Doha – Brazil has once again confirmed its vocation as an exporter of football talents. Yesterday (16th) in Doha, coach Caio Júnior and midfielder Juninho Pernambucano, both employed by the Al Gharafa team, from Qatar, were named best coach and best player of the Arab country’s 2009-2010 season, which has just ended.
Caio Júnior and Juninho wrapped up their first season in Qatar in style, because the team won the Star Cup, the Prince Cup, and the third consecutive title of the Qatari League, which is the country’s main tournament. Besides, Al Gharafa has qualified for the last eight of the Asian Champions League, and will play again in the second half of the year.
“This is wonderful for a young player. There was pressure on us to maintain our results, [because the team already was a two-times Qatari League champion], yet we attained our best results this year,” Caio told ANBA. The 45-year-old Brazilian from the state of Paraná has already coached teams such as Palmeiras and Flamengo.
Last season, the only title Al Gharafa did not win was the Emir Cup, whose final was played last Saturday and won by Al Rayyan, coached by Paulo Autuori, another Brazilian. The team beat Umm Salal.
The Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was visiting Qatar, watched part of the match. Earlier on, when asked by ANBA about which team he would support, Lula said: “Corinthians,” the Brazilian team of which he is a fan.
Caio Júnior added that the prize he was awarded yesterday is of great value for his career, as it crowned his performance throughout the season. The coach praised Juninho, a former Brazilian National Team player, who still has “great motivation” at age 35. “I have never seen a professional like him,” he stated. The Al Gharafa also features Brazilian striker Araújo.
The coach arrived in Qatar after a six-month season in Japan, but had already received a proposal from the country while still working in Flamengo. The door, however, remained open, and he accepted the invitation in June last year.
Now is the beginning of the holiday season for professional athletes in Qatar. Training will be resumed in July in France, because of the Gulf’s scorching summer heat. Even at other times of the year, practice usually starts after 06:00 pm to avoid the relentless sun.
During Ramadan, the month of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims fast during the day, training sessions take place even later, so that players may eat after sunset. Despite the different weather and habits, Caio stated that the working structure “is great.” “Nothing is lacking at the club,” he claimed. Al Gharafa was founded in 1979.
The coach said that the quality of football in Qatar is improving. Proof of that is the fact that his team has qualified for the next phase of the Asian Champions League.
However, there are still few local players coming up, and as the country has money, teams hire many foreign professionals, especially from Africa. Although clubs can only bring in up to three players from abroad, most Al Gharafa players are naturalized foreigners.
Just like all of the Arab world, though, Qataris love football, an the country is going to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2011. To Caio Júnior, the experience will be “excellent,” because Qatar is bidding to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
