Zoran Mamic was confirmed as Al Ain’s new manager on Wednesday. The Croat, who stepped down as manager of Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr last week, spoke to media at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
New man at the helm
Mamic, 45, helped Dyinamo Zagreb to three successive league titles between 2014 and 2016 before moving last summer to Nassr. At Al Ain, he succeeds Zlatko Dalic, who left the club last week following a run of three league matches without a victory. Still, Al Ain are second in the Arabian Gulf League, seven points adrift of Al Jazira with 10 rounds remaining. The 2016 Asian Champions League runners-up begin their 2017 continental campaign on February 21.
Nassr make public their grievances
The Saudi club released a statement on Wednesday complaining about losing Mamic, who only last month signed an extension to his contract. It read: “Up until this moment we have not received any call or letter from Al Ain. This is baffling to us and forces us to revisit all of the previous statements and dealings with that club. We are keen on maintaining good relations and that these relations aren’t just based on football – they extend way further than that. This kind of behaviour is not befitting of a club like Al Ain and not fitting for the kind of men they are and the values and symbols they represent throughout the long history of such a historic club, who have always been at the forefront of maintaining good relationships with their brother teams.”
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Read more
■ Zoram Mamic: Al Ain appoint Croat as their new manager
■ Preview: Al Wahda face defining week in Arabian Gulf League and Asia
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On when Al Ain first made contact
“This is not so important, maybe for the club and for the relationship to Al Nassr,” Mamic said. “For me, it is important that I am here and what is in the past is in the past. We have to look to the future. I want to thank my former club for a good six or seven months. But Al Ain is at another level. I’ve watched lots of Al Ain games and I must say the quality of Al Ain is much bigger than all other teams in Saudi Arabia. I’m very, very happy to be here. It’s a big responsibility for me and my staff, but we are ready to fight.”
On taking over a ‘big club’
“It’s a big pride for me. I can promise I will give everything with my staff: lots of energy, lots of hard work and we will give our best. I know the expectation for this club, what is my job, that this club deserves the championship, deserves winning cups, deserves playing in the Champions League and winning the trophy. This is what I like: a club with big reputation and with big ambition.”
On Dalic’s offering his help
“I also want to thank Zlatko and his staff. I spoke many times with him and them. They gave me lots of information about the team. Zlatko knows us for many, many years and I’ve followed his work here in Al Ain. In the last few days we watched many, many games on video and I hope that, from the beginning, we will do a good job and that the club and the people from the club will be happy from us.”
On his message to the fans
“I can promise to give all the best and that the team will be good. Of course, we need a bit of luck and support, but I’m sure the quality of this team is very, very high. All we have to do is work hard every day, to have confidence that we are good, that we are a big, big team. On paper what I said is true, but all of this we have to show on the pitch. Not talking, only to work, work, work every day to improve our quality because I’m sure there’s big, big potential in this team. The level Zlatko made with his team was very, very high – it will not be easy for us. But this is in the past, what is important is what happens tomorrow and in the future.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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