Coach Jose Peseiro is looking for­ward to building on last season’s impressive achievements when he returns to lead Al Wahda’s summer preparations next month.

The 54-year-old proved to be an inspired appointment after joining the Excellencies last November, guiding them from mid-table to a superb second-placed finish in the Arabian Gulf League [AGL].

Peseiro signed a well-deserved one-year contract extension in May, after initially agreeing an eight-month deal. He travels to the UAE to lead pre-season training from July 10.

“I will be back, and I am looking forward to starting the new sea­son,” the Portuguese said. “I hope to do very well.

“I hope to keep us playing in the same way, keeping up the same pos­itivity. We can really do something.

“We can aspire to do something very good for the fans, because the fans are more important than me.”

Wahda enjoyed a tremendous finale in the AGL last term, win­ning their last six fixtures. Plans to build on that success are already under way, with young striker Majid Rashid brought in from newly-promoted Fujairah.

Peseiro insisted there was no complacency at the club following last term’s achievements.

He said: “I always try to keep improving myself in my job. I have to improve my team and improve my players.

“That is my responsibility as a coach – I must improve my team and my players as I hope we can get even better.

“It will be hard as we did a fantastic job last season. That includes everybody at the club – myself, my coaches, the manage­ment and the president.

“I did a good job, but I aim to do even better.”

Wahda’s runners-up spot behind Al Ahli has granted them qualification to the AFC Champi­ons League for the first time since 2011, although they must wait until November to find out officially whether they’ll enter the group stage or require a play-off.

With a decision some time away, Peseiro said “now is not the time” to consider the continent’s elite club competition.

He said: “The AFC Champions League is something to look for­ward to, but I know we will prob­ably need to play one play-off to reach it.

“We will also have the Arabian Gulf League, the Arabian Gulf Cup and the President’s Cup to think about at that time [the play-offs are set for February 2015].

“[If Wahda qualify for the group stage] It is good for me, good for the team to play against the Asian champions, but now is not the time to think about that.”