Al Wahda have just completed one of the most successful seasons in club history, yet star playmaker Jorge Valdivia is urging his team-mates to strive for better.
Under Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, the Clarets lifted a first-ever Arabian Gulf Cup and claimed third spot in the Arabian Gulf League to qualify for the 2017 AFC Champions League playoffs.
They will hope to go one better than when they reached the same stage in 2015, defeat to Qatar’s Al Sadd robbing them of a return to Asia’s premier continental competition that they last graced in 2011.
The sign of an elite player is that they are never satisfied even when things are going well – and while Wahda’s Chilean orchestrator is content with his maiden campaign in the Emirates, he believes the Clarets are capable of much more.
“I think it was not a bad season,” said the 32-year-old, who scored seven goals in 19 games for the Al Nahyan outfit last term.
“When I came here, Al Wahda, I think in three or five years, had not won anything. They had not qualified for the Champions League in I think five years, or played in the playoffs two years ago.
“We now take a cup, we qualify for the Champions League playoffs. Of course, it’s not bad but I want more, because we are a big team. We have good players, good staff, and a good coach.
“I’m happy but not 100 per cent, but next season we will come back different. I don’t know who are the new players who will come in the new season, but they know we are a big family in our club.”
Valdivia’s future was a constant source of speculation during his debut season in the Emirates, and he is constantly linked with a return to Colo Colo in his homeland, the club he started his career with, but ‘El Mago’ (the Magician) insists he and his family are happy here.
“I never talk about rumours,” said Valdivia, whose contract with the Clarets runs for another year.
“There’s no serious or joking offer. I never talk about ‘he said’, ‘I heard’, ‘I think’, ‘maybe’, no, no, not at all. And also, it’s not true. I’m very happy here.
“The most important thing is that my family is happy. My son, my daughter, my wife, and also I have a contract. I hope for a new contract here.”
Wahda finished a distant 26 points behind AGL champions Al Ahli, while there was a 14-point gap to runners-up Al Ain.
Valdivia though is confident Wahda have the combination of experienced players such as Argentine Sebastian Tagliabue and exciting youngsters that can close the gap to the UAE’s top two clubs, and possibly even launch a title bid.
“When the team comes back next season, the players will be different because they’ll have more experience,” said the 73-times capped La Roja firebrand.
“We have good players. Suhail (Al Mansouri), Khalil (Ibrahim), (Mohammed) Al Akbari, Salem (Sultan), (Mohammad) Abdulbasit. These are young players and they have a chance to fight and help us, because it’s not an easy league. It’s a strong league and we also have more competitions.
“All the teams will come back different. Al Ahli is a strong team. Al Ain is strong. Step by step, we also come back stronger and I hope next season will be better than this.”