We Respect the Decision of UAEFA and PLC.. Abdullah Ali: We Learned in the Boss’ Living Laboratory to Enjoy Sportsman Spirit and Show Respect to All Competitors
We Are Committed to Preserve out Club’s Rights and Plea the Decisions of Discipline Committee
I Wonder How It Comes Both Home Team and Guests Are Subject to Equal Penalties
We Will Not Allow for a Match to Split Up us and Home is Unified
We Closed the Chapter of our Match Against Al Wahda and Sights Are Set for the Coming Challenges
Football Does Not Admit the Language of Expectations, and Nine Teams Still Have the Chance to Win the Title
The “Boss” Squad is Back to Training Sessions This Evening and Will Play One or Two Friendlies
“We do respect the decisions of UAEFA and PLC. However, based on our commitment to our Club’s rights and all its players, coaching teams and loyal fans, we are taking the essential measures to plea the decisions,” Abdullah Ali, Supervisor of Al Ain First Football Team, in his first comment on the decisions of UAEFA Discipline Committee after on-pitch brawl and crowd trouble marred matchweek 19 of ADNOC Pro League.
Abdullah Ali wandered that the home team is held accountable to ensure the safety and security of players, referees, fans, and all present in the stadium.
He commented: “It is the first time we see both teams hit by equal penalties.”
The match was held at Al Nahyan Stadium of Al Wahda Club on Saturday 12th March 2022 and ended by 1-0 in favor of the Al Ain Team. Togo’s Laba Kodjo scored Al Ai’s sole goal.
He added: “Actually, all things that took place spoiled the wonderful atmosphere of the top matchweek 19. Things started moments before the fans entered through the stadium gates. This is related to the organizational processes adopted by the home team’s management. Moreover, one of the fans of the opponent team jumped over the safety barriers and headed directly to the warm-up zone dedicated to Al Ain players and kicked the ball in front of the players.”
He pointed out that the team faced a similar situation witnessed in Al Wahda by the end of one of its official away matches in the league.
He thanked God that the players were safe and that both teams’ loyal fans were there to support the two big clubs.
Commenting on a question on images and videos that went viral on social media, he said: “First of all, I would like to emphasize that we will not allow a football match to split up us. We all are sons of Zayed and simply because we have a unified home.”
He emphasized: “As I stated earlier, all that happened in that night was unfortunate. The images and footage that went viral on social platforms showed that Al Ain players went to the zone designated for the “Boss” fans, as they usually do in all matches regardless of the match result.”
He went on to say: “We all saw many fans of the opponent team on the pitch. One of the players went intentionally to our goalkeeper and attacked him. All these actions pushed us to order all the players to head immediately to the changing room seeing things go uncontrolled and avoid direct contact with the fans and the players of the rival team.”
Abdullah Ali stressed that all members of the Al Ain Club are committed to its vision and institutional values and to upholding the sportsman spirit.
“We were shocked by one of the player’s behavior. In such situations, you know what kind of a player is. It is a must that a big player should be wise and not to be reactive,” he said.
He said that we stressed ahead of the match that it is no more than an “ordinary” match and winning it equals only three points.
Abdullah Ali congratulated the Ainawi Nation and applauded the sportsmanship of Al Ain players, as recent events confirmed the genuine essence of Boss stars. “They learned in the living laboratory of Al Ain Club to respect competitors and enjoy the sportsmen spirit.”
He also stated: “I did not expect to hear abusive expressions from people with stadium entry permits and others who do not hold any permits in front of the changing rooms against Al Ain players and front of match officials. Furthermore, Al Ain players’ personal accounts on social media and media were also subject to unprecedented abuse without any right. However, once we were out of the stadium, we closed the chapter of that match.”
Revealing the secret behind winning the home team, he said: “Positive results in football are not a matter of luck. There is confidence in the Club’s presidency, generous support, and clear goals set for the work system, including the football company’s board of directors chaired by Dr. Matar Al Darmaki. He has been following up closely on all the details and work schedules of the team and has done his best to furnish all grounds of success. Not to forget the players, coaching teams, administrative bodies, loyal fans, and all members of our big Club. It is all about the spirit of the one family that dominates the work system of Al Ain Club. All of these factors are the secret behind the team’s victories.”
On chances to win the league title following winning Al Wahda, he said: “We are fully convinced that the league’s journey is still miles to go, and there are 21 points on the field. The current version of the ADNOC Pro League is difficult and does not recognize the language of expectations.”
He added: “Any observer of our recent match against Al Orooba, who is in the 13th place, will find that we lost two points at home while we won the arch-rivals at their field and among their fans. We expanded the gap into seven points.”
Abdullah Ali emphasized that nine teams are still competing to win the league title, considering the numbers and statistics.
The Al Ain Team Supervisor stated that the Ukrainian head coach Sergiy Rebrov granted the team players a short break, and the training sessions would resume training sessions per the pre-set plans starting today.
He revealed that the team would play one or two friendly matches during the current long break and that the details would be announced soon.
He concluded his statement by saying: “All players except for the “internationals” Khaled Eisa, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Abbas and Caio Canedo will join the training sessions, in addition to the Olympic team player Nasser Al Shukaili.
