Bastos hopes to fulfil expectations of 'The Boss'

Al Ain - The 25-year-old, who has played for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and Portugal's Benfica, arrives at 'The Boss' on a three-year deal and will don the No.6 jersey.

Fellipe Bastos said that it was an honour to wear the Al Ain jersey and hoped that he would live up to the expectations of the club and the Al Ain faithful.
The Brazilian midfielder, who captained his country at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in 2007, completed his medical on Thursday and was later officially unveiled at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
The 25-year-old, who has played for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and Portugal's Benfica, arrives at 'The Boss' on a three-year deal and will don the No.6 jersey.
"Al Ain are a great team and it is an honour for me to wear the Al Ain shirt," Bastos said at the unveiling.
"I have come here to fight a new challenge and achieve the ambitions of the club. Al Ain are the Arabian Gulf League champions and are always fighting for silverware. With the other new players coming in as well, we have a very strong team to excel. The club also has a great fan base and personally, I hope to fulfil the expectations of the coach, the management and the Al Ain fans," he added.
And Bastos, who joins from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama, is fully aware of those expectations and said that he would redouble his focus and efforts to achieve the club's targets.
"One cannot put a ceiling on the targets that we want to achieve because Al Ain is a big club. We will have to increase our efforts and show more focus and fighting spirit in all competitions to achieve our goals. Obviously, the AFC Champions League will be very important and we hope we can be the champions of Asia again," said Bastos.
Al Ain were the inaugural winners of the AFC Champions League in 2003.
Bastos also reiterated that it was not about one individual but the team as a whole to see them through and bring silverware back to the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
"Football is a team game and it is not just about any particular individual. All the players have to work together and for one another. I would again like to repeat that I'm proud to be a part of Al Ain," he said.
Bastos revealed that he had received many other offers but he chose Al Ain because the club has a good reputation back home in Brazil.
"There were other offers. But Al Ain have a good reputation in Brazil and it is one of the biggest clubs in the region and the Asian continent. Also, the Arabian Gulf League is a strong league and it is also very professional. There are a lot of Brazilians who are playing in the League. All these factors strengthened my desire to join Al Ain," Bastos said.
Meanwhile, Al Ain first team supervisor Mohammed Obaid Hammad poured water over rumours that defender Fawzi Fayez and striker Saeed Al Kathiri were released by the club. "There is no truth to reports that the club has released Fawzi Fayez and Saeed Al Kathiri. It is mere speculation on social networking sites. Both of them are still part of Al Ain and will continue next season," Hammad said.
Al Ain began their pre-season training on Friday. The Garden City club are to embark on a pre-season camp to Austria on July 18. Al Ain are also slated to play a friendly against English club Hull City on July 29.
james@khaleejtimes.com