Local coach criticises Ali Jasim after his move to Zakho

Iraqi international star Ali Jasim is set to begin his new journey with Zakho after joining from Italian club Como on a two-year deal. The move comes in a bid for stability for the first time after a series of short loans that did not give the player the chance for continuity and a consistent appearance. After two rounds of the Iraq Stars League, Jasim, who is 22 years old, has yet to feature for his new team. The team won in the first round against Al-Shamal with a goal to nil, before losing in the second round to Al Minaa 2-1, which has put the team's technical situation and coach Laurent Panid under scrutiny. Coach Thaer Adnan commented on the transfer, saying: "Player Ali Jasim is the hope of Iraqi football, young and exceptional with real talent. Two seasons ago, everyone saw that he could continue in Europe and would not think of returning to Arab or local leagues, but unfortunately, his levels have declined due to a lack of participation and sitting on the bench." He added: "Moving to the local league at this time is a step backward. It was supposed to think about continuing in external professionalism and not returning. We hoped he would follow in the footsteps of Arab stars like Mohamed Salah and Riyad Mahrez, and we respect the decision in the end and hope he regains his known level." He continued: "Ali Jasim's problem lies in the player's mentality. He does not possess the complete professional mentality and chose the easier path instead of continuing on the difficult road." He also criticized the management policy of Zakho: "I do not understand spending billions on transfers without thinking about improving the pitch and maintaining it to reflect the image worthy of the Iraq Stars League." Thaer Adnan expressed pessimism about the player's long-term stay with the team: "I am not optimistic about the continuation. The absence of clear planning may cause problems later. There is reliance on certain individuals in financing Ali Jasim's transfer, and if this liquidity stops, the club may face difficulties in meeting salaries and retaining the player." Zakho had made several strong signings during the current summer transfer window, in a clear attempt to compete for the Iraq Stars League title this time, rather than just settling for a place in the top four as happened in the past two seasons. The management aims to change the equation and present a different version of the team, with Ali Jasim's transfer being one of the most prominent highlights of this direction.