Dubai: Hard work and ethics on and off the field will always stand in good stead to the professional footballer, according to former Italian World Cup skipper Fabio Cannavaro.
The former Italian captain, who led his side to a memorable triumph at the 2006 Fifa World Cup, joined former Tunisian captain Zubair Baya in the Dubai Sports Council (DSC)-organised "Dubai Professional Players Knowledge and Information Sharing Programme" that was held at all five sports clubs in Dubai.
"Football is the best job in the world and we should all be honoured to be playing such a sport at a professional level," Cannavaro said.
"But we also need to keep in mind the importance of hard work and ethics as professionals.
"We may not realise it, but there will be young minds who will be constantly watching us so that they can be better than us. So we have a role to play as professionals on and off the pitch," the Italian added.
The DSC-backed programme is the first of its kind being held in the emirate.
Awareness
The programme is an attempt to raise the level of professional awareness in the UAE.
The programme included five workshops held separately at Al Wasl, Al Nasr, Dubai Club, Al Ahli and Al Shabab.
This is the first year of a five-year project devised by the DSC to enhance professionalism at the highest level among footballers in Dubai clubs.
Baya, one of Tunisia's most accomplished footballers who played in the German Bundesliga [with SC Freiburg] before becoming a full-time expert commentator with Dubai Sports Channel, exhorted players to make football a way of life.
"Football is an attitude and being professional means making a lot of sacrifices for the sake of the sport," Baya noted.
"Professionalism is no longer about delivering on the field. "It also includes what a players does off it as well," he told the players in his lectures.
"It is possible for a 30-year-old to be competitive at the highest level as a professional provided he is willing to make the sacrifices, on and off the field," Baya said.
"Training is a must, and this should involve hard work on the field. But equally important is the behaviour of a player off the field," he added.
Bad habits
The 39-year-old former Tunisian captain, an attacking midfielder who had a six-year stint with Turkey's Besiktas, told players that they ought to keep away from bad habits and practices that can ruin sporting careers. "Late nights is simply out.
"A professional player needs to be regimented and disciplined, not merely for his sake, but for the sake of the sport he plays," Baya said.
"And in the modern world, they also need to careful of what they eat and drink.
"Sometimes there are substances that are not healthy, and there are times when a player can fall to doping because of what he has eaten or drunk quite innocently," he added.
