Al-Ahli - The Red Knights

Hello, and welcome to Al-Ahli - The Red Knights. This will be my main story for FM16, but I will also be continuing my Tianjin Teda story as well. The reason I've picked Al-Ahli is because I enjoy managing clubs in Asia, I find it more fun and more rewarding overall that managing on other continents.

I'm going to make this more of a story than my Tianjin Teda save because I personally think this will be a more of an exciting save.

Before I start this story though I must admit I have done some slight editing to the rules of the league. I've gotten rid of the foreign player rule for the league, however, Asian Champions League games will still have the 4 foreign player limit. Also because the clubs are to lose so much money that the save would be pointless after a season, I've added prize money for when you win a game and a little bit for when you draw a game.

My goal for this save is simple. To create a team that's capable of beating any team in the world. If anyone can think of any challenges I can set myself during this save, feel free to comment it.

Cosmin Olaroiu announces departure from the club.

Al-Ahli fans are left in shock today after fan favorite Cosmin Olaroiu has announced his departure from the Dubai club with immediate effect. When asked why he left he simply replied 'I've taken them as far as I can, this job is for a special manager, I'm just not that manager.'

Al-Ahli are yet to comment on the matter but are believed to be already looking for potential replacement. Whoever takes on this job though will certainly have a tough job getting Al-Ahli through the group stage of the Asian Champions League.

This just leaves us with the question, who will the next manager of Al-Ahli be?

Who are Al-Ahli?

Whoever takes over this job will want to know a little bit about the club and what kind of challenge they are taking up.


Al-Ahli are a sports club based in Dubai that were formed in 1970 after 2 local clubs merged together. Al-Ahli translates into Domestic, as the club like to recruit players from the Dubai area. They are currently one of the most successful teams in the UAE having won 7 Arabian Gulf League titles and 8 UAE President Cups. However the club are yet to be successful in the Asian Champions League. They came close to winning it in 2015, finishing runner's up to Guangzhou Evergrande.

They are currently ranked the 7th best team in Asia and 102nd best in the world, so whoever the new manager is has a good set up to take this club forward and turn this club into a dominant force.




The Brazilian joined Al-Ahli in the January of 2015 for around £8 million, a record signing for the club. After signing for them, the media slated him saying he lacked ambition for rejecting teams such as Man United and join the Dubai club. Was he right to join Al-Ahli though? We'll soon see.

Good luck with the tax free money you could create a very good team

ninjaskill - That would make it too boring, there will be some twists and challenges to keep it interesting though.

Roberto Carlos spotted outside Al-Ahli training ground.

Al-Ahli club aren't trying to keep secrets about who their next manager may be after Roberto Carlos was spotted outside the club's training ground the day after Cosmin Olaroiu left the club.


Where Roberto Carlos was spotted

Al-Ahli are yet to announce a new manager, but this pretty much confirms that Roberto Carlos will be the next manager of Al-Ahli Dubai, as he is currently out of a job after leaving Al-Arabi in Qatar. Roberto Carlos is looking to manage a team in the Middle East as he loves the area so it is very unlikely he would reject Al-Ahli should they offer him the job.

So how will Roberto Carlos do at Al-Ahli should he get the job?

Al-Ahli appoint Roberto Carlos as manager

Al-Ahli have announced 2 days after Cosmin Olaroiu left the club by mutual consent, that Roberto Carlos is the right man to take them forward and has signed a 1 year contract with the club. Roberto Carlos joins fellow Brazillian's Everton Ribeiro, Lima and Marquinho at the club. It is unknown whether he'll prefer players from his homeland of Brazil or use a range of players.

We managed to catch with Roberto and ask him about his new role:

'I'm very happy to be here. From the moment I got here I realized this was a special club and that this is where I wanted to come. I met with the President of the club Abdullah Al-Naboodah yesterday and he was very happy with what I wanted to do with this club and he hired me on the spot. I met a couple of the lads yesterday, they seem like a nice bunch and I can't wait to get started with them.'

Roberto has a long wait for the season to start with the league not starting until August, but he still has the Asian Champions League games to play, with the group stage games kicking off early in the year. His main goal now will be getting a squad together for the incoming season.

Al-Ahli Announce kits for the incoming season

Al-Ahli have today launched their new kits for the incoming season sticking with the usual Red and and Black kits of their past, however, their away kit is different to anything we've ever seen at the club

Home


Away


Third


Here are the kits at the official kit launch being modeled by the Al-Ahli players:



It's seems Al-Ahli have changed their style a bit with the kits. What else is going to change under Roberto Carlos's reign at the club?

So, this'll be interesting to me as I am currently in the Middle East so watching pretty much all the leagues really loving their style of play!

Balik - Same, I agree, their style of play is fun to watch. Hope you enjoy following this save.

Really cool start to this man, looking forward to where it goes!

Club Overview and Budget Announcement


Overview
Captain: Majeed Nasser
Vice Captain: Abdulaziz Sanquor
Media Prediction: 1st

Board Expectations
Win the UAE Arabian Gulf League
Cups are not important
Reach the final of the AFC Champions League

Budgets for the Season
Transfer Budget: £3 Million
Wage Budget: £0

Roberto Carlos on Budgets 'Overall I think the budgets are fair, we have some pretty tough targets to achieve though, but as I progress with this club I can predict more funding coming in the future. Hopefully with that I'll be able to attract some big names to this fantastic club.'

Quite an interesting start, good luck!

Going to guess that for the club, £3 mil might be quite a bit to play with?

Justice - Thanks mate, I'm struggling to get the editor data for this save to work, I think some of my editing has corrupted it

mgriffin2012 - Not, really, I'm being asked to bring in big name players but I can't afford them