DUBAI // Al Wasl have confirmed Hector Cuper as their manager after he signed an 18-month deal in Dubai on Thursday. Cuper replaces Laurent Banide, who departed last month after a run of poor results.
“I am very happy to be here. I have lots of ambitions and targets which I hope we will achieve,” the former Valencia and Inter Milan coach said. “Since I got here the management has been very welcoming and I hope we can work together to achieve our ambitions.
“I thank everyone for their hospitality and their support.”
The National revealed on November 8 that Cuper was Wasl's target and yesterday the club confirmed the move.
The Argentine made no predictions but, having met the players, said he was ready to get started on the job for a side who are seventh in the league table.
“I cannot promise too much at the beginning but what I can guarantee is that I will give everything to achieve success here.”
Cuper said his knowledge of local football is limited. He is confident that will be rectified quickly.
“I have seen several matches but not enough to give an opinion on Emirati or Arab football yet,” he said. “I need to be taking part in a championship and know the team before I can do that.
“This will not be a problem for me. I am one of those people who can acclimatise quickly and this will give me the chance to get to know Arab football quickly.”
Sultan Hareb, a Wasl board member, said Cuper is the man to bring success back to the club, who last won the league in 2007.
“Al Wasl are going through a unique time,” he said. “It is changing on many levels, managerial and technical.”
He said the club’s technical committee considered Cuper “the most appropriate choice” and that it was still too early to take decisions on new signings.
“We’ll wait to see what Mr Cuper needs and the committee will then look into the matter,” Hareb said. “The players already here have shown they have talent and are not in any way inferior to those at other clubs.”
Cuper said the main reason for coming to Dubai was an attractive work opportunity.
“The first and most important reason is the job. I am someone who likes to work hard, and the offer was a very good one,” said “Dubai has attracted a lot of attention in terms of football and that encouraged me to come here. I am also a person who like to travel and experiencing new cultures.”
He has not yet sought the advice of Wasl’s previous Argentine coach, who still lives in Dubai.
“I haven’t had enough time to talk to Diego Maradona,” Cuper said. “I’ve been getting to know the team, but if the chance arises to chat with him over a coffee I would be happy to do so.”
The new coach is confident he can replicate the success he enjoyed at Valencia, where he took the team to two Uefa Champions League finals.
“I think I can, otherwise I would not have accepted the offer,” he said. “We all have one target, and the backing of the management gives me hope that I can do my job to the full.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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