Ali Karimi has renewed his contract

Gulf News - Al Ahli's versatile playmaker Ali Karimi from Iran has renewed his contract with the club for an additional two-year period.

This puts an end to unceasing speculation that the Iranian star was mulling an offer to play with a Qatari club for a sum of $1 million from next season.

However, Karimi put to an end to all this speculation on his move to Doha by renewing his contract for a further two years, and for a much lower annual package.

Karimi justified his stay back at the Dubai club as a repayment for all the support shown to him by the supporters of Al Ahli. He further vouched that he would only play for Al Ahli, and for none other, in the GCC region.

The new Al Ahli coach Romania's Ilie Balaci will arrive today in Dubai to finalise his negotiations with club to sign a one-year contract in place of Srecko Juricic.