Ittihad Jeddah named Frenchman Bruno Metsu as their new head coach succeeding Romanian manager Anghel Iordanescu, the Asian Champions said Wednesday. Metsu signed a 14-month contract after arriving Jeddah from Qatari capital Al-Doha where he was coaching local side Al-Gharafa, Ittihad said on their official website. The new coach will be officially introduced in a press conference to be held later on Wednesday. "Ittihad is the best team in Asia in their managerial post is surly coveted by any coach," Metsu said after signing the contract.
Ittihad Jeddah Iordanescu, who guided Ittihad to their second successive Asian title this season, was sacked earlier this week after a string of poor domestic results. Metsu had several spells in Qatar and UAE where he steered giants Al-Ain to winning the Asian Champions League. In 2002, he steered Senegal to the World Cup quarter-finals after registering stunning results, beating the then title holders France 1-0 in the opener.