Qatar fire soccer coach Metsu

Bruno Metsu was sacked as Qatar’s football coach yesterday, just a week after the conclusion of the Asian Cup where the national team failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals. A new coach could be announced as early as next week.
Metsu’s ouster was announced at a press conference after the Qatar Football Association’s review committee came up with the conclusion that it was time for him to go. The Frenchman’s original contract was to run until 2014.
Metsu was under tremendous pressure after Qatar’s group stage exit at the Gulf Cup in Yemen. However, with just over a month left for the Asian Cup, the QFA decided to persist with him.
Qatar lost their opening match in Asian Cup to Uzbekistan 2-0 and Metsu feared the axe in the middle of the tournament. But when that didn’t happen, he even thanked the QFA for keeping faith in him.
“I was expecting the worse after our loss in the first match but I thank the QFA for not taking that extreme step (of sacking me),” he had said.
Metsu, however, looked like having gained the QFA’s trust with Qatar’s two sterling victories against China and Kuwait which helped the team qualify for the last eight, but the 3-2 defeat against Japan after the hosts had led twice, seems to have again turned the tide against him.
“There was immense pressure on the Qatar Football Association to change the coach after Gulf Cup because they crashed out early. But that was not the time to appoint a new coach as the Asian Cup was near. We believed in stability and so we decided to continue with him,” QFA president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani said yesterday.
“As we promised, there was a review after the Asian Cup and we decided it was in the interest of both parties to terminate the contract prematurely.
“We thank Metsu for his all the work he had done with Qatar football during his stint. He will continue to be a friend of Qatar football.”
Metsu shot to fame in 2002 when he took Senegal to their first FIFA World Cup where they shocked defending champions France in the opener and went on to qualify for the quarter-finals before eventually being knocked out by Turkey.
“We could not achieve the desired result but still no one should forget the good effort of the players in the Asian Cup, especially against Japan,” Metsu said yesterday.
“They showed character and showed what Qatar football is all about. As a professional coach, I accept the decision. And I thank all those people who helped me during my stint with the Qatar national team.”

Source "Gulf Times"