Al Gharafa coach Marcos Paqueta (left) is back for a second stint with the club after 2010. On right is Umm Salal coach Bulent Ugyun. Pictures: Jayan Orma

By Joe Koraith/Doha

The job of a football coach could be considered one of the most high risk one these days. Clubs no longer have the patience to give the coach a fair run.

In the Qatar Stars League last season, Al Gharafa were one of the teams that exhibited the least amount of tolerance when it came to coaches.

They went through three coaches last season. Gharafa began under Brazilian legend Zico but he was sacked after 17 matches. Tunisian Habib Sadegh took over temporarily and then handed over the reins to former Al Rayyan coach Diego Aguirre.

The Uruguayan had just seven matches to rescue the season. But he managed to get three wins and a draw which saw them finish in ninth place.

And now they have brought back Marcos Paqueta for a second stint. The Brazilian had guided the club to two QSL titles.

Gharafa are playing their first match today—a home encounter against Umm Salal. And while Gharafa will be hoping that Paqueta can work his magic again, the Brazilian doesn’t want to get into comparison mode.

“One cannot compare the two stints. They are two different teams in two different situations. We have always had good players but while earlier we were able to produce good results, in the last three years we have been unable to do so.

“I am not looking to compare the two teams because that will put pressure on the current team,” said Paqueta yesterday.

“I am only focused on getting good results out of this team. The past is past,”  he added.             

Paqueta is expecting a tough game against Salal and also expects the weather to play a part in the result.

“Salal is a good team. They are a physical team, very organised and they have a good defence. It will be a tough game. We hope that we can put in a good performance and take the three points. It will be about handling the weather,” said Paqueta.

Salal, on the other hand, had finished in seventh place, somehow managing to avoid relegation.

They too went through three coaches last season with the third, Bulent Ugyun being hired in the second half of the season. Though the Turkish coach managed to save the team from the drop, the management will expect a better performance this time around. And Ugyun is hoping for a better start this season.

“I hope this season can start on a better note for us. The beginning of the season is always difficult for all teams. But we will focus on this game and try to come away with three points,” said Ugyun yesterday.

Though as many as six players have left the team, coach Ugyun brushed away concerns that the stability of the team has been affected. “Every team has players being replaced. I am confident that the new players will gel together and produce a strong performance,” said Ugyun.

With both teams eager to get off to a good start and having similar strengths, this will be a keenly contested battle.

 

 

 

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