Fourth Spanish coach since 2017
© Imago
Julen Lopetegui is the new National coach of Qatar. The 58-year-old, who worked at West Ham United in the Premier League until the beginning of the year, signed a contract on Thursday until summer 2027, as the national association of the 2022 World Cup announced.
Lopetegui’s goal with the golf state is the qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. It would be the first sporting achievement of a world championship for Qatar. To do this, the Spaniard and his team must exist in the playoffs after the current qualification round.
In group 1, Qatar can no longer suppress the already qualified Iran (22 points) and Uzbekistan (17) from the two safe places on ten points and two lack of games. Behind the VAE, Qatar is currently ranked fourth, who entitles two and three to participate in the next round against the third and fourth of groups. The six teams are in turn divided into two groups, which compete against their two opponents in one game in one game. The group winners qualify for the World Cup, the second games in another round about who represented Asia in the inter-continental playoffs in March 2026. One team from the AFC, the African CAF, the South American Conmebol and the Oceanian OFC each take part in this.
Lopetegui takes over from his compatriot Luis García, who had looked after the team in five games since December. García was previously assistant coach under Tintín Márquez. The ranks of Spanish coaches in Qatar, which was launched by Félix Sánchez in 2017 and until the home World Cup, was interrupted by Portuguese Carlos Queiroz for ten months (for employee history).
For Lopetegui, Qatar is the second stop as a national coach for his home country for his home country of Spain from 2016 to 2018. Immediately before the start of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he was released because he had agreed on a connection job with Real Madrid. With the royal, he had to go again after only 14 games. From 2010 to 2014 he also worked for the Spanish association as a U19, U20 and U21 coach. With the U19 and the U21 selection, Lopetegui won the European Championship in 2012 and 2013.