QNB Stars League side Al Gharafa announced Andrea Stramaccioni as the club’s new coach yesterday. The Italian was unveiled at the club’s headquarters on Wednesday.
The 45-year-old Italian will replace Serbian Slavisa Jokanovic, who coached the team for two years before joining English outfit Sheffield United. It will be Stramaccioni’s second stint in Asia, having previously coached Iran’s Esteghlal before leaving the team last December. The former defender started his coaching career at the youth team level with AS Roma before moving to Inter Milan, later handling their senior team on an interim basis.
He then coached Udinese before moving to Greece to manage Panathinaikos for one season while he also had a stint in Czech Republic with Sparta Prague.
Stramaccioni said he was pleased to be in Doha and with Al Gharafa and was excited for a new experience and a different challenge. “I will be up for a new challenge. I have some information about the Qatari clubs, including Al Gharafa Club, which has won many titles. I want to get the team back on the right track,” he said.
He added that his training philosophy depends on achieving victories and will work to transfer them on to the players. He said his thoughts are completely identical to the aspirations of Gharafa.
Team manager Mujib Hamid said Gharafa is seeking to compete for titles in the new season and will have a preparatory camp in Germany ahead of the new season. Hamid said that the German camp will play four friendly matches, with the camp being held from August 6-26.