Cosmin Olaroiu does not just win league titles it seems, he destroys the competition.
Having collected back-to-back UAE championships in Al Ain – by 14 and 11 points respectively – the Romanian watched Al Ahli wrap up the Arabian Gulf League crown with a record tally this season.
That the Dubai club secured their sixth league title against a backdrop of controversy and with their coach banished to the stands for three months makes their achievement all the more impressive.
Olaroiu’s decision to turn his back on a contract extension in the Garden City last summer, in favour of the challenge at the
Rashid Stadium was always going to ruffle feathers.
Al Ain felt that the Romanian had violated the terms of his contract in leaving for Dubai and Olaroiu was eventually slapped with a six-month touchline ban by the UAE Football Association in December.
On the day the punishment was confirmed Ahli lost their first league game of the season, 2-1 at neighbours Al Wasl.
They had accumulated 23 points from their opening nine games, coping with the loss of first-choice goalkeeper Majed Naser to injury while handing the Boss a pair of defeats, one of which gave them the UAE Super Cup.
But if the rest of the Arabian Gulf League thought the ban would derail the Red Knights’ season they were sadly mistaken. Olaroiu may not have been on the touchline but his influence on his first-team squad never once wavered.
Assisted ably by Catalin Raducan and Fabio Cannavaro, Ahli would not be bettered on the pitch again all season, losing once more only because they fielded an ineligible player.
When pressure from the Court of Arbitration for Sport meant Olaroiu returned to the dugout towards the end of March, his team were home and dry.
That his first appearance back on the touchline in UAE football came at Al Ain seemed like destiny.
His old employers had endured a miserable season and were mid-table and onto their third coach of the campaign as Ahli left their sparkling new Hazza bin Zayed Stadium with a 3-2 win.
The hosts were fortunate in victory but the balance of power had well and truly shifted. Olaroiu must take much of the credit for that but he has been aided by some excellent transfer dealings since he arrived in Dubai.
Hugo Viana, signed before the end of last season, has been superb at the base of midfield while Ciel and Walid Abbas, have both contributed heavily since their arrival from Al Shabab last summer.
Indeed Shabab could have done with them as their own season imploded in the final straight as they took just 14 points from the
final 10 games to finish fourth.
Al Jazira and Sharjah also saw campaigns that had promised much tail off with a whimper. Jazira accumulated 13 points from the same period, to finish third, Sharjah just 11.
The beneficiary was Al Wahda, who came from nowhere to win eight of their last 10 games to secure second and a return to the AFC Champions League.
At the bottom, Al Wasl won just two games in 2014 but that was not enough to rescue Al Shaab and Dubai who slipped out of the top flight with just 28 points between them.
TEAM OF THE SEASON
Al Ahli
With everything going on off the field, the Red Knights did well to keep their focus on the challenge at hand. Following Olaroiu’s ban, Ahli won 13 of their last 16 games, drawing two and losing one only because Adnan Hussein played in a victory against Al Dhafra when he should have been suspended.
Whenever the chasing pack thought they had a sniff the Dubai side stepped on the gas to keep them comfortably in their slipstream and it is hard to find fault with any of their first-team squad.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Hugo Viana
(Al Ahli)
What a first season for the Portuguese midfielder. The calming influence that knitted everything together, his experience was priceless as Al Ahli stormed to the league title.
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Ahmed Rabea
(Al Jazira)
Has pace to burn and can play either up front or on the wing. Finished the season with a UAE call-up and at 18-years of age, Rabea has a bright future to look forward to both at domestic and international level.
SIGNING OF THE SEASON
Sebastian Tagliabue
(Al Wahda)
Brought in from Saudi side Al Shabab, the Argentine forward (above right) scored more than a goal a game, including 13 in his last seven league matches, only finishing behind Asamoah Gyan in the Golden Boot stakes with 28 goals. Tagliabue's goals were integral to Wahda's stunning rise up the table to clinch the runner-up spot and a place in next season's AFC Champions League.
SURPRISE PACKAGE
Al Wahda
Were fortunate that the teams in front of them tailed off so spectacularly, but take nothing away from Wahda as they finished the season in unbelievable form.
Inspired by the goals of Sebastian Tagliabue, and a rejuvenated supporting cast of Ismail Matar, Damian Diaz and Mohamed Al Shehhi, the Abu Dhabi club look back to their best.
GOAL OF THE SEASON
Sebastian Tagliabue
(Al Wahda) v Al Ain February 13, 2014; Hazza bin Zayed Stadium
The Argentine was marked by both Ismail Ahmed and Mohanad Salem as he controls a long punt forward from Adel Abdulla on his chest. Flicking the ball away from Ahmed, he shields the ball from Salem with his shoulder before spinning 180 degrees and volleying home.
GAME OF THE SEASON
Al Wahda 3-4 Al Jazira, November 23, 2013
A rollercoaster of a match that saw Jazira lead 2-1 after just nine minutes and then 3-2 shortly after the break as Abdelaziz Barrada grabbed his second.
Sebastian Tagliabue completed a hat-trick to level things up with just under half an hour left but substitute Nelson Valdez had the final say, firing home in injury time to hand Jazira a derby day win.
COACH OF THE SEASON
Cosmin Olaroiu
(Al Ahli)
What more can be said about a man that has won three titles in three years in the UAE? Wherever he goes he seems to get a vital extra 10 per cent from his players.
FLOP OF THE SEASON
Andre Senghor
(Bani Yas/Al Wasl)
Loaned to Wasl, then sent back to Bani Yas who left him unregistered before releasing him. A return of five goals in 15 league appearances was not the sort of return Wasl had hoped when they took him on loan.
