Paulo Bonamigo, the Sharjah coach, has challenged his players to build on last season's return to the UAE top flight as he seeks to establish the club among the country's elite.
The Brazilian, who previously managed UAE sides Al Shabab and Al Jazira, was installed last summer with the remit of guiding the five-time UAE champions, most recently in 1996, back towards the top of the Arabian Gulf League.
Sharjah threatened to do that for much of the 2013/14 campaign, competing for Asian Champions League qualification before a return of one victory from their final eight matches led to a seventh-placed finish. They also reached the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup, losing 1-0 to Al Ahli, the eventual winners.
Bonamigo has moved to strengthen the squad for 2014/15, with compatriots Luan Michel de Louza and Wanderley Santos Monteiro Junior, both forwards, completing the club's foreign contingent. Fellype Gabriel, the captain, and Mauricio Ramos, the defender who now qualifies as Asian, occupy the other two expatriate spots.
Sharjah left the UAE Wednesday for a pre-season camp in Germany, where they will spend almost a month – they return on August 25 – putting together final preparations for the season ahead. Bonamigo is confident he can deliver on initial targets.
“I’m happy to work with the club for the second successive season and we aspire to continue to ensure this team offers strong and positive results to go further than last season,” he said. “Since we were tasked with supervising the team, our primary goal has been, and still is, to restore Sharjah to its traditional place as a strong competitor in the various competitions.
“They were also to make sure the team has enough quality to be able to offer a level worthy of the name and the history of this club’s heritage.”
Sharjah conceded the fewest goals in the 2013/14 league season, only 25, three fewer than champions Ahli, but scored only 29 of their own. Only Dubai and Al Shaab, who were relegated, scored fewer.
Bonamigo is aware the upcoming season promises to be a hugely competitive one, as each of Sharjah’s obvious rivals for titles – Ahli, Al Ain and Jazira - have significantly improved their squads.
He understands, too, given Sharjah now have a full term’s experience in the Arabian Gulf League, that opposition teams know what to expect from his side. He concedes expectations within the club will undoubtedly be greater, as well.
“Preparing for next season is very different from what it was last season,” Bonamigo said. “The team was just coming up to the first division and needed to find its feet. We managed to achieve that and more, in competing with the top teams in the top positions, and also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup.
“But the goals are bigger and the objectives after last season are to increase our strength and expand our hopes for the title and the main positions. That requires a multiplying of our efforts and for all the elements in the team to collaborate more closely to reach the desired goals.”
Bonamigo added that the camp in Germany will be integral to those objectives, as well as helping integrate into the squad the signings made this summer.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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