Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Riyadh: The Saudi Arabia Football Federation decided to terminate the contract of Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard on Wednesday with Saudi’s U-19 team coach Sergio Piernas taking charge of the team as interim manager.
The decision to sack the former Barcelona manager came after the national team bowed out of the group stages of the ongoing Gulf Cup 2013.
The three-time Asian champions managed a single win over Yemen while they suffered defeats to Iraq and Kuwait in the group stages. A dominant force in Asian football, Saudi even failed to reach the final rounds of the FIFA World Cup 2014 Asian qualifiers under the tutelage of the former Netherlands international.
Rijkaard was appointed in July 2011 after Saudi fared disastrously in the AFC Asian Cup 2011. His immediate goal was to lead Saudi Arabia to the FIFA World Cup 2014 finals.
According to Saudi FA spokesman Adnan Al Maabeid, interim coach Piernas will take charge of Saudi’s first two matches in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifiers against China and Indonesia. The West Asians open their Group C qualifying campaign by hosting China on 6 February 2013.