Al Ain's Ivic Prioritizes Domestic Form Amidst Asian Champions League Success

Vladimir Ivic has stated that improving Al Ain’s domestic performance is his primary objective, even as the club continues its flawless run in the AFC Champions League Elite. The UAE champions initially garnered significant attention across Asia with a commanding 4-0 victory over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr last month. They have maintained their perfect record in the tournament through three matches, securing a 2-1 win against Iran Pro League side Tractor at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Monday evening.

Despite their dominance in continental competitions, Al Ain's domestic form has seen a recent decline. Ivic commented, "It was almost impossible to maintain the standards they had been setting." The Garden City club had previously enjoyed an unbeaten streak of 38 league games on their way to securing a domestic double last season. However, this impressive run was broken earlier this month by Shabab Al Ahli, who also eliminated them as President’s Cup holders. Shabab Al Ahli secured a 3-2 victory over Al Ain on Thursday, a match that appeared to take a toll on the players, evident in their laboured performance against Tractor. The absence of their injured key player, Soufiane Rahimi, was felt, though goals from Rami Rabia and Houssine Rahimi ultimately secured the three points.

"It was a very, very tough game for both teams because both teams played on Thursday," Ivic remarked. "Everyone who watched this game could understand, especially in the last 10-15 minutes, it was very, very tough to run, to mark, and easy to lose concentration. For us, we are happy to get three points. I believe that we were the better team and congrats to my guys as they did a professional performance."

The coach also addressed the uncertainty surrounding Soufiane Rahimi's injury. The Moroccan striker, instrumental in Al Ain's Asian championship win three seasons ago, was seen in tears after sustaining a leg injury late in the match against Shabab Al Ahli. While speculation suggests he could be sidelined for the remainder of 2026, Ivic indicated that a clearer prognosis would be available in the coming days. He acknowledged the demanding schedule impacting his players.

"The previous game in the cup [the 3-2 loss to Shabab Al Ahli] was 140 minutes, not 120," Ivic explained. "With the GPS, what we know exactly; they played 140 minutes three four days ago, so you can imagine how much energy my players spent. That’s two games, not one and a half games. It's very difficult. These two competitions are a priority. We know we have an added cup. We know that we have two Super Cups [domestic and UAE-Qatar] to play, and we have a lot of games in front of us. But for all of us, priority is [UAE Pro League and] Champions League."