Andrés Iniesta confirms Gulf United are here to compete

DUBAI: Gulf United manager Andrés Iniesta has vouched that the club’s goal for the 2026-’27 UAE First Division football season is to compete strongly in every match and work on achieving a balance between the promising talents from the club’s academy and the players on the first team to deliver an outstanding season.

Interacting with media representatives at the club’s headquarters in Dubai, Iniesta revealed that he was clear about his coaching philosophy with the team, and this is based on merit, experience as a leader and daily development as the benchmark.

The 2010 World Cup winner further noted: “Gulf United is a club that believes in youth. Players are not given opportunities just because they are young, but because they possess quality.”

Regarding the upcoming season, he observed: “I always have high expectations, and our goal is to be the best, and this process happens on a day-to-day basis.”

Gulf United enters the season with one of the youngest squads in the UAE First Division. Their first home game will be played on September 4 (Friday) at the Jebel Ali Sports Complex.

The club also confirmed a new partnership with global technology brand TCL ahead of the new season.

Club president Ahmed Al-Sarraf stated at the start of the press conference that the club is delighted to be working with a world-renowned star like Iniesta, while sharing his coaching expertise and philosophy with talented players who have been developing for years within the club’s academy.

The academy has progressed from the third division to the second and is now playing in the first division, striving to compete strongly within a promising and ambitious project.

Al Sarraf also emphasized that Iniesta’s technical expertise, combined with the club’s administrative experience, will contribute to the success of the club’s project and the achievement of its goals.