DUBAI: Cosmin Olaroiu admitted to contradictory emotions after leading Dubai’s Al-Ahli to a maiden Asian Champions League final on Tuesday, seven years after he coached opponents Al-Hilal to the Saudi title.
The Romanian also took charge of the kingdom’s national team at this year’s Asia Cup and is a veteran of Gulf soccer, having won three league championships in the United Arab Emirates this decade.
“It’s qualification but for me it’s a little bit difficult because against Hilal one eye cries one eye is happy,” Olaroiu told reporters after Ahli’s Kwon Kyung-won netted in injury time to send the 2014 UAE champions through to November’s ACL final 4-3 on aggregate.
Ahli had never reached the ACL knock-out stages before and required an 88th minute winner in their final group game to make the last-16, but will now hope to become the UAE’s first continental champion since Al Ain in 2003.
“Of course I’m happy mostly for my players, they are heroes for what they have done nobody gave them a chance. They are in the final and I told them they don’t have to stop here,” said Olaroiu.
Against Hilal, Ahli were 2-0 up thanks to first half strikes by Brazilian pair Rodrigo Lima and Everton Ribeiro, before the Riyadh outfit’s own Brazilian duo Ailton and Carlos Eduardo provided sublime finishes to put last year’s finalists ahead on away goals.
“Sometimes you need a little bit of luck in football and this time it was on our side,” said Olaroiu.
“In the second half, they created more, but they failed because the intensity they played (at) meant they spent a lot of energy and step-by-step we came back into the game.”
For Hilal, defeat was bitter, especially after being refused a penalty at 2-1 down, Bahraini referee Nawaf Shukralla giving Ahli a free kick for an earlier tug after Habib Fardan had scythed down Abdulla Al-Dosary as the wing-back shaped to shoot.
“We had a very bad performance in the first 30 minutes,” Ahli’s Greek coach Giorgos Donis told reporters.
“In the second half, we played very good football, created a lot of chances, changed the game and had the opportunity to get the ball to win some free kicks but we lost that chance I accept it is my fault.”
Al-Ahli’s Olaroiu in mixed emotions after reaching ACL final
Al-Ahli’s Olaroiu in mixed emotions after reaching ACL final
Alcaraz beats Sinner in South Korea exhibition match
- “We all need the support from the fans,” Alcaraz said.
- The pair mixed up their game with an array of trick shots
SEOUL: Carlos Alcaraz beat his great rival Jannik Sinner 7-5 7-6(8) to win their Hyundai Card Super Match exhibition event in Incheon, South Korea, on Saturday that marked the start of the season for the world’s top two men’s tennis players.
There was little to separate the two during the entertaining clash, with world number one Alcaraz squeaking ahead toward the end of both sets to clinch the win.
“We all need the support from the fans. So having the support and feeling the love from the people was necessary for me to perform my best and play great tennis like I did today,” Alcaraz said.
In their press conference on Friday, Sinner said the match would not be a true indicator of their levels heading into the new season and that both players would focus on entertaining spectators.
It was a promise they lived up to, as the largely light-hearted hit-around unsurprisingly lacked the intensity that has characterised their previous meetings on the sport’s biggest stages.
The pair mixed up their game with an array of trick shots and engaged in a number of memorable rallies to keep fans at the Inspire Arena on the edge of their seats, with Sinner allowing a child in the stands to play a point for him in the second set.
EXHIBITION EVENTS
It was an entertaining display from both players, who are no strangers to putting on a show at exhibition events.
Sinner and Alcaraz competed in the Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament in Riyadh in 2024 and 2025, with the Italian winning in the final on both occasions.
Alcaraz has defended his decision to play in such lucrative events despite previously saying he would consider skipping ATP Tour events to prioritize his health in a crowded schedule, saying they provide relief from the grind of the tour.
The Spaniard has also admitted there are considerable financial incentives to playing exhibition events, saying last year the prize money on offer was a motivation for playing in the Six Kings Slam.
With the exhibition match wrapped up, the serious business starts for Sinner and Alcaraz, who will now shift their attention to the Australian Open.
The two have much at stake in the season’s opening Grand Slam, which begins at Melbourne Park on January 18, with Sinner looking to win a third straight Australian Open title and Alcaraz chasing a career Grand Slam.
“It was an entertaining match, that’s why we came here and obviously now the main goal is in Australia,” Sinner said.
“At the end of the day, exhibition matches are different, you are a bit more relaxed and also entertaining the crowd a little bit more with different shots and different actions on court.”
