Rodolfo Arruabarrena confirmed as new Al Wasl manager

The 40-year-old Argentine finalised the deal on Monday and replaces compatriot Gabriel Calderon.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena, the new Al Wasl manager, officially replaced his Argentine compatriot Gabriel Calderon on Monday, June 6, 2016. Courtesy Al Wasl FC
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Al Wasl have confirmed Rodolfo Arruabarrena as their new manager after the former Boca Juniors coach signed a one-year contract with the club.

The 40-year-old Argentine finalised the deal on Monday and replaces Gabriel Calderon, who parted company with Wasl last month having guided his side to a sixth-place finish in the 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League.

See more from John McAuley:

• Al Wasl expected to hire Rodolfo Arruabarrena, former Boca Juniors coach

• Gabriel Calderon likely to depart Al Wasl after club give Argentine 'official two-day vacation'

Most recently, Arruabarrena enjoyed an initially successful two-year spell at Boca, winning the 2015 Argentine Primera Division title and that year’s Copa Argentina crown. However, he was dismissed in February following a poor start to the new season in which Boca gleaned seven points from their opening five league fixtures.

Arruabarrena had previously played for the club, while also representing Spain’s Villarreal, AEK Athens in Greece, Argentina’s Tigre and Universidad Catolica in Chile. A former defender, he was capped six times for the Argentina national team. He began his managerial career in 2011 with Tigre before moving to Nacional in Uruguay. In 2014, he joined Boca.

Arruabarrena becomes Wasl’s 10th manager since Diego Maradona was dismissed in 2012.

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