Gabriel Calderon is proud of what he has achieved since taking over at Al Wasl in October, but has challenged his players to qualify for the Asian Champions League next season.
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The Argentine took charge in mid-October after a wretched 3-0 League Cup defeat to Al Shabab, with the Cheetahs second bottom of the Arabian Gulf League upon Jorginho’s dismissal.
Since then the former Argentina international has transformed Wasl’s fortunes, overseeing just six defeats in 27 games in all competitions and winning 44 per cent of his matches in charge as Wasl ended up finishing sixth in the AGL.
Despite the end of his team’s 10-match unbeaten run, thanks to a 4-2 defeat on the final day, and exiting the President’s Cup to Bani Yas on Friday, Calderon believes the losses will serve his side well next year.
“I’m very happy with my team because you know the situation. I have 11 players, five are in the Army. I have three injured players,” said Calderon.
“It’s a fantastic show from the players because there is no change after three months. I think Al Wasl have delivered well in this situation. The two last matches are good for us, the committee, for me, the team, to analyse for next year.”
Calderon believes Wasl have played the best football of all 14 AGL teams in 2015 and now wants his players to push on and finish in the top four next time around.
He said: “Al Wasl, for me, play the best football in this competition. For this I offer my players congratulations, but I think these last two matches give us good experience for next season for fighting with the three and four [at the top of] the league.
“After I arrived I think Al Wasl did fantastic. In the [President’s] Cup we have gone out in the third round but the statistics are very good.
“After arriving in October I changed many things. I am now very, very happy because I won much more but I think next season with my group and the preparation [that] Al Wasl is the same but with more stability.”
