Shabab to embark on three-week German trip

AFC – UNITED Arab Emirates club Al Shabab are due to leave for Germany on August 9 to begin a three-week training regime as preparations for the upcoming 2003/2004 season.

After narrowly missing relegation during the last campaign, Shabab team manager Hasan Murad confirmed on UAE media that the club has every aspiration to do better in the new season, adding that Iranian star Ali Daei (pictured) has been released from the club after the former Bayern Munich striker had failed to impress.

"After we return to Dubai, we will play three warm up matches before we meet second division club Al Hamriya in our first match in the President Cup's preliminary round in Group A," said Hasan.

"We will try to show a good performance in the coming season after we were threatened by relegation to the second division. We succeeded in staying in the First division and we don't want those bad times to be repeated

"We have several young players. They have the talent but lack experience which they will gain by playing matches. I think any team has to inject new blood, and this is what we are doing since last season.

"Al Shabab have terminated the contract of Iranian Ali Daei because he didn't perform well last season and was absent in many important matches due to injury," added Hasan. "We signed with Brazilian player Jadilson to replace Daei, and he will play along with his countryman Jeraldo.

"We have signed a new defender Ahmed Barout from second division club Al Zaid and he will leave with them for the external training camp in Germany.

"Three players will not be with us in Germany, two goalkeepers Ismail Rabea and Salim Abdullah and defender Khamis Jafar as they are with the UAE national Olympic team preparing to meet Thailand in the 2004 Athens Olympic qualifiers in September."