Sport | Football
UAE must concentrate on positives, says former official
A former top official of the national squad insists the team needs to concentrate on the positives despite the resignation of Frenchman Bruno Metsu.
- By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:53 September 22, 2008
Dubai: A former top official of the national squad insists the team needs to concentrate on the positives despite the resignation of Frenchman Bruno Metsu.
"Metsu is a fantastic person who knows how to deal with players and his staff," said outgoing UAE national team manager Abdullah Hassan.
"He comes with a certain charisma that he willingly passes on to anyone who comes in contact with him.
"He is a firm believer in people and he knows how to deal with everyone with respect. Not only is he solid in his technical decisions, he is fantastic as a person too," Hassan added.
"Though he is gone as the coach, we need to keep the positives we have gained while he was with us."
Hassan said last year's Gulf Cup triumph was the high point of Metsu's career with the team, but felt the UAE's qualification to the 2007 Asian Cup was equally important.
Hassan, who recently resigned as national team manager to concentrate on his full-time role as technical officer for youth development with the UAE FA, said: "Now we are at this stage where Metsu decided to go and we cannot force him to stay back," he said, adding any new coach faced a huge task before him.
"It is such a big void really that needs to be filled.
"Whoever takes over as the new coach will have to motivate the players and get the best out of them while preparing the team for their next match against South Korea (on October 15)."
Coaches said to be in the running include Ivan Hasek (Al Ahli), Toninho Cerezo (Al Shabab) and Winfried Schaefer (Al Ain).
"All these three coaches have the local experience, but it is left up to the clubs if they will release them," Hassan said.
UAE FA's general secretary Yousuf Abdullah admitted that all three foreign coaches were sure to figure in discussion's by the body's technical committee. UAE youth team coach Juma Rabea is the only person so far that the UAE FA has spoken to, but Abdullah said the coach had ruled himself out.
"It is not an easy task to find a quality coach, not in the middle of the season," the UAE general secretary said.
"But this is life and we need to search for someone who will be the right candidate."
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