Portuguese legend, Luís Figo, aged 41, has announced that he will be returning to football with immediate effect, having signed a one year contract with oil rich Arab club Al Ain. The appointment comes after previous manager Quique Flores having failed in his efforts to get a new contract at the club, with an inside source claiming that he was very heavy-handed in his approach.
Figo has told Emirati journalists that he and the chairman discussed their vision for the club prior to the contract talks, and they had both agreed that with the finances at hand for the club, top players would be the target in the transfer market. However, with the league rules stating that only four players from outside of the country are allowed to be selected in the matchday sqauds, the former Portugal international will have to choose his players carefully, whilst making the most of the domestic talent available.
There shouldn't be too much in the way of the clubs effort in signing some of the top players, with a reported £40 million budget on offer to the new manager. However the reputation of the team could be troubling, and this could be the one downfall. It is not clear whether the new man will go for players with big reputations and experience to their names, or whether he will go for lesser known players in an attempt to keep the ambition at a suitable standard within the club, but either way, the fans will be expecting a third successive title this season, and Figo is the man who has to deliver it.
