If Serhiy Stanislavovich stays in the UAE, many Ukrainian football players may move there
From the interview with Sergei Rebrov, we learned two main things: firstly, the leadership of Al-Ain after the “golden double” has the right to activate the option to prolong the contract with the Ukrainian specialist for another year, and secondly, Al-Ain, we quote, is “trying” to sign UPL players.
Considering the difficulty with the departure of football players liable for military service from a warring country, this will not be so easy. But we will try to figure out who exactly Rebrov could like. 12 candidates for potential newcomers to Al Ain with a Ukrainian passport are in the Sport Arena rating.
- Maxim Koval
29 years old, Al-Fateh (Saudi Arabia) - Evgeny Galchuk
30 years old, FC Mariupol - Alexander Rybka
35 years old, Boluspor (Turkey) – on loan from Metallist
Once a bouncy boy from Zaporozhye Metallurg, he became famous thanks to his penalty skill and ended up in Dynamo itself. It was not possible to break through behind Shovkovsky’s back, he had to go through the leases. It would be good – with success, but there was also Deportivo – one of the most nightmarish experiences of Ukrainian legionnaires in history and all times.
Now Koval has matured and achieved a good status. He finished 10 of his 26 Al Fateh matches without conceding a goal, not least thanks to his efforts, the modest club is in sixth place. But is this the limit of Max’s ambitions?! Although Al Ain is the best with 17 goals conceded, in separate meetings, three champion goalkeepers conceded balls, shall we say, that could be avoided.
Koval’s contract with Saudi Al-Fateh ends this month, and the goalkeeper, well known from Dynamo, could be a good option for Rebrov.
Other options are optional. Galchuk is an underestimated goalkeeper who can significantly strengthen any goalkeeping team. Minus – not Dynamo, not familiar to Rebrov. Rybka is also an option with a flaw: the goalkeeper is already aged, but on the plus side, he is in good shape, because, unlike UPL goalkeepers, he had practice. Albeit in the Turkish First League.
- Nikita Burda
27 years old, Dynamo - Sergei Chobotenko
25 years old, FC Mariupol - Kirill Petrov
31 goals, Korona (Poland)
Al-Ain solidly strengthened the center of defense – the Tunisian Meria from Olympiacos was signed by the Ecuadorian Arboleda from Sheriff in winter. But at the same time, the center-backs were quite often rotated, especially in the first half of the season.
The logic is this: Rebrov could have known all three of these Ukrainians from Dynamo. Minus Burda – trauma, plus – a high level, which he demonstrated at a young age under the guidance of Sergei Stanislavovich. On less swampy fields in warmer climates, Burda can recuperate and make a great addition to existing players.
Petrov is simply an experienced, proven fighter. The 2009 European Youth Champion is good both in the center of defense and in the support zone. There are leadership qualities. Maybe for European football he has aged a bit, but in the Arab leagues with a lower high-speed load, he will be just right.
Chobotenko is a player not fully formed, but gifted. Plus – stays abroad, according to the latest data, he trained with one of the French clubs. So now choose one of several of these center backs.
- Denis Favorov
31 years old, Dawn - Evgeny Selin
34 years old, Desna
In the case of Selin, Rebrov can remember him from Dynamo and the national team. Zheka pumped legionary skills in Greece, Cyprus, Hungary. In Desna, he played stably. Universal, will close both the center and the left flank. Al Ain had a rotation on the flanks and in the center of defense, a veteran can come in handy.
Favorov is a charismatic guy, again, an all-rounder (previously he played not only on the right in defense, but also in the center of defense and midfield). The main thing is that he is totally undisclosed, and these are his last years in order to make good money. The contract with Zorya is running out (and Selin is completely free, because Desna will miss the next UPL season with almost 100% probability).
- Denis Garmash
32 years old, Dynamo - Roman Bezus
31 years old, Ghent - Kirill Kovalets
28 years old, FC Alexandria - Evgeny Shakhov
31 years old, AEK Athens
With Garmash, what a story there is – a gifted player and even more versatile than we would have thought before Lucescu. But he has never been the main one in the national team, or even in fact in Dynamo (he will return from the hospital Besedin, reach the base of Vanat – and where was the game practice then!?). A good chord is to leave for good money, and it is unlikely that, knowing the relationship between the Surkis and Rebrov, Dynamo would interfere.
Also, a considerable rotation was in place of the attacking midfielder. Kazakh Islamkhan, who could have played for Al-Ain, was disqualified for doping. In Ukraine and abroad, instead of AM, you can find a truly top gain.
Bezus, as experience in Ghent showed, is able to help the team in class even in the last European championship. With Ghent, Roman played a lot in Europe, collected trophies. The downside is that he has options in the Jupil League and is unlikely to want to travel that far and adapt to a completely new culture. Is that Al-Ain will be ready to put a lot.
Shahov is another former collection, after Lecce he made a good return to the Greek Super League. He has a well-placed shot and the ability to single-handedly decide the fate of the match – remember the legendary performance of Dnipro in the Europa League 7 years ago. This is a very real option to strengthen the attacking potential.
Finally, Kovalets Jr. In Alexandria, a pupil of Kyiv football, who went through the school of Shakhtar, has grown to one of the best UPL midfielders. But then there are two significant minuses – a severe injury experienced, after which it is not clear what form he is in, and the need to look for ways to take the Ukrainian football player out of the warring country.
You could look for a replacement striker, but 30-year-old Togolese Kojo Laba from Al Ain won the UAE Championship scoring race so easily that he left no doubt about his main status. But next to him is a good Moroccan Rahimi, so we probably won’t even touch the attack.
What is very important to understand?
First, all these candidates depend on whether Al-Ain finds an opportunity to pay for the very expensive extension of Rebrov. It is clear that Sergei Stanislavovich will need 2-3 fellow countrymen if he remains in the UAE.
Secondly, in the Arab League of the Gulf, the top division of the UAE, there is a limit on foreign players. They can sign as many foreigners as they want, but there can be no more than four at the same time in the application for the season. So consider how many you can trade if the Colombian Arboleda, the Tunisian Meria, the Ivorian Kuadio, the Brazilians Rafael, Joe Santos and Eric, the Serb Radovanovic, the Comorian Mzauiani, the Kazakh Islamkhan, the Egyptian Yaisien, the Moroccan Rahimi and the Togolese Laba are already in Al Ain. This is the “hunger games”, even if half of them are sent overboard, everyone will have to fight for one of the four places not for life, but for flight!
In a word, while oil and gas prices are breaking records, as is demand, the UAE Pro League and its champion can surprise us with transfers, after all, it’s the competitors of the legionnaires of the level of Bernard and Cayo, so why shouldn’t Al Ain think even more ambitiously, what do we think?
Igor Dashkov
Source: Sportarena
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
