Emirati star’s long-anticipated European move now more unlikely
“Has Wesley Sneijder Manchester United yet?”
Long-time followers of European football, and football transfer rumors, will recognize the old — and long-past funny — joke about the Dutch midfielder linked for years with a move to Old Trafford. It never happened. But the joke lives on in the world of social media.
The closest equivalent to Schneider — in terms of transfer rumors — in the Middle East is UAE superstar Omar Abdulrahman, who has consistently been rumored to be on the way to … well, anywhere in Europe really.
Ever since he first marked himself as an exceptional talent over a decade ago, he has been hyped as potentially being the first GCC player to “make it” in one
joined of Europe’s major leagues — or, indeed, a minor one.
Neither has happened. But, again, the story lives on in the world of social media. That big move, it seems, constantly beckoning the bushy-haired midfielder. On Monday, there were reports that the Indian Super League (ISL) club Atletico de Kolkota (ATK) is interested in the man Emirati fans affectionately call “Amoory.” In truth, there was little substance to these rumors — not least because of salary issues —but that did not prevent online speculation about the possibility of Al-Jazira’s Abdulrahman making a move east, instead of that long-anticipated move west. Some fans were incredulous, others excited. Many journalists who have covered his career at close quarters simply dismissed the suggestion.
For many of us who have hoped for a European adventure for this unique footballer, there is an element of sadness to the latest rumors. With all due respect to the ISL, not to mention the Arabian Gulf League itself, it was not long ago that Abdulrahman was being linked with a move to the dizzy heights of the Premier League, the Bundesliga or La Liga. Now aged 28, and slowly regaining his fitness after a serious injury, it seems the window for that groundbreaking move has now closed. But it was a window that, for
Abdulrahman, opened earlier, and for longer, than most Gulf-based players could even dream of.
Abdulrahman was born in Saudi Arabia to parents of Yemeni origin, and between the ages of nine and 14 he was part of Al-Hilal’s youth set up. He moved to the UAE at the age of 15, joining Al-Ain in 2005, along with his brothers, Mohammed and Khalid. Straight away he stood out, both at Al-Ain and as part of various age groups for the UAE national team, often under the avuncular eye of coach Mahdi Ali.
He was instrumental in the UAE’s qualification for the 2012 Olympics in London, where he excelled against Uruguay, Senegal and Great Britain. A watching Wayne Rooney even heaped praise on the young Emirati.
It was then that the “Go west, young man” campaign began. A trial at Manchester City led nowhere, but teased the possibility that he might, at some point, end up at the Abu Dhabi-owned club, or even one of its rivals.
As he progressed, along with many of his Olympic teammates and coach Ali, to the senior squad, glory beckoned. Omar was sensational at the 2013 Gulf Cup in Bahrain, scoring in the final as the UAE beat Iraq 2-1 after extra time to win the competition for only the second time.