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Jazira coach Braga banking on Bare

ABU DHABI — The first team coach of Al Jazira Abel Braga believes Brazilian striker Bare can be the focal point of a team capable of challenging for trophies this season.

Bare, whose full name is Jader Volnei Spindler, has arrived at the club from Al Ahli ahead of the 2010-11 season.

He is currently with his teammates on a pre-season tour to Austria during which Braga said he made a great impact in a 3-2 friendly win over local side SC Magna Wiener Neustadt.

“Bare was excellent, especially for a player who is only appearing for the team for the first time,” said Braga.

“We will play the rest of the season in the same way as in the first season I was here, when we played with an out-and-out striker.

“This was something that was missing from our team last season with a player like Bare or Fernando Baiano as we had in my first year. We can now play in the same way again.

“It was a good game and a good result. Our team is in training and we played against a team who are leading a league so we are pleased.”

As the club shapes the first team squad ahead of the new season, the decision has been made to loan out forward Ricardo Oliveira to Sao Paulo in Brazil. Al Jazira are due to play Rapid Vienna in a friendly on August 9 before returning to Abu Dhabi to continue the build up to the new Pro League season.

The first league game of the season is scheduled to be at home against Al Nasr on August 26.

This season the club is reaching out to communities to encourage more fans to come to games and to get more people involved with Al Jazira. A focus of this will be tickets being given out for games.

“I am very happy to be here. When I heard Al Jazira was interested I was pleased because they are a big club,” said Bare.

“I think we have a good chance to fight for the title. We have a very good coach and I have a good feeling about this team. I think we can do good things.”

james@khaleejtimes.com