ABU DHABI // Ricardo Oliveira is confident Al Jazira will win trophies this season after signing a two-year extension to his contract that keeps him at the club until 2015.
"My future at Jazira is now more solid and there is no better incentive for a player than what Jazira had provided me. I am very thankful to them," said Oliveira before the team's departure for their pre-season camp in Vienna, Austria, last night.
"I have enjoyed my stay at Jazira ever since I was officially introduced. It was a welcome that I have never received before and never will in the future. I think we have a very good squad to win a few more titles this season and also to go all the way in the Asian Champions League [ACL].
"The club has retained most of the players who were members when we won the league and President's Cup double, and the President's Cup and reaching the last eight in the ACL last season.
"In fact we have strengthened the squad with a few new signings. So I don't see why we can't end up being winners of a few titles. Of course we are going in to another tough season but with more confidence and ambitions."
The 32-year-old former AC Milan striker became the Pro League's most expensive player when he moved to Abu Dhabi from Real Betis of Spain for Dh72.5 million in 2009.
"When I first joined Jazira, they spoke to me about their ambitions," Oliveira added.
"I am glad I have been able to contribute to the success they have had in the last two years and looking ahead for more in the coming years."
The Brazilian topped the club's scoring chart with 40 goals last season, 28 in all domestic competitions and 12 in the seven games in the ACL, including hat-tricks against Nasaf Qarshi of Uzbekistan and Al Rayyan of Qatar.
"Ricardo has been a great influence in the team and we have faith on him to continue to contribute to the success of Jazira," Hamad Al Suwaidi, a member of the club's board of directors, said.
"He has not only played his role as a player but helped all the players around him by sharing his experience and motivating them on the pitch as a senior professional.
"We spoke to Ricardo and he was very happy to remain with us. He can now continue with his good work for Jazira with a clear mindset rather than pondering where he should go at the end of his contract with us."
Al Suwaidi did not disclose the details of the two-year extension but stated it was a deal both parties were "happy" to agree on.
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