The Football Association have settled on a three-man shortlist for the vacant UAE manager position, with an appointment to be made within the next week.
The FA met on Saturday to discuss their original five candidates and whittle those down to three, with Bert van Marwijk and Herve Renard still featuring prominently. Negotiations will continue during the next few days, with the FA hoping to call a press conference next week to confirm their permanent successor to Alberto Zaccheroni.
Having guided the Netherlands to a runner-up spot at the 2010 World Cup and then Saudi Arabia to last summer's finals in Russia, Van Marwjik’s appeal is obvious. Morocco manager Renard, meanwhile, has long been linked with the UAE and has forged a fine reputation during spells with Zambia and the Ivory Coast.
The UAE squad will meet up in Abu Dhabi next week for friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Syria. The matches take place on March 21 and 26, respectively, and will be played at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium.
Saleem Abdelrahman, part of Zaccheroni’s staff for the Asian Cup, will remain in temporary charge for those two fixtures irrespective if the deal for a permanent successor has been completed.
