Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain to Take Part in Gulf Football Cup in Qatar

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain confirm participation in Gulf Cup in Qatar. (AFP)
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain confirm participation in Gulf Cup in Qatar. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain to Take Part in Gulf Football Cup in Qatar

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain confirm participation in Gulf Cup in Qatar. (AFP)
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain confirm participation in Gulf Cup in Qatar. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced they will participate in the upcoming Gulf Cup football tournament in Qatar.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation said on Tuesday that it had accepted the invitation to take part in the tournament, due to be held between November 24 and December 6.

"The Saudi Football Federation has received a letter from the Arabian Gulf Cup federation, which includes a renewal of their invitation to participate in the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup championship," it said in a statement on Twitter.

"The (Saudi) federation has decided to agree to participate."

In separate statements, the football federations of the UAE and Bahrain announced that they too will take part.



Former Argentina Coach Sampaoli Takes Over at French Club Rennes

FILE - Coach Jorge Sampaoli of Brazil's Flamengo reacts during a Copa Libertadores round of 16 second leg soccer match against Paraguay's Olimpia at Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug.10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File )
FILE - Coach Jorge Sampaoli of Brazil's Flamengo reacts during a Copa Libertadores round of 16 second leg soccer match against Paraguay's Olimpia at Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug.10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File )
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Former Argentina Coach Sampaoli Takes Over at French Club Rennes

FILE - Coach Jorge Sampaoli of Brazil's Flamengo reacts during a Copa Libertadores round of 16 second leg soccer match against Paraguay's Olimpia at Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug.10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File )
FILE - Coach Jorge Sampaoli of Brazil's Flamengo reacts during a Copa Libertadores round of 16 second leg soccer match against Paraguay's Olimpia at Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug.10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File )

Former Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli is taking over at French league side Rennes.
The 64-year-old is returning to French soccer following a previous stint with Marseille.
Rennes said late Monday that Sampaoli signed a 1 1/2-year contract, The Associated Press reported.
Sampaoli, who was in charge of Argentina at the 2018 World Cup, replaces Julien Stephan, who was dismissed last week.
Rennes is looking for a jolt after a mediocre spell that saw the team slump to 13th place in the standings, 18 points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain after 11 matches.
“He is a coach who is recognized internationally for his professionalism and humanism,” said Arnaud Pouille, the executive chairman and managing director at Rennes. “He has a strong attachment to his players and staff, and is a loyal and committed man. We need his energy to get the club moving again and to face the competition with determination.”
The much-traveled Sampaoli has also coached clubs in Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Spain and Brazil.
Sampaoli abruptly left Marseille in July 2022 after leading the team back to the Champions League, over a disagreement related to the club's transfers of players.