Sport | Football
I don't like to lose, says Metsu
UAE national team coach Bruno Metsu left the UAE footballing world shell-shocked on Sunday when he handed in his resignation.
- By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
- Published: 17:58 September 22, 2008
- UAE national team coach Bruno Metsu handed his resignation on Sunday.
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
Dubai: UAE national team coach Bruno Metsu has justified his love for soccer as the main reason behind his resignation from the helm.
The Frenchman left the UAE footballing world shell-shocked late on Sunday when he handed in his resignation to the UAE Football Association (UAE FA) President Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi.
"I don't like to lose and that is why I have given in my resignation from the national team," Metsu told a press conference at the UAE FA headquarters in Dubai on Monday.
"I did take the risks with the hope that the results would show. But this did not happen and the confidence of the players slipped," the 54-year-old Metsu read from a statement.
Yousuf Abdullah, the UAE FA general secretary, who took over the briefing after Al Rumaithi and Metsu left the table, stated that Metsu's assistant Dominique Batheney will be the care-taker until the new coach is named.
Entrusted with the task of leading the UAE to their second appearance at a World Cup, Metsu's campaign ran into trouble as the UAE stand with nil points after two matches of the Asian leg for the 2010 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
To make things difficult for the Frenchman, both losses have come on home ground. The UAE went down 1-2 to North Korea in the opener and then lost by the same margin to Saudi Arabia earlier this month to stand in last place in the five-nation Group Two of the qualifiers.
The Frenchman shot into the limelight after he led Senegal to a historic 1-0 win against defending champions France at the 2002 Fifa World Cup jointly hosted by Japan and Korea. Senegal reached the quarterfinals before losing in extra-time to Turkey.
After taking over the reins of the national team, Metsu's next biggest success was leading the UAE to their first-ever triumph in the Gulf Cup in January 2007. However, after that team has been on a downward slide - aptly manifested by the two recent losses.
What will be the next stop for former Senegal and UAE national coach Bruno Metsu?
"I don't know my future at this moment," Metsu said during his brief meeting with the media at the UAE Football Association headquarters on Monday afternoon.
However, the rumours have been quick and loud that Metsu has already reportedly been offered a contract to take over the Qatar national squad from Uruguayan Jorge Daniel Fossati.
It is believed that Fossati is in the process of parting ways with Qatar due to personal reasons and the Qatar Football Association has made the offer to Metsu.
"I don't know where I will be tomorrow," Metsu said.
Though not giving much away during the press briefing, the Frenchman is also reported to be leaving for Doha on Tuesday to take over his new responsibility.
Meanwhile, the UAE FA's technical committee was scheduled to meet later last night to debate names of possible candidates.
Do you think Metsu was the right person for the job? Would you want a foreign coach for the UAE team? Or will an Emirati coach prove to be more successful?
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