Farfan is now looking forward to his debut in the Arabian Gulf League. "The level of football here is excellent. I saw a couple of matches between Al Jazira and Al Ain and Al Jazira against Al Wahda. It is a strong League with strong competition between the clubs. I would love to improve my career here," Farfan said.
james@khaleejtimes.com