Cosmin Olaroiu's short and unhappy reign as UAE coach is over after his last-ditch attempt to inspire World Cup qualification ended in failure.
The UAE FA had spent years trying to woo the Romanian – hugely successful in the domestic Pro League with multiple clubs – but decided to pull the plug on Saturday after just 13 months.
Olaroiu was tasked with getting the UAE's faltering 2026 qualifying bid back on track after previous incumbent Paulo Bento was dispensed with.
Draws against Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan meant the UAE could finish only third in their Asian qualifying group, sending them into a fourth round where they were placed in a mini-league with Oman and Qatar.
A 2-1 win over the Omanis meant the team needed only avoid defeat in their match against Qatar to punch their ticket to North America. However, a contentious match saw them lose 2-1. A subsequent two-legged defeat to Iraq denied them a place in the intercontinental play-offs and their dream of a first World Cup since 1990 officially ended.
The FA say they will “announce the new technical staff for the national team in the coming period”. They might do well to wait until after the World Cup when many more coaches will be on the market. Here are five candidates who could be in the running to become the UAE's next manager.
1 Zlatko Dalic
The Croatian is said to be the UAE's top choice for the job. Hugely admired for his work at Al Ain between 2013 and 2016 – Dalic won the Pro League, President's Cup and was runner-up in the AFC Champions League – the 59-year-old has serious pedigree in international football.
Croatia were losing finalists at the 2018 World Cup and won bronze in Qatar four years later. He is said to be out of contract after this summer's finals in North America.
2 Paulo Sousa
The Portuguese boss, 55, has been a revelation in UAE football since taking over at Shabab Al Ahli where he won a domestic treble of Pro League, President's Cup and Super Cup in 2024/25.
His side have been bested by a resurgent Al Ain this season but might have made the AFC Champions League final if not for one of the worst VAR decisions on record in their semi-final against Machida Zelvia. Has previous international experience with Poland.
3 Vladimir Ivic
So, what about the man who got the better of Sousa in UAE domestic football in 2025/26? The Serbian is the hottest property in the Pro League right now having led Al Ain to an unbeaten championship-winning campaign.
He also lifted the President's Cup and narrowly lost the ADIB Cup final. Al Ain would surely fight to keep the 49-year-old with a major crack at the AFC Champions League on the cards for next season.
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President Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, with staff and players from Adnoc Pro League title winners Al Ain. All photos: UAE Presidential Court -
Sheikh Mohamed congratulates players for their success this season -
The President has encouraged the players to continue striving for excellence at local and international level -
Sheikh Mohamed, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region, and Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc, with the league trophy -
Sheikh Mohamed shakes hands with Al Ain's players -
Sheikh Mohamed with Sheikh Hazza at the event
4 Paulo Bento
Could the UAE FA reconcile with the Portuguese? Bento's national team reign had certainly been underwhelming even if his sacking still came as a slight shock with them still in the mix for World Cup qualification when the axe fell.
On the plus side, he knows the pool of players well and would need little time to adapt. However, it still seems an unlikely scenario for all concerned.
5 Graham Arnold
The Australian will lead Iraq at this summer's finals in North America having knocked out the UAE in a two-legged play-off in Asian qualifying. That was the second time he had orchestrated such a feat having ended their hopes in 2022 when in charge of the Socceroos.
So, who better to hire than the man who has twice thwarted your World Cup ambitions? Arnold is a specialist in qualification and an expert man-manager who would quickly galvanise a squad lacking identity after wholesale changes in the previous qualification cycle.
