Beyond World Cup
©IMAGO
Long-time Swiss national coach Vladimir Petkovic has extended his contract as coach of the Algerian national team, the FAF association announced on Sunday. After the upcoming World Cup, the 62-year-old Swiss will remain in office for at least two more years. The new working paper is valid until July 2028. The Sarajevo-born trainer succeeded Djamel Belmadi as head coach of the Fennecs in February 2024. After twelve years, he and the team made it back to the World Cup, which begins on Thursday in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
In Group J, Algeria will face the ÖFB team coached by Ralf Rangnick as well as defending champions Argentina and Jordan. At the Africa Cup at the beginning of the year, Petkovic’s team failed in the quarter-finals against Nigeria. Before his involvement with the North Africans, Petkovic had, among others, looked after Girondins Bordeaux, the Swiss national team, Young Boys Bern and Lazio Rome. With the exception of his time with the Swiss national team (7 years), Petkovic has never been in charge for as long in the past two decades – after the breakthrough in Agno – as he will now be in Algeria.