The Qatar Football Association has decided to dismiss coach Marquez Lopez from coaching the Qatari national team due to the decline in results in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Lopez took over the coaching of the Qatari national team shortly before the 2023 Asian Cup, and succeeded in leading the Al-Annabi to win the title for the second time in a row.
However, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Qatari team performed disastrously on all levels, and the straw that broke the camel’s back was the 5-0 loss to the UAE in the last break.
For this reason, the Qatari Federation decided to dispense with the Spanish coach, and began searching for a successor who could save the situation in the qualifiers and preserve the Qataris’ hopes of reaching the next World Cup.
According to recent reports, it is unlikely that Xavi Hernandez will take over the task despite the strong relations that bind him to Qatari officials after working for years with Al-Sadd Club.
The closest at the present moment to take over the leadership of Al-Annabi is the former Paris Saint-Germain coach and current Al-Duhail coach Christophe Galtier.
The Qatari Federation believes that Galtier knows Qatari football well after working for two years with Al Duhail, in addition to being an experienced coach with a special mindset that promises to turn things around in the national team.
It is expected that the matter will be decided in the coming few weeks and before the start of the 25th Gulf Cup competitions in late December, which will be Galtier’s first opportunity to get to know his players before the World Cup qualifiers that will resume next March.
