DUBAI // The UAE football fraternity on Tuesday said Bruno Metsu would be a “massive loss to football” after the former Emirates national team coach passed away following a year-long battle with cancer.
The Frenchman, 59, was diagnosed with the illness last October, while he was manager of Al Wasl, the Dubai club, and had spent the past 12 months fighting the disease. He died Tuesday morning at a clinic in Coudekerque-Village, his hometown in northern France. He was married with three children.
“It is very, very sad news for the club, and for me personally, as I knew him well,” said Sultan Hareb, a member of the Wasl board. “I was in touch with Bruno before he travelled to France and, although he seemed in good spirits, we knew he was in very bad shape.
“We’re all losing an extremely honest guy; not just Wasl, but the whole of the UAE.”
Metsu will forever be remembered for his contribution to the UAE national team, when in 2007 he guided the side to a first trophy with success in the Gulf Cup final against Oman in Abu Dhabi.
A player with a modest CV, he first rose to prominence at the 2002 Fifa World Cup, when he coached Senegal to a group-stage victory against France, the then world champions, before helping the west African country reach the quarter-finals.
Metsu further burnished his reputation during two years with Al Ain from 2002, in which the Garden City club became the first UAE team to be crowned continental champions when they secured the 2003 Asian Champions League title.
“It is a very sad day for me,” said Mohammed Omar, who played under Metsu first at Al Ain and then as UAE captain during the Gulf Cup triumph. “I was very close to him and shared some great moments. We had a lot of success together at Al Ain and later with the national team.”
Mutaz Abdullah, the former Al Ain and UAE goalkeeper, added: “My thoughts are with his young family. It is a massive loss for football. He was a charismatic coach and was admired by everyone associated with football in the region.”
Metsu managed a number of clubs throughout the Arabian Gulf, and enjoyed particular success with Al Gharafa in Qatar. He was also in charge of the Qatari national team from September 2008 to February 2011..
– Additional reporting by Amith Passela
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