The board of directors has determined the goals to prepare the team for competing over the titles of all the local and Asian tournaments
Jardim: I have always sought to train The Boss “Al Zaeem”.. and I bet on the team members and the support of our fans
I have taken the responsibility of training the team and I am full confident in our capabilities to accomplish the team’s local and Asian goals
For Al Ain, the second place resembles the last.. While the club’s reputation only deserves to rise up the coronation podiums
We are still in the first quarter of the season and the competition over the title of ADNOC Pro League is still early
My message to the players in the first meeting is to remember always that they belong to one of the greatest clubs in Asia
Al Ain results in the Asian tournament do not come in line with the team’s capabilitiesand the Ainawi nation’s ambitions
I should return the team to the path of triumphs to realize the ambitions of theadministration and to satisfy the fans of the Boss “Al Zaeem”
I have already analyzed Al Ain performance when they were competing to claim the titles, and I realized that they are a big team locally and continentally
I am well aware of the Ainawi nation and I did not forget about them because they are loyal and passionate, while their positive influence is powerful on the team
Al Ain Prorogues coach, Leonardo Jardim, expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to the board of directors of Al Ain Football Company, chaired by Sheikh Sultan Bin Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, over the unlimited support, great attention, as well as their keenness to provide all resources to compete over the local and continental titles, especially after they have already determined the team’s goals during the current season.
In his first interview after taking responsibility of training the Boss “Al Zaeem”, conductedby the club’s media office, Leonadro Jardimsaid: “Actually, I have always wanted to train Al Ain, which is not a secret for those who know this big club. So, I did not hesitate at all in accepting the offer from the AFC Champions, which was felt by the board of directors when they contacted me after the team’s match vs Al Nassr, then they talked with me over the position and reputation of this big club, so I cannot describe how happy that I belong to Al Ain.”
“I received a warm and wonderful welcome the moment I arrived at Al Ain, starting with the board of directors, the players, as well as the welcoming messages from the fans of the Boss “Al Zaeem” and everyone who belong to the clun. I believe that we will reach too far and we will realize our goals because Al Ainpossesses a good team and wonderful fans.Personally, I already know the fans of the team from my experience at the UAE and the region, where I noticed that their influence has always been positive and powerful on the team and they will not hesitate to enhance the power of the players,” he added.
Reputation of Al Ain
Commenting on a question over his information of Al Ain when he was in the competition race and how did he find them after he became the coach, he said: “In 2023, when I was a coach at the United Arab Emirates, I made a detailed analysis of Al Ain performance. Back then, they were in the competition race and the holders of the AFC Champions League. I also watched several matches for the team and found out that Al Ain is a big club and the Asian Boss, so I am well aware that I am affiliated with one of the biggest clubs in Asia, so my happiness is immense with this task.”
“I also know some players of the team who were playing for the team over two or three seasons and I know how valuable they are. I’m also well aware that the team have several young players who joined the team one or two years ago. The most important task for us is that we can prepare a competitive team to realize the goals of the team’s administration and the aspirations of the team’s fans in all tournaments and to engage in all matches to claim triumph and to show up with a performance that is up to the team’s reputation,” he added.
My training philosophy
Regarding his training strategy and his technical plans to improve the level of the team in light of the absence of international players, he said: “My goal during the training session is to work on the style that aligns with my gaming philosophy. So, the team must show up with a distinguished collective performance, bolster the capabilities to reduce the individual mistakes, as well as show the spirit of triumphs and the team’s powerful identity during the official matches. We’rewell aware that the task will not be easy, especially in the time being, but our goal is the same, and, here, I mean everyone who is affiliated with Al Ain, starting with the officials, the coaching staff, the players, as well as the fans. Actually, the second place will not be up to the reputation for Al Ain, because this club had been established on the principles of triumphs and claiming titles.”
“Over the next 15 days, we will be working in spite of the absence of a half of the team’s players, because “international players” have joined their national football teams. So, in my training philosophy, I will be relying on bolstering their physical fitness and stamina, engaging in friendly matches, and concentrating on the training sessions and video lectures to bolster the chances ofimprovement to reach with the team to the desired level of performance. Training sessions alone are not enough to analyze the team’s performance and bolster their level of playing, and we’re capable of realizing harmony, acquiring the power and forming a competitive team. We also need to have solutions inside the team, while our reliance cannot be limited on just elven players, so we have to find new solutions”, he added.
UAE Pro League
Commenting on a question over his concentration priority on the time being, whether on competing or improving and building the team, he said: “I have taken the responsibility of training the team to elevate the team’s level to be consistent with the team’s name in the UAE Pro League and alllocal and Asian levels. No doubt that we have to change the impression during the last period, so our short-term goal is to qualify to the next stage of the Asian tournament, which will motivate us to claim many more points during the remaining four matches, while our long-term goal is to rise up the coronation podiums at the end of the season.”
“Talking about competing to claim the title of the Pro League is too early, despite that Shabab Al Ahli and Sharjah have the advantage theoretically with their score of points, but we are still in the first quarter of AFNOC Pro League, so we believe that working very hard will lead us to thecoronation podium, accordingly we have to work on preparing the team rigorously”, Jardim added.
No pressures
Over his message to the players in the first meeting, he said: “I have already said that ourgoals are clear, and cannot be realized without working hard and claiming big results. My directions, in brief, to the team’s captain and his fellow players are that they have to play and perform with the spirit of one team, as well as to feel the reputation and status of this big club, because we are not affiliated with a traditional team, but one of the biggest football clubs in the United Arab Emirates and Asia. So we have to show up our sense of responsibility when playing to claim victory.This is my philosophy to accomplish the tasksassigned to me, and this is my style which I have always adopted while taking on responsibility, in order to achieve success in my training career. I’m also well aware of what is being expected from the team by the board of directors and fans of the Boss.”
The most notable challenges
Over the challenges he expects to face as a football coach with the team, he said: “As I have already told you, I came here to realize the goals of the club; working on to improvethe players’ performance, and I am well aware that the responsibility will be huge over the coach but I will not be dealing with it alone, as the players themselves are required to work on improving their performance to reach the ideal level during our upcoming matches, accordingly everyone needs to show up the spirit of competition, which has always been distinguishing the performance of Al Ain and to play for claiming victory. Fans also play a great role, especially that Al Ain fans are so influential and I have full confidence in our capabilities to realize the goals of our club at the end of the season.”
Injury prevented me from training recently
Over the unforgettable situations, he said: “I sustained an injury, so back then I reached an agreement with the administration of Qatari Al Rayyan to terminate the contract with mutual consent, because I made the decision to stop until I finish the treatment course, according to the scheduled period of time for four months, so all my concentration was focused on treatment and rehabilitation. So, after I felt that I am ready to return I received the offer from Al Ain, the champions of Asia.”
Al Ain fans
Jardim concluded his speech saying: “I’m well aware that Al Ain fans love football, and they are also loyal and passionate for the team. I will not forget that period I spent here at the United Arab Emirates. Benches were almost full, while the Ainawi atmosphere was always perfect. Certainly, they represent an additional player on the team’s lineup through motivating the players during challenges and bolsteringtheir self-confidence.”
The Coach’s Profile
The Portuguese new coach of the Boss “Al Zaeem”, Leonardo Jardim, is distinguished with his powerful character, bold coaching decisions, as well as his method of implanting the notion of motivation, the spirit of triumphs, as well as claiming titles in the spirits of the team players. He is also known to be a master of carrying out the policy of substitution and change smoothly and calmly, in addition to realizing the goals of the clubs he leads.
Jardim started his training career by leading the youth team at the Santacruzense club, then he made calm and successive steps, through which he achieved some good results in the lower tournaments in Portugal, until he received the first professional contract with Sporting Clube de Braga in 2011. He assisted the team in claiming victory in 15 successive matches at the local Primeira Liga, then he finished the season at the third place in 2011-2012. Back then, it was a magnificent accomplishment.
In the next season, he moved to train Olympiacos F.C, where he achieved with the dual titles of the local Super League Greece and the Cup of Greece. After that, he led Sporting Lisbon, Portugal to hold the runner up position of the Primeira Liga for the 2013-2014 season. Then, the historical milestone in his coaching career came when he became in charge of training Monaco starting from 2014, and during the first two seasons with the French club, Jardim finished the league in the third place, but in the 2016-2017 season, he claimed the club’s first League title after 17 years of absence from the coronation podiums, then he won the best coach award in the French League during that season.
The Portuguese coach contributed to the emergence of young talents that shone with the French first national team in the following years, including Bernardo Silva and KylianMbappé. Monaco performed very well in an exceptional journey in the UEFA Champions League, where they knocked out Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund. Then he abandoned the European glory. Afterwards he led Saudi Al Hilal in 2021-2022 season, but his contract was terminated with the Saudi club with mutual consent on the 14th of February 2022, despite claiming the title of the Saudi Super Cup and AFC Champions League, then he started his task with ShababAl Ahli on the 8th of June 2022.
Personal ID
Name: Leonardo Jardim
Nationality: Portuguese
Year of Birth: 1974
His Accomplishments: Super League Greece and the Cup of Greece with Olympiacos F.C, 2012-2013
Ligue 1 with Monaco, 2016-2017
AFC Champions League, 2020-2021, Saudi Pro League, and Saudi Super Cup, 2021-2022 with Saudi Al Hilal
ADNO Pro League, 2022-2023, with Shabab Al Ahli
