Ban forces Al Wasl goalkeeper Nasser to retire

Al Wasl goalkeeper Majid Nasser has announced his retirement from football following the slapping of a 17-match ban on the player. Nasser made the announcement on the Game Over programme on Abu Dhabi Sports Channel late on Friday insisting that he does not want to complicate things further after receiving the ban from the Disciplinary Committee of the UAE Football Association (UAEFA) last week. The Al Wasl player drew the huge ban from the committee after he was seen slapping Al Ahli coach Quique Flores-Sanchez at the end of their 1-0 loss to Al Ahli in the semi-final of the etisalat Cup last Sunday. "I would like to first apologise to everyone involved in the sports industry in the UAE, in particular to the President of Al Wasl Club, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to the Vice President Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to the members of the board and management of Al Wasl Club, to my teammates and to the fans," Nasser said on the programme. "I admit that my actions were inappropriate and wrong and that I lost control. But my reaction was due to the provocative gesture made by the Al Ahli coach towards me during the match. I quickly tried to contain the situation and personally apologised to the coach after the match. He accepted my apology and he also apologised for his gesture," he said. The Al Wasl goalkeeper further insisted that he did not want to appeal the 17-match ban slapped by the UAEFA. "I drop my right to appeal and will not do so in order not to complicate things and drag this issue any longer. I accept the Disciplinary Committee's decision but at the same time I personally think that the decision exceeded expectations and was exaggerated and harsh and is enough to end my football career," Nasser said. "This ban made me think about my career and to weigh my options and therefore I have taken the decision to retire from football completely. I have sent a letter to Al Wasl Club informing them of my decision. I don't want to be a burden on my club and get in their way of success and development. I have only seen good things from Al Wasl and they have always supported me in every step I took. They should not pay the price of my suspension," he added. "A 17-match ban is a catastrophe for the team and for me personally," he said. Born in Fujairah, Nasser spent two seasons (2003 to 2005) with Al Ahli Fujairah before transferring to Al Wasl at the beginning of the 2005-'06 season. The goalkeeper, who turns 28 on April 1, made 64 appearances with the UAE national team with the highlight being his presence in the squads that participated in the 2007 and 2011 AFC Asian Cup.