Al Hajeri Hails the Efforts of the Technical Committee of Professionalism.. Spain’s Juan Garrido is to Lead the “Boss” Squad Until End of Season
Officially, Al Ain FC has announced appointing Spain’s Juan Carlos Garrido, 49 years, as the head coach of the first football team until the end of the current season with the potential to renew his contract for a further period. The newly-appointed head coach is to crack on his tasks on today’s evening training session as part of the team’s pre-preparations for the matchweek 16 of the Arabian Gulf League against Al Nasr scheduled to be held on Saturday 23rd February 2019 at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
H.E. Ghanim Mubarak Al Hajeri, Chairman of the Al Ain Football Company, availed this opportunity to welcome the new Spanish head coach expressing his deepest appreciation and sincerest regards to the members of the Technical Committee for Professionalism. “The committee members paid great efforts to select the appropriate head coach following screening more than 25 CVs of various names belonging to different football schools.”
“The Committee members got the green light to contact with the appropriate coach among the proposed names following analyzing the coaches’ history and available data in their journey to identify the best head coach to lead the Boss squad in the coming stage,” Al Hajeri stated.
He pointed out the elements that the committee adopted while searching for the right name. “They adopted very strict criteria, including the football school he belongs to which matches the team’s style of playing, leadership charisma, age, history, past experience and the possibility to sign the contract immediately due to time constrains.”
Al Hajeri underlined that the committee was lucky enough to find the best match, Juan Carlos Garrido. “He has a strong and resolute character and enjoys an impressive history following his great achievements with Egypt’s Al Ahli FC and Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic. He also was a coach in the Saudi Arabia’s football league, besides his significant ability to dealing with the players as it should be. We all provoke to Allah Almighty to grant us all success in the coming days.”
In his first press statement following tasked to be the head coach of the “Boss”, Garrido stated: “I did not hesitate to accept Al Ain’s offer as I know the team very well, as well as the weight of this big team. The team has a professional management along with high quality and skillful players. Indeed, any coach looks forward to training players enjoying the quality and potentials of Al Ain’s players to achieve his personal aspirations in the world of football training.”
Garrido also hailed the team’s players performance in the recent FIFA Club World Cup- UAE 2018. “I do believe they presented themselves honorably as a great team in the Club World Cup. Everybody was talking about the stars of the team hailing their unique and impressive performance.”
The new head coach also expressed his deepest appreciation for the Al Ain Club Management for their professionalism in concluding the contract. He said: “I had a meeting with the club’s management during the negotiations phase where the club’s goals and priorities were identified. Personally, I know the team’s players well and our aim is to compete to clinch the title of the AFC Champions League 2019 and maintain the shield of the Arabian Gulf League in the club’s closets for the second year in a row.”
The newly-appointed head coach added: “The Boss does have has the potentials and the impressive quality skills that will definitely enable the squad to fight and fulfill the loyal fans’ aspirations. All what I hope to see in the coming period is to receive the string and massive support from all the Ainawi one family, that is the players, technical, administrivia and medical staffs, loyal fans and every and each member of this great club.”
He concluded: “I will kickoff my tasks today holding a short meeting with the players, coaching team and the medical team. All of us know well that we have no time for words but deeds. Our goals are crystal-clear, and our aspirations are limitless. This means that we have to work hard and redouble our efforts. I do hope to succeed in our mission and be able to achieve the goals of this lofty club and make all the loyal fans happy.”
Juan Carlos Garrido Fernández
Born in Valencia on 29 March 1969, Juan Carlos Garrido Fernández started managing at only 24, his first club being local amateurs El Puig Club de Fútbol 1993-1998. In the 1998–99 season he coached CD Onda in Tercera División as the side was Villarreal CF’s farm team, a club to which he would be closely associated in during 2002- 2011. Then, he left to Belgium league to assume the position of the head coach of Club Brugge 2012- 2013. In 2013/ 2014 season he joined the Spanish league again to be the head coach of Real Betis prior receiving an offer from Egypt’s Al Ahli to train their squad in 2014/2015 season. He was able to win the title of the Egyptian Super Cup and CAF Confederation Cup in that season. In 2016, Garrido was appointed manager of Ettifaq FC in the Saudi Professional League, In the ensuing summer of 2017, he switched clubs and countries again, joining Raja Casablanca from Morocco until 2019. With the Moroccan team, he clinched the titles of Moroccan Throne Cup in 2017 and CAF Confederation Cup in 2018.
