The UAE Football Association has officially announced the appointment of a new head coach for the UAE national team.
The new coach assigned a two-year contract with the UAEFA.
He succeeds the former coach Paulo Bento.
Who is the New Head Coach of the UAE national team ?
UAEFA decision to appoint the new coach comes after Paulo Bento was dismissed.
Due to the national team’s poor performance in the World Cup qualifiers 2026.
In a post on its official account on platform X, the Association stated:
“The UAE Football Association has signed Romanian Cosmin Olăroiu to coach our national team for two years.”
About Cosmin Olăroiu
Born in 1969 in Bucharest, Romania, Olăroiu began his career as a footballer playing for several Romanian clubs,.
Most notably Universitatea Craiova, a well-known European team.
He played as a defender, known for his physical strength, on-field leadership, and fighting spirit, qualities that often made up for his technical limitations and contributed to the teams he played for winning titles.
He also had stints in Asia, including:
- Suwon Samsung (South Korea): Played 56 matches
- JEF United Ichihara Chiba (Japan): Played only 10 matches
He then returned to Romania to finish his playing career.
Coaching Career
Olăroiu began coaching with National Bucharest (2000–2002), followed by:
- Steaua Bucharest (2002)
- Returned to National Bucharest (2003–2004)
- Politehnica Timișoara (2005)
- Then again with Steaua Bucharest (2006–2007), where he led the team in the prestigious UEFA Champions League, marking one of his strongest coaching experiences.
In 2007, Olăroiu made headlines by signing with Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) in one of the biggest coaching contracts in the Arab world at the time.
His coaching philosophy emphasized discipline and tactical organization, aligning well with Al Hilal’s talent pool.
He focused on building three strong, interconnected lines within the team.
Later, he coached:
- Al Sadd (Qatar): Won the Qatar Stars Cup
- Al Ain (UAE) from 2011 to 2013: Beginning a golden era in Emirati football
- Shabab Al Ahli from 2013 to 2017
- Sharjah FC from 2021 to 2022
Cosmin Olăroiu, the coach of UAE Team is now expected to bring his extensive regional experience and tactical discipline to revive the UAE national team’s performance on the international stage.
