Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi named former United States interim coach Anthony Hudson on Thursday to lead the side replacing popular Qatari tactician Younes Ali, who guided the team to memorable Amir Cup title. The announcement of Hudson’s appointment came shortly after Al Arabi said they have parted ways with the longtime coach by “mutual consent”. Seattle-born Hudson has coached various clubs and national teams including Bahrain and New Zealand in his long managerial career.

The 43-year-old, who was the interim manager of the United States national team, also served as technical director of Qatar’s Al Markhiya. The former West Ham player will start his Al Arabi stint with an Ooredoo Stars League (OSL) game against Al Ahli at Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday. Meanwhile, Al Arabi thanked Younes Ali for his services for the club.

“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to coach Younis for his sincere efforts and dedication during his training period, and we wish him all the best in his future career,” the club said in a statement. The former Qatari midfielder, under whom the team improved their standings in recent seasons, guided the side to the 2022-23 Amir Cup triumph – their first title in the prestigious tournament in 30 years. But Al Arabi had a dismal start to the Qatari flight this season languishing in 10th place in the standings with three draws and a defeat.

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