Metsu lined up to replace Fossati

Qatar have terminated the contract of their Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati, which could pave the way for a quick return to football for the former UAE coach Bruno Metsu.

The former UAE coach Bruno Metsu at the end of their 2010 World Cup qualifying match against North Korea in Abu Dhabi.
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DOHA // Qatar, who lead their qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup, have terminated the contract of their Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati, which could pave the way for a quick return to football for the former UAE coach Bruno Metsu. Qatar's Football Association decided Fossati's recovery from recent stomach surgery would take too long and that a new coach was needed for the rest of the campaign. A senior federation official said Frenchman Metsu, who quit as coach of the UAE on Sunday following two home defeats to North Korea and Saudi Arabia, was favourite to succeed him.

"The contract was terminated, he just had an operation on his stomach which will take more than a month to heal," the official said today. "We are interested in Metsu, he knows Qatar, but we are looking at local coaches also." Three of the 10 remaining teams in Asian World Cup qualifying have parted company with their coaches since the weekend, with Metsu's departure and the resignation of Uzbekistan coach Rauf Inileev, the 2007 Asian Coach of the Year.

Qatar currently lead Group One after a win and a draw in their opening round four qualifiers. The Gulf state, however, could be booted out of the competition and replaced by Iraq if the Court of Arbitration for Sport overrules Fifa's decision not to punish them for fielding an ineligible player in an earlier round. *Reuters