Olivier signs as Dibba’s final foreign star

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  • Unveiled: Danilo de Oliviera (r).

    Dibba Al Fujairah’s summer of change appears to be close to an end after they completed their foreign quartet with the addition of well-travelled Brazilian striker Danilo de Oliveira.

    Danilo, 29, inked a one-season deal late on Thursday night to bolster the much-changed Fishermen’s ranks ahead of a second-successive Arabian Gulf League-campaign. The tall Brazilian arrives as a free agent after scoring four goals and gaining two assists during 12 appearances in the 2016 Thai Premier League with Chiangrai United.

    The move is the 14th of a peripatetic career, which includes a failed trial at Bundesliga giants VfB Stuttgart in November 2011. Further stints have occurred in his native country, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan.

    His new employers have experienced a tumultuous summer. Former Sporting Lisbon and Hearts coach Paulo Sergio has come in after Theo Bucker – who expertly guided the then promoted side to safety in 2015/16 – defected to Emirates Club, while the entire non-Emirati contingent has changed and several key local players have departed.

    Danilo replaces released AGL veteran Boris Kabi up top. The Ivorian scored eight times in 23 top-flight matches once drafted in from Ajman in July 2015.

    South Korean centre-back Heo Jae-won, Surinamese defensive midfielder Nicandro Breeveld and miniscule Ivorian winger Hamed Kone are also among those recruited during the current transfer window.

    Their major losses have been in midfield. The influential Tariq Ahmed and Nasser Abdulhadi have moved to Al Wahda, with Faisal Ahmed – Tariq’s brother – moving to Bani Yas.

    The Ahmed siblings started all of last term’s league games, while Abdulhadi missed just three of their 26 fixtures as a highly-creditable 10th-placed finish was secured.

    Sergio’s stint kicks-off on September 3 with the trip to Al Shabab in the Arabian Gulf Cup, with Bani Yas then travelling to the east coast on September 8 in the same competition. Their 2016/17 AGL commitments begin on September 16 with the visit of yo-yo outfit Ittihad Kalba.

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