Moataz Al Shami (Dubai)
The Football Association Board of Directors will hold an important meeting at five o’clock tomorrow evening, via “remote” video communication technology, to discuss the decision regarding the fate of the National Teams Committee, and the expectations related to the future of Dutch coach Marvik, coach of “Al-Abyad”.
The Board of Directors had decided, at its meeting last October, to renew confidence in Marvik and the National Teams Committee, and adhere to the coach’s stay until the end of his contract after the end of the qualifying campaign in May 2022, but the continued humility of the level, and the technical confusion of the team, which was clarified during the participation in the Arab Cup in Doha. And his loss to Qatar by “five”, in a meeting that doubled the state of anger in the sports street.
The Board of Directors asked the National Teams Committee to hold a meeting and make a recommendation, to discuss it, but the committee, which held its meeting at ten o’clock yesterday evening, recommended the dismissal of Marvik and the search for an “alternative” who knows Emirati football well, provided that he be a temporary coach, who will take charge until the end of the qualifiers. World Cup 2022”, instead of experimenting and using a new coach on “Our League”, and he needs time to get to know the players, and some members demanded to nominate the name Cosmin as a suitable alternative, who knows Emirati and Asian football well, so that he leads the “White” during the next two gatherings only in January and March , provided that an alternative foreign coach is contracted during that period, to be determined by the Council later, and negotiations with Sharjah begin in this file, to confirm approval before the decision to dismiss the Dutchman. Increasing the days of the team’s gathering, and arranging for “international friendly” matches is sufficient to qualify “Al-Abyad” and restore confidence in the players in the rest of the qualifying campaign.
The division is still present among the members of the Council over Marvik, whether those who wish to continue it until the end of the qualifying campaign, provided that the period of the “Al-Obeid” camps be increased in January and March, with the need to search for an “alternative” that goes along with the project to replace and renew the blood of “Al-Obeid” in the future, and before Asian Cup 2023 in a whole year, while others see the need to thank the coach, and to intervene quickly to correct the team’s path, especially since Marvik’s mistakes in managing “Al-White” technically were present in front of everyone during the participation in the Arab Cup, but the owners of that opinion did not settle on « The alternative coach”, especially with the lack of complete conviction “so far” to assigning the task to Abdulaziz Al-Anbari, who has become an available option in the current “emergency” for Al-Obeid, and between the two opinions, the council’s decision will be issued, which is expected to witness surprises, especially that all Scenarios are presented on the board meeting table.
The sources indicated that Youssef Hussein, Vice President of the Federation, head of the National Teams Committee, intends to submit an apology for completing his mission in chairing the committee to relieve the Council of embarrassment, a decision that has not yet been issued, and the Chairman of the Committee has not submitted any official resignation from his position, as was recently reported. Even if the intention is already present.
It is expected that the Council will discuss possible decisions about the fate of the National Teams Committee itself, whether before Yusef Hussein’s apology or not, as it is expected to witness a change in the end, especially since some members expressed their unwillingness to complete the journey, with the Council’s desire to separate the two committees. “Teams” and “Technical Affairs”, with their re-formation, by including new faces and names known for their technical competence, and more than 3 names have been nominated so far, most notably from two clubs in Dubai, in addition to a name from one of the Abu Dhabi clubs.
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