Metsu sacked from Al Gharafa post

In the latest managerial change at a west Asian club, Qatari outfit Al Gharafa have fired coach Bruno Metsu just one year into his contract.

The Thursday announcement came four days after a disheartening 5-1 loss at home to Al Rayyan caused the team to drop to seventh place in the Stars League standings.

Metsu, who won the league championship in his first stint coaching Al Gharafa in 2005, had previously spent the last five years managing the UAE and Qatari national teams.

He re-joined Al Gharafa last year after Qatar’s quarter-final exit to Japan in the 2011 Asian Cup resulted in him losing his post as national team coach.

Metsu will be replaced by former Brazil international Paulo Silas, who was recently sacked by Al Arabi for poor form.

But the Frenchman may not be without a job for long, as he revealed in February that he had been contacted by the Senegal national team about their vacant coaching position.

Al Gharafa travel to last-placed Al Ahli on Saturday, before hosting Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in Asian Champions League group play on Wednesday.