Ahli continue search for Karimi sidekick

AFC - THIRD placed finishers in last year's UAE season Al Ahli are convinced the lack of a second playmaker at the club had caused them the 2002/2003 title. 

Iranian international midfielder Ali Karimi is the sole creative player at the club and while efforts had been made to find a similar player before the start of last season, Ahli Board of Directors Chairman Qassim Sultan told Gulf News he was dissatisfied with the work delivered by the foreign imports. 

"The football team did well last season but were unlucky not to win a trophy," said Qassim. "We made mistakes by signing many foreign players who didn't convince us with their performance and that cost us dearly. 

"I think with a skilful second foreign player with Karimi, we could have done better and won a title." 

Karimi steered Ahli to the club's fifth ever President's Cup during the 2001/2002 season but with the midfield maverick sidelined for most part of the last campaign, Ahli were left with little creative spark down the middle of the park. 

"The injury which Ali Karimi sustained in the middle of last season was behind losing important matches, which resulted in keeping us away from the title hunt," explained Qassim. "We finished third in the league and lost in the Super Cup and President Cup semi-finals in penalty shoot out and this is not a bad result. 

"Some say that the foreign players did not contribute in developing the standards of game and some claim that they badly affected the national team forward line, as all clubs sign strikers. I think had we invested the millions of dirhams on our youth players than the foreign pros, we could benefit more in the future. 

"We have to take suitable measures in implementing professionalism. We cannot be like European clubs as they are more like companies with shareholders. Professionalism failed in Saudi Arabia since the clubs were getting financial support from their government."