Fujairah spurn offers to make Dh5m profit on Madjid Bougherra

Clubs from Russia and Turkey interested in Algeria captain who has signed one-year contract with Arabian Gulf League. Ahmed Rizvi reports.

Algeria’s Madjid Bougherra, left, has attracted interest from Rubin Kazan and Bursaspor. Jon Super / AP Photo

Fujairah club have assured their fans they have no plans to sell Madjid Bougherra despite lucrative offers from Russia and Turkey.

Russian Premier League club Rubin Kazan and Turkey's Bursaspor have contacted Fujairah about acquiring the services of the Algeria captain, who has signed a one-year deal, reportedly worth €1.4 million (Dh6.9m), with the promoted Arabian Gulf League club.

Kazan, according to Russia media reports, have offered Bougherra €8m for a three-year deal and are willing to pay the penalty clause in his contract.

“We received two very attractive offers from Rubin Kazan and Bursaspor, who wanted to secure the services of Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra, but we have politely refused,” Sultan Al Shara, Fujairah’s chief executive, said.

“We could have earned a profit of at least Dh5m if we had accepted the offer, but I can assure you we have no plans of selling Bougherra.

“He is a huge asset for us, since he is a player with a huge experience and he is a big part of our plans for the coming season.”

Adel Amri, Bougherra’s manager, confirmed the two offers, but said the “player and the club have rejected them”.

“The Fujairah management have put a lot of faith in Bougherra’s ability to lead the team this season and the player also wants to honour his contract,” he was quoted as saying in the Arabic media.

Al Ain, meanwhile, return home today from their training camp in Austria, confident they can get past Saudi club Al Ittihad in the two-leg AFC Champions League quarter-final before starting their domestic campaign.

The first game will be held at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on August 19. A week later, they will meet the hosts in Jeddah.

There will be no home fans to support the home side in the second leg, though, as the AFC have ordered that match to be played behind closed doors because of the misbehaviour of Ittihad’s fans in previous matches at the venue, when they threw flares and other objects onto the pitch.

Hamed Al Balawi, the executive director of Ittihad, has said they will appeal against the AFC ruling and are hoping the penalty will be overturned.

Elsewhere in the Arabian Gulf League, Ajman have announced a two-year deal with Al Nasr defender Masood Hassan, while Al Dhafra have brought in Khalifa Ibrahim and Rashid Ghuloom from league champions Al Ahli.

Emirates have ruled out a move for Algerian international Medhi Lacen, a day after reports linked the Ras Al Khaimah club with the Getafe midfielder.

“This news is pure speculation,” said Adnan Al Zaabi, vice president at the club. “We already have five foreign players and there is no way we can add another.”

Emirates recently signed Moroccan striker Youssef Kaddioui to bring the number of foreign players on their books to five. He joins another Moroccan, Issam Erraki, Brazilian Luiz Henrique, Argentine German Herrera and Rodrigo of East Timor.

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