Al Wahda appoint former Atletico Madrid and Japan coach Javier Aguirre as new manager

Aguirre will become the first Mexican to coach in the Arabian Gulf League. The former Japan national team coach arrives at Al Nahyan Stadium after Wahda’s bid to sign Oman coach Paul Le Guen fell through, reports Amith Passela.

Javier Aguirre, centre, ispresented as the new head coach of Al Wahda. Courtesy: Al Wahda Club / June 18, 2015

ABU DHABI // Javier Aguirre will become the first Mexican to coach in the Arabian Gulf League after being installed as Al Wahda’s new coach.

The former Mexico and Japan national team coach arrives at Al Nahyan Stadium after Wahda’s bid to sign Oman coach Paul Le Guen fell through with the Frenchman reportedly unhappy news of his talks were leaked before an important World Cup qualifier last week. Aguirre replaces Sami Al Jaber after the club declined to extend the Saudi Arabian’s contract at the season’s conclusion.

“Aguirre has signed a one-year extendable contract,” said Dr Jamal Mohammed Al Hosani, board member and spokesman at Al Wahda Football Company. “The new coach is a great asset for the club as he has vast experience and a successful record as a coach.

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“He was the coach of the Mexico national team in two world Cups – in 2002 and 2010 – he was the coach of the Japan national team in the latest AFC Asian Cup held in Australia in 2015 and he also possesses experience as a manager for many clubs, especially Spanish clubs, namely Atletico Madrid.

“Javier Aguirre arrived in Abu Dhabi yesterday [Wednesday] evening to sign the contract and discuss preparations for the next season.

“He will return to Madrid and will be back in 10 days as the team starts to gather. The club will present the new coach to the media in a press conference to be announced later.”

Aguirre was most recently the national team coach of Japan but had his contract annulled in February by the Japan Football Assocaition after Spanish anti-corruption investigators named the 56-year-old Mexican in an ongoing match-fixing investigation over Real Zaragoza’s 2–1 win over Levante on the final day of the 2010/11 La Liga season while Aguirre was manager of Zaragoza. It is alleged Levante’s players were paid to deliberately lose that game. Aguirre has denied any wrongdoing.

A 20-year managerial career has taken in Atlante and Pachuca in his homeland, as well as Osasuna, Atletico Madrid, Zaragoza and Espanyol in Spain. Aguirre has also coach the Mexico national team on two occasions as well as most recently Japan.

Aguirre may have recent unhappy memories of the UAE after Mahdi Ali’s men knocked his Japan side out of the Asian Cup in Australia earlier this year when the two teams met in the quarter-finals.

As a player, Aguirre carved out a career as a midfielder for teams such as America and Guadalajara in his homeland and made 59 appearances for Mexico between 1983 and 1992, playing in the 1986 World Cup on home soil.

Al Wahda finished fourth in this season’s Arabian Gulf League, 13 points behind champions Al Ain.

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