Qatar coach Lazaroni cut

Qatar have sacked coach Sebastiao Lazaroni, ending the Brazilian’s brief stint in charge of the Gulf nation’s national side.

A short statement from the Qatar Football Association (QFA) said Lazaroni was sacked because of ‘a series of weak performances’, highlighting the group stage exit at the ongoing Arab Games as the most recent disappointment to end his time in the job less than five months after being appointed to it.

Qatar failed to progress from a group featuring Bahrain and Iraq, only able to claim two draws from their outings.

Lazaroni took charge in August after Serbian Milovan Rajevac was sacked because of the ‘rather alarming fashion’ in which Qatar had edged Vietnam 4-2 over two legs in the second round of AFC World Cup qualifying.

Qatar are undefeated in second place in Group E in the third round of qualifying, and a draw against Iran on February 29 will be enough to send them through.

According to the QFA, Lazaroni’s successor will be announced soon and be ‘well aware of Qatari football’.

The 2022 World Cup hosts have never qualified for the World Cup and sit 95th in the world rankings.

Lazaroni, who led Brazil to the 1989 Copa America crown, has managed in several countries since starting at Flamengo in 1984.

The 61-year-old was in charge of Fenerbahce when the Turkish side ended Manchester United’s 40-year undefeated European record in their Champions League clash in 1996.