Al Ain's Dalic calls for improved turnout

Matt Jones - Editor 09:57 09/05/2015
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  • Time to back the boys: Zlatko Dalic (r) is unhappy with Al Ain supporters for not turning out in big numbers for their last home game.

    A large crowd is expected to pack the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday to witness Al Ain being presented with the Arabian Gulf League title, yet Zlatko Dalic has said his team need their fans at every game.

    The Boss will crown a third AGL title in four years at home against Sharjah on Saturday, but the Croatian bemoaned the dearth of fans who attended their Asian Champions League game against Naft Tehran.

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    Although the 4,299 supporters that attended Wednesday’s game was Al Ain’s eighth highest home attendance in 21 games in the Garden City this season, it was comfortably their lowest gate for an ACL game.

    “I am very, very disappointed because (Wednesday) I expected a big celebration. My team deserved a full stadium,” said Dalic after the game.

    On three occasions this season, the Hazza has seen crowds upward of 10,000 pass through the turnstiles, all for Champions League games.

    The biggest was the 24,204 that saw them beat Al Hilal 2-1 in the second leg of last year’s Champions League semi-final, with 18,830 watching the 2-0 quarter-final home leg win over Al Ittihad.

    In the 2015 version, 15,426 watched the 0-0 group stage draw with Al Shabab in February and the 6,872 supporters that turned up for the 1-1 draw with Pakhtakor in April was 2,000 more than Wednesday’s crowd.

    The Boss’ talisman Omar Abdulrahman hopes supporters will turn out in force for today’s game and has promised them their team will put on a good show.

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