Spaniard Lopetegui New national football coach in Qatar

Julen Lopetegui has taken over the position of Katar's new national football coach. The experienced Spaniard, who is 58 years old, signed a two -year contract by 2027, as the Qatarian Football Association announced. In this role he follows Luis García, his compatriot, who was previously in office.

Lopetegui will make his debut on June 5 in the World Cup qualification game against Iran. Five days later there is an away game in Uzbekistan. His task is to lead the Qatar team to a better performance after recently had to put on a disappointing result against Kyrgyzstan with 1: 3. The goal is to secure the qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Lopeteguis coaching background

Before he switched to the Qatarian national team, Lopetegui was a coach of English Premier League teams, most recently at West Ham United, where he was released after less than six months. He was also a coach at Wolverhampton and caused a sensation at Sevilla FC by winning the Europa League.

His career as a national coach in Spain was characterized by controversy. Lopetegui was released in Russia in 2018 two days before the first World Cup game after taking talks with Real Madrid without informing the Spanish association in advance. The move to Real Madrid was also unhappy, since after only 14 competitive games he already stepped down there.

With its extensive experience in international football and his dynamic coaching style, Lopetegui brings valuable perspectives to the Qatar national team. The upcoming World Cup qualification games will be crucial to define the direction of Qatarian football in the next few years.