Grafite: UAE league behind Gulf rivals

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  • Sadd day at the office: Al Ahli were knocked out of the AFC Champions League after drawing with Al Sadd.

    Al Ahli star striker Grafite believes there is a big gap between UAE teams and their rivals in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is why Emirati clubs have not been able to excel on the Asian stage.

    Despite entering their final round robin game at the top of Group D, Ahli crashed out of the AFC Champions League with a defeat to Qatar’s Al Sadd last week, meaning the UAE champions are yet to advance to the knockout stages in any of their five appearances in the competition.

    Some pundits have questioned Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu’s record in Asia but Grafite believes “you can’t compare” the level of UAE clubs and that of other Gulf sides.

    Al Ain are the only Emirati club to experience Asian success, with their sole Champions League tro-phy coming 11 years ago.

    “UAE teams don’t have a good history in the Champions League. Yes, Al Jazira and Al Ain passed to the next phase but one of them will go out because they’re playing each other. If you compare the level between us and the Saudi teams, the Qatari teams, the Iranian teams… our level is lower than theirs,” said the Brazilian.

    “They have a history in the Champions League. I don’t know how Cosmin did when he was the coach of Hilal or Sadd in the Champions League but for us, for UAE clubs, it’s not easy to play in the Champions League.

    “We should take experience every year and one day we can think about winning the Champions League but I think the next two, three years will be hard for UAE teams to reach the final stages.”

    Grafite, who is still waiting to hear from the club on the renewal of his contract, which expires this summer, says he is proud of Ahli’s accomplishments on the domestic front, with the treble hinging on next month’s President’s Cup final.

    He explains that while Ahli do not solely depend on the efforts of international players like himself, other clubs in the UAE lack depth in their squads.

    “If you look as an example to the Iranian clubs, they have international players but the local players play at a level higher than us,” said Grafite.

    “I played against Sadd, if you look at their local players, they play very well, like international players. The level… you can’t compare. It’s like the Champions League in Europe.

    “I played the Champions League in Europe with Wolfsburg but when you play against Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea the level of those teams is very high.”

    "But I don’t know. The day will come (for UAE teams). Japan 20 years ago didn’t have a chance and today they regularly have sides competing to win the Champions League."

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