Despondent striker Grafite hopes there is “a good ending” to his story at Al Ahli as rumours persist the club legend will be discarded by the struggling Arabian Gulf League champions in the upcoming transfer window.
Grafite, 35, has excelled since joining from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg three years ago. The Brazil international was the catalyst
behind the Red Knights’ revival with last season’s domestic treble of league title, Arabian Gulf Cup and Arabian Gulf Super Cup adding to the 2013 President’s Cup and 2012 Arabian Gulf Cup titles already claimed.
His tale has taken a sorry twist this term with the club’s dismal AGL defence leading to a rumoured shake-up of his club’s foreign ranks.
Dud summer signing Mirel Radoi has already gone, with captain Grafite expected to be next when the domestic market re-opens on January 18.
When asked whether Sunday’s Arabian Gulf Cup win against Fujairah had been his last game for Ahli, he replied: “Maybe yes, maybe no.
“People said the same Alafter we played Bani Yas [in the final AGL game before the international break on December 20], then I played two more games [in the AGC].
"Without passing to the next round of the Cup, there are no games for a month. This is a long time. During this time, many things can happen.
"Things move quickly in football. I was very close to Al Gharafa [in Qatar] a few days before I signed for Al Ahli – this is football. I hope I have a good ending to this story.”
Two-time reigning Foreign Player of the Year Grafite had scored an outstanding 59 goals in 66 AGL appearances prior to this term, which has seen his scoring rate drop to four strikes in 13 appearances.
He has already met with director of football Roy Aitken to discuss his future, with his sights set on remaining in the UAE if he
has to leave.
“You never expect this to happen to you even though these things always happen in football,” the downbeat star said. “I don’t know, I just don’t understand the last things that have happened.
“I continue to make my work, I will not fight and am not angry with anybody. If they say they don’t want me anymore, then I will find myway. Nobody has said that yet.
"This situation is bad, as it never happened in my career. This is the first time I’ve had a bad situation. But, I will continue my work.”
Away from the rumours about his future, Grafite has had to get used to assistant coach Catalin Raducan leading the Red Knights during Cosmin Olaroiu’s loan spell with Saudi Arabia for the Asian Cup.
“It is strange for us with our coach not being here but still works here,” he said. “It is a very strange situation, nobody ever saw this.
“You miss him, because he is our commandant. Catalan is making a good job in these games, though.
“When we train it is the same way as we did under Cosmin. I hope he has the good luck with the Saudi Arabia national team.”
