All-action midfielder Majed Hassan has promised to give the Al Ahli supporters better value for money this term as the club look to get back on the trophy trail.
The Red Knights flopped domestically last season, dropping from dominant Arabian Gulf League champions to a distant seventh place. But they broke new ground in the AFC Champions League reaching the knockout stages for the first time.
This confidence boost has carried them through an excellent pre-season in Italy which featured a 1-1 draw with a full strength Internazionale XI, a two-legged quarter-final meeting with Iran’s Naft Tehran and the top-flight kick-off now looming.
Speaking at the launch of Ahli’s new 2015/16 Nike kits at Sun & Sand Sports’ flagship Dubai Mall store Sunday, the 23-year-old UAE star was convinced a fine campaign lay ahead.
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— Al Ahli Club (@AlAhliClub) August 16, 2015
“We have just come back from a training camp in Italy,” he said.
“It went very well. We are very confident we can do very well this season. We have had some good new additions to the team, so we are looking forward to the new season.
“We are also looking forward to making all the fans happy. Inshallah, we will do very well this season.
“We would first like to focus on the AFC Champions League – which comes up next week – and also the Arabian Gulf League which starts very soon.”
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Ahli are set to host Fujairah on Wednesday in their AGL opener and Hassan is confident Ahli can regain the title they won in 2013/14.
“I believe we have the team to bring back the title, but we should not look too far ahead,” he said.
“We should try and win every match we play and that will be our main goal. If we can do that, then our fans will have a great experience and get their money’s worth.”
Hassan’s confidence was shared by club and international team-mate Ismail Al Hammadi, the win-ger a rare shining light last term with three assists and three AGL goals.
“We are hoping for the best,” the 27-year-old said. “Hopefully, we will win all the titles available.”
Ahli playmaker Everton Ribeiro enjoyed a standout summer, being part of the Brazil squad which made the Copa America quarter-finals.
The 26-year-old improved steadily after his high-profile winter arrival from Cruzeiro, an onus now being placed on him to carry this form into his first full campaign.
“The important thing now is to win trophies and contribute towards Al Ahli’s success,” he said. “As long as we keep achieving the team goals, I will be very happy.
“That’s all that matters. Personal goals don’t really matter.”
