DUBAI // Al Ahli have denied Cosmin Olaroiu currently represents one of the candidates to replace Quique Sanchez Flores, although they did confirm they would be interested in the Al Ain manager should he become available.
Ahli are in the market for a new coach after Sanchez Flores decided earlier this month not to continue at the Rashid Stadium, calling an end to his two-year association with the Dubai club.
The President's Cup winners had revealed they were considering two options and, although they chose not to disclose their identity, it was widely accepted Aitor Karanka, Jose Mourinho's assistant during his time at Real Madrid, and Abel Braga, the former Al Jazira coach, were the only contenders.
Yet speculation emerged last week that Olaroiu had been approached, a move that seriously undermines his position at Al Ain.
The champions had offered the Romanian, who guided them to successive Pro League titles, an improved contract to keep him at the Garden City club until 2015 - his current deal expires at the end of next season - but reports claiming he had already signed the agreement proved to be premature.
That appears to have opened the door for Ahli to make known their interest, however Abdullah Al Naboodah, the club's chairman, has been quick to clarify the situation.
"Cosmin is a competent coach and his two league titles with Al Ain say a lot about his capabilities as a coach," he said. "What happened is a broker floated his name for us at a function, and I did express my surprise right then.
"I actually asked the man if he was his agent and he said no but that he was in direct contact with Cosmin. My response was that Cosmin was under a two-year contract with Al Ain, and Al Ahli cannot start talks with him while he was under contract.
"The broker then informed me the coach was close to ending his engagement with Al Ain, so I told the broker that he could get back to me when Al Ain does, in fact, end its ties with the coach.
"There's no doubt that Cosmin, being a coach with great capabilities, is a good option. But for as long as he is staying with Al Ain, he will not be among our options - and he is not so far."
Irrespective of the authenticity of the rumours, Olaroiu's linkage to Ahli is sure to further strain what is believed to be an already fractured relationship between the clubs.
Last season saw Ahli emerge as a genuine threat to the Garden City side's league dominance, with Sanchez Flores's men opening the 2012/13 campaign with a 6-3 victory at the Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium.
The return fixture, in April, was terminated early following an incident with the referee's assistant, which resulted in Al Ain being awarded a 3-0 win despite the score at the time standing at 0-0 in time added on. Ahli were instructed to play their next two home games away from Rashid Stadium and without their supporters in attendance.
A tempestuous President's Cup semi-final followed on May 5, and the perceived enmity continued until the season's end.
However, Al Naboodah rejected that any hostility exists, describing Ahli's relationship with Al Ain as "excellent".
"There has never been a problem between us and Al Ain and, inshallah, there will never be," he said. "Our relationship with them may see some differences in opinion regarding one issue or another, but that never amounts to discord.
"Whoever said there is friction between us and the Ainawis knows nothing about either of us. Our relationship with Al Ain - and the leadership and figures of Al Ain - is not so shallow as to be affected by the transfer of a player or by negotiations with a coach. And whenever there is a bit of a reproach from us regarding Al Ain, it is always out of an abundance of affection."
Al Naboodah also refuted suggestions the clubs had clashed regarding the recent transfer of Ibrahim Diaky, who eventually chose to join Al Ain from Al Jazira despite Ahli being involved in extensive negotiations with the midfielder after he had said the Dubai club was his preferred destination.
Ahli may have lost out on Diaky, but it seems they will continue to test Al Ain's resolve.
The 2012/13 Pro League runners-up are intent on recruiting from their rivals Mohammed Ahmed, the Emirati full-back who featured in all but five of last season's league matches.
"Our offer for Al Ain to bring Mohammed Ahmed still stands and we have not pulled it," Al Naboodah said.
"We are awaiting a response from Al Ain's management."
jmcauley@thenational.ae
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Scoreline
Germany 2
Werner 9', Sane 19'
Netherlands 2
Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neo%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20February%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abhishek%20Shah%20and%20Anish%20Garg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Delta%20Corp%2C%20Pyse%20Sustainability%20Fund%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS
JOURNALISM
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
and
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”
LETTERS AND DRAMA
Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
