DUBAI // Al Wasl are considering the possibility of replacing Ricardo Oliveira after the striker last week failed to join the squad for pre-season training.
The Brazilian, whose Dh72.5 million transfer fee from Real Betis to Al Jazira in 2009 remains a record spend in the UAE, signed with Wasl in January from Jazira on an 18-month contract. He was expected back at the Zabeel Stadium on July 20 but has yet to show. Wasl have tried contacting Oliveira without success.
Read more: Oliveira hopeful of turnaround in form, of himself and of Al Wasl
Oliveira, 34, is rumoured to have offers from clubs in Brazil, chiefly Palmeiras, although Wasl insist there has been no formal interest registered in their player. With the reasons for the forward’s absence unknown, the Dubai club have begun the process of seeking a replacement.
Given that Wasl are unaware of Oliveira’s whereabouts, the club will consider his motives before deciding how best to resolve the issue.
“We need to get an answer why he didn’t come,” said Majed Obaidallah, the Wasl team manager. “We’re thinking of a new player, but first we need to confirm everything. We don’t want to do anything until we speak to Oliveira.
“He has a contract with us, and breaking the contract sometimes can cost us, too. But, still, we are searching for a new striker, although we haven’t solved this case yet.”
Wasl concede Oliveira’s absence is an unnecessary distraction, especially as Jorginho, their new coach, attempts to confirm his foreign contingent for the 2014/15 Arabian Gulf League season.
Neto Berola and Fabio Virginio de Lima, the Brazilians recruited this summer, take up two of the four allocated slots, with Wasl potentially requiring another two expatriates, one of whom must be Asian.
Ideally, Wasl would conclude their business before heading to Germany for a training camp on Sunday.
“We are searching, we have three or four offers with players, but until now we haven’t confirmed anything,” Obaidallah said.
“We are thinking about these players and I know we are short of time. We need to finalise it, because we have to finish it before camp, which is only a week away.”
Despite the pressing deadline, and given the circumstances surrounding Oliveira, Obaidallah stressed that Wasl are wary of rushing through a signing.
They also need to discover if, by staying away from the club, Oliveira is in breach of his contract.
“We need to look at it as a club,” Obaidallah said. “He has to be more clear than this, be professional and not put us in a problematic situation. We are waiting for him, and if he is planning not to continue, then it creates a problem.”
Wasl are in the market for another striker, should Oliveira fail to return, and a winger.
The club denied reports linking them to Nicklas Bendtner, the Arsenal striker, saying that for now, they are focusing on South American players.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
