With the new Arabian Gulf League season upon us we have the lowdown on each and every team aiming to compete for honours in the UAE.
From the key ins and outs over the course of the summer to our predictions for year's AGL, we have you covered.
Ajman
Stadium: Ajman Stadium
Coach: Fathi Al Jabal
Al Ahli
Stadium: Rashid Stadium
Coach: Cosmin Olaroiu
Last season: Champions
Key ins: Habib Fardan, Mirel radoi, Nawaf Mubarak
Key outs: Adnan Hussain, Thamer Mohammed, Mohammed Darwish
Star man: Grafite
One to watch: Habib Fardan
Verdict: Have an ageing squad but remain top title contenders. Olaroiu is expert at grinding out results, with this characteristic vital if they are to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
Al Ain
Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium
Coach: Zlatko Dalic
Last season: 6th
Keys ins: Miroslav Stoch, Lee Myung-Joo, Mohammed Fawzi, Jires Kembo Ekoko,
Key outs: Mirel Radoi, Alex Brosque, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Salem
Star man: Omar Abdulrahman
One to watch: Ahmed Barman
Verdict: Summer additions are young, hungry and skilful. Allied with resident stars, the Boss look title favourites.
Al Dhafra
Stadium: Hamdan bin Zayed Stadium
Coach: Anel Karabeg
Last season: 8th
Keys ins: Matias Defederico, Paulinho Oliveira, Khalifa Ibrahim, Rashid Ghuloom
Key outs: Ali Abbas, Rogerio
Star man: Makhete Diop
One to watch: Matias Defedrico
Verdict: Dhafra will hope to match their eighth-placed finishes from the last two seasons. Defederico and Diop must shine to stop relegation worries.
Al Jazira
Stadium: Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium
Coach: Eric Gerets
Last season: 3rd
Keys ins: Mirko Vucinic, Jonathan Pitroipa, Manuel Lanzini
Key outs: Abdelaziz Barrada, Shin Hyung-min, Felipe Caicedo, Nelson Valdez
Star man: Mirko Vucinic
One to watch: Ahmed Rabea
Verdict: Gerets has been backed with exciting buys, but weak defence could see their title push falter. The AGL’s entertainers.
Al Nasr
Stadium: Al Maktoum Stadium
Coach: Ivan Jovanovic
Last season: 5th
Key ins: Renan Garcia, Ivan Trickovski, Fahad Hadeed, Amer Mubarak, Abdullah Qassim, Essam Dhahi
Key outs: Habib Fardan, Leo Lima
Star man: Ibrahima Toure
One to watch: Fahad Hadeed
Verdict: Have lost a key player in Habib Fardan but have done well in the transfer market to bolster their squad. Expect them to challenge for the top three.
Al Shabab
Stadium: Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium
Coach: Caio Junior
Last season: 4th
Key ins: Henrique Luvannor, Mohammed Al Naqbi
Key outs: Sami Anbar, Essam Dhahi
Star man: Carlos Villanueva
One to watch: Henrique Luvannor
Verdict: Haven’t been as active as their rivals in the transfer window, which they could come to regret as they hope to challenge the best teams this season. A replacement for Edgar Bruno could have breathed new life into their offence.
Al Wasl
Stadium: Zabeel Stadium
Coach: Jorginho
Last season: 12th
Key ins: Neto Berola, Fabio Virginio de Lima, Ederson, Caio Canedo Correa, Adnan Hussain, Thamer mohammed, Salem Masoud, Yousuf Abdullah
Key outs: Fahad Hadeed, Mariano Donda, Ricardo Oliveira
Star man: Ederson
One to watch: Ali Salmeen
Verdict: Could finally recapture their former glory days now that they’ve revived their squad, bringing in four talented Brazilians as well as promising locals.
Bani Yas
Stadium: Bani Yas Stadium
Coach: Luis Garcia
Last season: 9th
Keys ins: Joan Verdu, Angel Dealbert, Kim Jung-woo, Bandar Al Ahbabi
Key outs: Mohammed Fawzi, Nawaf Mubarak, Luis Farina, Sebastian Prediger
Star man: Amer Abdulrahman
One to watch: Bandar Al Ahbabi
Verdict: A Spanish revolution and the return of midfielder Amer Abdulrahman heralds a push for the top three. Sure to surprise.
Emirates Club
Stadium: Emirates Club Stadium
Coach: Paulo Comelli
Last season: 11th
Keys ins: Youssef Kaddioui, Issam Erraki, Sami Anbar
Key outs: Derley, Hasan Ali
Star man: Luiz Henrique
One to watch: Youssef Kaddioui
Verdict: The turmoil off the pitch which saw the resignation of the club’s management this month rejected is set to spread to the pitch. Comelli will have to work wonders to avoid relegation.
Fujairah
Stadium: Fujairah Stadium
Coach: Abdulwahab Abdulqadir
Last season: 2nd, Division One
Keys ins: Madjid Bougherra, Hassan Yebda, Boubacar Sanogo, Humaid Hamed, Subait Khater
Key outs: Majid Rashid
Star man: Madjid Bougherra
One to watch: Mohammed Khalfan
Verdict: Ambitious Fujairah have embarked on an impressive spending spree. Could be the season’s big surprises.
Ittihad Kalba
Stadium: Kalba Club Stadium
Coach: Vinicius Eutropius
Last season: 1st, Division One
Key ins: Rafael, Wael Ayan, Luis Leal, Danilo Bueno, Ali Abbas
Key outs: Thaer Bawab, Nadir Mohamed, Jasim Ibrahim Musa
Star man: Danilo Bueno
One to watch: Luis Leal
Verdict: Looks like another turbulent year for the AGL’s yo-yo club. It’s a big ask for Kalba to avoid relegation, with their mix of uninspiring emiratis and journeyman Brazilians instilling doubts.
Sharjah
Stadium: Sharjah Stadium
Coach: Paulo Bonamigo
Last season: 7th
Keys ins: Luan, Leo Lima, Wanderley, Ahmed Darwish
Key outs: Kim Jung-woo, Ze Carlos
Star man: Ahmed Khamis
One to watch: Luan
Verdict: Bonamigo has built a ‘miniBrazil’, with his mix of compatriots and solid emirati players looking good for a top-half finish and possible runs in the Cups.
