Jorginho promises to bring the glory days back to Al Wasl

Martyn Thomas 10:32 23/06/2014
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  • Happy to be here: Jorginho admits it will be difficult for Al Wasl to win the Arabian Gulf League title this season.

    New Al Wasl coach Jorginho revealed he already feels at home in Dubai as he officially began work at the Zabeel Stadium. 

    The Brazilian World Cup winner – who agreed to take over the sev­en-time UAE champions in April – was speaking as he unveiled his backroom staff and four new sign­ings.

    Former Al Jazira defender Sa­lem Masoud and Al Shaab’s Abdalla Saleh have both signed for three years, while Hazza Salem and Sa­lem Abdullah have joined from Al Ain on a season-long loan.

    Jorginho arrived back in Dubai over the weekend and says he has so far enjoyed the experience as he prepares to add more new faces to his Wasl squad.

    “I am happy here in the UAE and I have enough time to search for foreign players,” he said.

    “Everyone knows that the level of performance was not acceptable in the last season, and we will make the maximum effort to improve the image of the team next season.”

    On signing his one-year deal with Wasl in mid-April, Jorginho vowed to bring the glory days back to a club that is yet to add to its seven league titles, in the professional era.

    He reiterated his desire to bring the glory days back to the Zabeel Stadium but admitted it will be difficult to win the Arabian Gulf League title this season.

    “It’s hard to tell the Al Wasl fans that we will win the championship at the moment, but I have a dream,” said the 49-year-old, who is the club’s 13th coach since they last lifted the title in 2007.

    Masoud, meanwhile, revealed his gratitude to his former employ­ers in Abu Dhabi while promising the squad would do whatever they could to ensure the Emperor finish as high up the table as possible.

    “I spent a good time with Jazira,” he said. “Wasl are a big club and any player wishes to join them. We aspire to do well in the champion­ship next season, Inshallah, we will achieve our goals.”

    Jorginho will run the rule over his new players as their internal training camp continues in Dubai during Ramadan, although he is ex­pected to freshen up the club’s for­eign contingent.

    Meanwhile, Al Shabab have confirmed Brazilian Caio Junior as their new coach for the 2014/15 season.

    The former Jazira and Al Gharafa tactician takes over from compa­triot Marcos Paqueta, who left the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium following a disappointing end to last season.

    Caio is no stranger to the Arabian Gulf League having coached Jazira to the President’s Cup title during a brief two-month reign at the end of the 2011/12 season.

    “Al Shabab have contracted with Brazilian coach Caio Junior to train the first team for one season,” a statement on the Shabab website read late on Saturday night.

    The Al Mamzar club are due to return to pre-season training on July 17, when the Brazilian will officially begin his duties.

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