Sharjah: Alipio Duarte Brandao, 19, bought by Real Madrid in 2008 for Dh7 million and once dubbed the next Cristiano Ronaldo, arrives at Sharjah on Tuesday to begin a year's loan from Benfica.
The move headlines a player exchange Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Sharjah and Brazilian club Saad EC.
The former Internacional, Rio Ave, Real Madrid and Benfica youth, an orphan from Brasilia, Brazil, goes straight into the club's U19 set-up with the view to break the reserves and eventually the first team.
Romeu Castro, president of Saad EC, the man who brokered the MoU with Sharjah chairman Yahya Abdul Kareem, claimed Neymar also could have entered the UAE [in 2009] if only clubs here had more foresight back then.
"Too much focus in the UAE has been on ageing foreign professionals at the end of their careers, but taking a chance on youth is more sustainable in terms of ability, commitment and cost," said Castro.
"Alipio will raise the standard of the local U19 players at Sharjah, he'll put the club on the world market and will open the debate for youngsters of all nationalities here — Emiratis are set to go the other way and this will further expose them to new skills."
Since January 1, each club is now allowed foreign or expatriate allocations of four at U12-U13, three at U14-15 and two at U19, [provided their parents have moved here for non-footballing reasons for all U18s]. Only Sharjah has been adamant in the lobbying for, and utilisation of, these developments.
It's long been accepted in Sharjah that opening up youth ranks to expatriates will hone the locals' skills and broaden a club's community outreach and thus improve attendances.
