DOHA: Djamel Belmadi has agreed to take charge of Qarari champions Lekhwiya for a second time following the departure of Danish head coach Michael Laudrup.
Contract negotiations with Laudrup officially ended on Thursday and Lekhwiya moved swiftly to appoint the Algerian, who led them to the Qatar Stars League title in 2011 and 2012.
Lekhwiya’a media official Saleh Moussa said of Belmadi in a statement on Thursday “... the club management saw he was the best option to be with the team (for) the next period.”
Belmadi led the Qatar National B team to the West Asian Football Federation Championships and then the full men’s team to the Gulf Cup of Nations title in 2014 but was dismissed following three losses and a group stage exit at the Asian Cup which followed shortly after in January.
He takes over a Lekhwiya side in good health following Laudrup’s highly successful season in charge.
The Dane, a gifted former player with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Ajax Amsterdam, won a double and steered the club through to an August quarter-final meeting with Saudis Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League.
“The coach made great efforts in the last season, as he won the Qatar Stars League title and the Qatar Cup title, he also reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League,” Lekhwiya General Secretary Adnan Al Ali said in a statement.
“Certainly we wish him success in his next coaching job.”
Laudrup, who has managed Brondby, Getafe, Real Mallorca, Swansea City and Spartak Moscow, is one of the favourites to succeed Morten Olsen as Denmark national team coach when he steps down in 2016.
According to a news report yesterday, Laudrup could be set for a dramatic return to Barcelona after being unveiled as the Spanish giants’ potential new sporting director.
Laudrup will take up that position if Jordi Majo wins the presidential election and takes over at the Nou Camp, a report on southwales-eveningpost.co.uk claimed yesterday.
The report said his agent Bayram Tutumlu has confirmed the former Barca playmaker has signed an agreement to take control of all aspects of football at the club from the academy to the first team.
After leading Swansea to a Capital One Cup final victory in 2013, Laudrup was sacked a year later as his side threatened to get sucked in a relegation battle.
He joined Lekhwiya and led them to the title last term, but has been regularly linked with a move back to the Premier League.
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