DUBAI // Marcos dos Santos Assuncao insists he will be bearing no grudges when he takes the field in the Super Cup tonight against his former club, Al Ahli, at the Al Maktoum Stadium in Duba. The Brazilian moved a junction and a roundabout away to Al Shabab after Al Ahli left him in the lurch during the off-season.
Assuncao, who is one of the best free-kick specialists, was assured he was part of the Al Ahli plans for the upcoming season as he left for home during the break. But when he tried to get in touch with officials from Brazil, they refused to accept even his calls. Al Ahli decided to retain just one of their overseas players for the new season, the Brazilian Clederson Cesar. They brought in the 2007 African Nations Cup Player of the Tournament, Hosny Abd Rabo of Egypt and the Brazilian striker Jader Volnei Spindler "Bare" from the Japanese club Gamba Osaka.
Assuncao will now be wearing the captain's armband when he leads the Etisalat League champions against the President's Cup winners. But he insists he will not be out to prove a point to his former employers. "I don't need to prove anything to Al Ahli," he said. "I need to prove myself for Al Shabab, who have given me a new contract. I need to prove that they made the right choice with me. "I don't have any issues with Al Ahli anymore - it is all in the past now. So this is just going to be another match for me. A little different only because I have played for Al Ahli and I have a lot of friends there."
Assuncao's compatriot, Carlos Renato de Abreu, could also be making his debut for Al Shabab tonight, on an Al Nasr pitch that was his home last season. "Al Shabab won the league title last season, while Al Ahli were the President's Cup winners and they were fighting for the league title as well," said the 30-year-old Brazilian, who has won plenty of titles with the Corinthians in Brazil and was considered a great at Flamengo.
"It is surely going to be an exciting game and who knows, we might get a positive result." arizvi@thenational.ae Kick-off: 10 pm
