Al Wakrah sack coach Mauricio

QATAR Stars League side Al Wakrah fired coach Jose Mauricio last week. 

The Uruguayan lost his job after the two-time league champions suffered a 0-2 defeat, their fifth in the competition, against Al Gharafa in the sixth round. 

Wakrah, who last won the title in 2000- 2001, have struggled to stay afloat in the top flight in recent years. They found the going even more tough this season after prolific Argentinian striker Sebastian Saez left the club in the pre-season, having guided them to safety last time. 

Mauricio, who joined the Blue Waves last season, replaced Saez with Pablo Olivera, another Uruguayan, as the spearhead, but they could not find the rhythm. 

In a recent interview with Doha Stadium Plus, Mauricio had expressed his disappointment at his players’ reluctance in playing attacking football and added the reversals had dampened their morale. 

“I’m happy with the money I earn, but it isn’t everything. I’ve the best of facilities, but at the end of the day, it’s the team’s performance that’s most important. For a professional, when results don’t come, it’s very difficult to motivate himself,” said Mauricio. 

The Wakrah management has been infamous for its hire-and-fire policy. In the last 10 years, they have tried 19 coaches.