SHAME OLD STORY!

THE sight of a Qatari player, who has built his credentials as a hardworking defender, leaving a training session after throwing off his tracker device over the practice ground’s boundary fence last week rightly reflected the mood in the Al Arabi camp. They had started the season eager to end their two-decade title drought only to go wayward yet again. Results are not coming for them, players look clueless and officials are glum.

Often in such moments, clubs turn to their coaches to perform the rescue act. Uruguayan manager Gerardo Pelusso, who had taken over their reins in the pre-season, boasted plenty of experience, yet he found it tough to set his priorities at a crucial training session ahead of last week’s Qatar Stars League (QSL) match against Lekhwiya. His confusion was underlined by an incident two days later at the match.

Down to 10 men after losing defensive midfielder Ahmed Maksoud and trailing 0-2 just before half-time, Arabi conceded two more quick goals in the second session. That was when playmaker Luis Jimenez ran on to the touchline to tell Pelusso to change his formation and strengthen the defensive screen. Pelusso obliged as striker Imoh Ezekiel was pulled out and Omar Al Emadi was brought on.

Interestingly, Omar scored their only goal, slotting home from the right corner of the box following a fine diagonal pass from Jimenez. Among the modest number of Arabi fans who turned up for the match at the Lekhwiya Stadium, only a handful were left to cheer the Reds’ lone bright moment. Arabi avoided any further embarrassment and finished with a 1-4 scoreline, but not without leaving the onlookers with the doubt “wasn’t that a basic change Pelusso could’ve made?” Or “had Pelusso become indifferent just weeks after starting his association with the club?”

Asked about it, Jimenez said “It’s the coach’s decision. I just made a suggestion.”

Arabi fans have lost faith in the team and realise all that the management had promised in the pre-season have turned out to be hype. But then, they are used to it by now. They vent their frustration on the social media.

Arabi, under Gianfranco Zola, had beaten Lekhwiya 3-2 in a fifth-round match at the same venue last season. But Pelusso’s men, who looked better on paper this time having added proven local players like Ahmed Maksoud, Wagner Ribeiro, Mohammed Juma and Rami Fayez, never looked capable of beating the Cops. They did not have a precise plan and lacked motivation. The sight of prolific striker Paulinho hitting a penalty wide summed up their confidence level.

The big defeat has cost Pelusso his job. And they have appointed Kamal Akhlaf from youth team as caretaker. A new foreign coach, preferably European, is likely to be appointed during the international break following Thursday’s sixth-round match against Muaither.

Arabi have been repeating it for many seasons now. Change the coach in the summer, make some expensive foreign recruits and give a “new beginning” feeling to all only to fizzle out weeks later. Another change of some overseas players can be expected in the winter transfer window. But by then, survival, not a top-four finish, may become the priority.

Arabi have changed coaches 22 times in the last 10 seasons while they may have lost count of the foreign players they tried over the same time. The bad results have often led to mandate for a new board at the annual general assembly held every summer. Continuity has been missing. Only frustration prevails. And debt has piled up.

Doha Stadium Plus has reliably learnt that the club recently credited the QR6m dues into the account of a famous Arab player, who was shunted out by Arabi halfway through his contract. The management has not allowed most of their coaches and foreign players to complete their contract.

Zola had taken charge on a two-year contract, but was sent off after one season despite doing a decent job. Ashkan Dejagah, arguably their best player last season, was asked to leave as well, but he insisted on getting his salary dues. Their failure in settling it in time meant the team had to play without any of their foreign players in the QSL’s first round against Al Sailiya.

Arabi settled it and Dejagah was replaced with Jimenez as the Asian overseas recruit. Yet the Iran international is still on Arabi’s payroll, despite his ineligibility to play for them. It indicates the club’s lack of planning at a time when they face swevere financial constraints, with debts reportedly running into more than QR100m.

In fact, the Arabi management really got annoyed with Pelusso after he went public about the non-payment of salaries to him and his assistants and the club’s false claim that it had settled all dues. He apologised overnight, but many felt his days were numbered.

“We don’t have any more financial issues. We’ve settled everything,” Arabi’s media officer Mohammed Al Mansoori told Doha Stadium Plus.

Arabi Sports Club President Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani said the current board, which took charge last May, in fact inherited many of the problems.

“The media criticises us a lot after failing to get the desired results and puts the onus on the management. But we’ve inherited many of the problems. Once we took over, we realised the club’s future won’t be a smooth one,” said Sheikh Khalifa.

“On the field, we suffered due to the injury of Paulinho. Jimenez joined late as his nationality documents had some issues. Maksoud was also signed very late.

“All these meant we weren’t fully ready before the league started and there was no harmony. We’re working hard at the training sessions. Once it’s achieved, I’m sure we’ll be able to correct our mistakes and we can look for positive results.

 I promise our fans that they’ll soon see their beloved club on the winning path again,” added Sheikh Khalifa.

The club’s top official is demanding patience from fans. But it is something the management has been lacking in all these years. It needs to show more character and seriousness. 

Football continues to be a simple game, but running it is not child’s play.