Saudi Arabia replace Van Marwijk with Bauza despite World Cup qualification

It was meant to be time for celebration but instead, Bert van Marwijk is looking for another job despite guiding Saudi Arabia to next year’s World Cup in Russia.

Van Marwijk – out of contract at the end of the AFC qualifying campaign – was replaced by former Argentina boss Edgardo Bauza as Saudi Arabia’s new head coach on Thursday following his arrival from United Arab Emirates.

The Saudis secured their fifth World Cup appearance and first since 2006 thanks to Van Marwijk and their win over Japan earlier in September.

However, former Netherlands coach Van Marwijk – who led the Dutch all the way to the 2010 World Cup final – was unable to agree on a new deal with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), who wanted the 65-year-old to reside permanently in the country.

“I stopped the negotiations. Last week, after we qualified for the World Cup, a few of my staff members were sacked. That’s unacceptable for me”, Van Marwijk told NOS.

“I’m not going to negotiate about that [moving to Saudi Arabia]. I don’t want to live there permanently. They think it’s incomprehensible that I had to leave. They really wanted to go to Russia with me.”

| #الاتحاد_السعودي_لكرة_القدم يتفق مع الأرجنتيني باوزا لتدريب الأخضر في مونديال روسيا2018م pic.twitter.com/SUxxNnhX7F

— الاتحاد السعودي (@saudiFF) September 14, 2017

Van Marwijk added: “I would like to go to the World Cup, because that’s why I started this job two years ago. But I will not let anyone tell me how to do my job.

“It appears that success has many fathers. After the World Cup, I notice that many people suddenly want to interfere with the national team and also want to talk about it.

“It’s a pity that it has to be true, especially for the regular group of players we have been able to work with the past two years. Those players have approached me from all sides to stay, but I have no choice. Every coach must have the freedom to determine his own method.”

Bauza, 59, endured a turbulent spell in charge of Argentina, sacked with the South American nation’s World Cup hopes hanging in the balance.

The Copa Libertadores-winning coach took over UAE in May but he was unable to clinch a spot in the World Cup qualifying play-off.