Vladimir Ivic says repairing Al Ain’s domestic form remains his top priority after they extended their perfect start in the AFC Champions League Elite.
The UAE champions grabbed attention across the continent when they started the competition with a 4-0 thrashing of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr last month.
They continued their 100 per cent start to the tournament after three games with a 2-1 win over Iran Pro League side Tractor at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Monday night.
While they have been sweeping all before them in continental football, their domestic form has dipped of late.
It was almost impossible to maintain the standards they had been setting. The Garden City club went undefeated on their way to winning a domestic double last season.
Their unbeaten run in the league was halted at 38 games when Shabab Al Ahli beat them earlier this month.
The same side also ended their reign as President’s Cup holders. Shabab Al Ahli, who are also in Champions League action against Iranian opposition – Esteghlal – on Tuesday night – beat them 3-2 on Thursday.
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The effects of that gruelling extra-time loss were apparent in Al Ain's laboured win over Tractor.
Missing their injured talisman Soufiane Rahimi, Al Ain managed to do just enough, with goals from Rami Rabia and Houssine Rahimi being enough for the three points.
“It was a very, very tough game for both teams because both teams played on Thursday,” Ivic, the Al Ain coach, said.
“Everyone who watched this game could understand, especially in the last 10-15 minutes, it was very, very tough to run, to mark, and easy to lose concentration.
“For us we are happy to get three points. I believe that we were the better team and congrats to my guys as they did a professional performance.”
The coach acknowledged that the full extent of Soufiane's injury remains unclear.
The Morocco striker, who was the player of the tournament when Al Ain were champions of Asia three seasons ago, was in tears as he went off with a leg injury late in the game against Shabab Al Ahli on Thursday.
It has been speculated he could be out for the rest of 2026, but Ivic said the prognosis will only be established in the next few days.
He says the workload has been testing for his players.
“The previous game in the cup [the 3-2 loss to Shabab Al Ahli] was 140 minutes, not 120,” Ivic said.
“With the GPS what we know exactly; they played 140 minutes three four days ago, so you can imagine how much energy my players spent.
“That’s two games, not one and a half games. It's very difficult. These two competitions are a priority.
“We know we have an added cup. We know that we have two Super Cups [domestic and UAE-Qatar] to play, and we have a lot of games in front of us. But for all of us, priority is [UAE Pro League and] Champions League.”