UAE coach Bauza embarks on whirlwind trip

The UAE National football team coach Edgardo Bauza embarked on his whirlwind trip of Europe to track the players who are undergoing pre-season camps with their respective clubs.

The former Argentine coach, who replaced Emirati Mahdi Ali in May, left for Europe from the Dubai International Airport on Tuesday morning, along with his coaching staff. The UAE Football Association (UAEFA) said that Bauza is scheduled to visit the camps of three clubs - Al Jazira, Al Nasr and the newly-merged Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.

Bauza and his men flew out to The Netherlands, where they travelled to Venlo, the training base of Arabian Gulf League champions Al Jazira. He will keep a close watch on Al Jazira's friendly against De Treffers before travelling to Hungary on Wednesday.

Al Nasr are stationed in Hungary and Bauza will be at the ETO Park Stadium to watch the Blue Wave take on Slovakian club MSK Zilina on Wednesday. The 59-year-old will then make the trip back to The Netherlands to watch Shabab Al Ahli Dubai's pre-season camp.

Bauza is set to attend the friendly between Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and top Dutch club PSV Eindhoven on Friday.

"There should be a continuous exchange of ideas and visions between our national team coach and club coaches to co-ordinate and co-operate in developing the physical and technical level of the players," the UAEFA said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Through these visits, Bauza seeks to know more closely the level and performance of the players and the eligibility of some of them to join the national team in the next entitlements, in addition to meeting with the coaches of these clubs and sit with them, discuss and exchange ideas and proposals on training plans and development of the players for the positive benefit of the national team and clubs alike," the statement added.

Breaking from tradition where the UAE squad normally assembles for a national camp in the summer, in the run-up to a crucial match, the UAEFA came up with the decision to send Bauza to the various training camps where the players are undergoing training.

The UAEFA's Committee of Teams and Technical Affairs, chaired by UAEFA President Marwan bin Ghalita, took the decision, two weeks ago.

Bauza, who penned a contract that will see him through until the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 on home soil, had reiterated when he took over that he was looking at the wider landscape and his appointment was not solely with the World Cup qualifying in mind.

"We are not only thinking about the games in World Cup qualifying but also long term. It is a long term project and that is what I have in mind as well. That's my main goal," Bauza had said then.

Bauza has also been keen to infuse some young blood into the squad and as a precursor to that, the Argentine had travelled to Al Ain to watch the UAE Olympic team in action in the AFC Under-23 qualifiers, last month.

The UAE squad will assemble in Al Ain on August 18 ahead of their remaining two Asia Zone World Cup qualifying fixtures against Said Arabia and Iraq on August 29. The Whites are set to take on heavyweights Saudi Arabia at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on August 29 and then play Iraq away on September 5.

The Whites are currently placed fourth in Group B in the third round of the qualfiers. They have 10 points from eight matches after having won three drawn one and lost four. Japan are perched atop the table with 17 points followed by Saudi Arabia with 16. Australia are third with 16 points.

Source: Khaleej Times