Quique Sanchez Flores is under increasing pressure at Al Ain, following their Abu Dhabi clasico defeat to Al Wahda.
The Boss are still looking for a first win at their new Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium after Sebastian Tagliabue’s stupendous first-half goal on Thursday night consigned them to a fifth league defeat of the season – third since Sanchez Flores assumed control last September – and left the champions sixth.
It was Wahda’s first victory in Al Ain since they triumphed by the same scoreline in their title-winning season of 2009-10.
Less than a week after that result, then Boss coach Toninho Cerezo was sacked.
With Al Ain’s AFC Champions League campaign set to kick-off in just 11 days and a President’s Cup final against Al Ahli to contest, Sanchez Flores should have until the end of the season to turn things around.
However, Sport360° understands that some members of the club’s board are less than happy with the team’s performances under the Spaniard.
“The way I see it, he’s here until the end of the season,” an Al Ain spokesman said. “A lot of the fans, technical staff and board are very upset. They are not happy with the way the team is playing. This has gone on for a long time with Quique.”
Current midfielder Ibrahim Diaky believes Sanchez Flores deserves to be given more time.
“It is not only Quique, it is all the players because in a big team like Al Ain you cannot only blame the coach for what is going on,” he said. “We lose together, we win together. Of course we support Quique… it is not easy for him because he took over at a time when we were not winning.”
Diaky added: “The quality is there, the group is there but I think we need to play with more confidence and to fight as one team.”
Sanchez Flores accepted the blame, telling fans: “I’m the person responsible for the team’s results.
“I hope they don’t blame the players or pressurise them.”
And Diaky concurred with his coach, urging the club’s fans to get behind the team in their next assignment at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, the opening game of this year’s AFC Champions League group stage against the winner of tonight’s play-off between Lekhwiya and Al Kuwait.
He said: “The crowd need to be behind the players, and not put too much pressure on the players, because if there is not too much confidence, plus the pressure, then it is difficult to play."
