Abu Dhabi: The UAE FA has confirmed they are considering offering Diego Maradona the role as next national team head coach, saying it would be ‘illogical' to overlook the Argentine legend.
Maradona — the current boss of Etisalat Pro League side Al Wasl — is a leading candidate to replace temporary coach Dr Abdullah Misfir once the UAE's World Cup qualifiers finish at the end of the month.
His club are believed to be willing to release him half way through his two-year contract in the summer if that would benefit the nation. And Yousuf Al Sarkal, Chairman of the UAE FA Transitional Committee, confirmed that they have thought of Maradona as head coach. "It will be illogical not to think of Maradona while he is among us to lead the UAE. We see the great improvement he did to Al Wasl this season."
But Gulf News sources have confirmed that Brazilian coach Abel Braga, who led Al Jazira to the double last season for the first time in the club's history before going back to his home country, is another favourite to take over.
Fellow Brazilian Paolo Bonamigo of Al Shabab in Dubai is also in the frame.
The UAE is going through one of its darkest eras, as they have suffered their worst results and performances in a long time. The team were the first to exit the group stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup after losing their first five matches.
Misfir was appointed caretaker coach following Serbian Srecko Katanec's dismissal and he still has one match against Lebanon on February 29 until he steps aside.
Board elections
Former FA Chairman Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi quit his post late last year and was followed by the entire committee. Elections for a new board of directors will be held in May. But Al Sarkal said: "We hope to bring the new coach in earlier in order to be able to watch the matches of the second half of the Etisalat Pro-League.
"We could do that and now we are hopeful of finishing our search and bringing the new coach in as soon as possible to follow up the remaining matches of the season to be able to select the players for the team."
The UAE will take part in the Arab Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the summer and are planning that the new coach will be leading the team in that regional competition.
But it is not expected that the UAE FA will announce the new coaching staff before the team's match against Lebanon, so as not to distract the concentration of the players and technical staff as the football fraternity in the UAE looks to that match as a face-saver after their poor results in the qualifiers.
