Bert van Marwijk, Herve Renard and Zlatko Dalic are candidates the UAE should consider

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  • From the wreckage of the UAE’s Asian Cup campaign, a new direction must be sought in the coming weeks.

    Chief among this will be selecting the coach to replace Alberto Zaccheroni after a run to the semi-finals that still left a sense of dissatisfaction.

    Here are Sport360°’s five possible candidates that the UAE Football Association should consider:

    BERT VAN MARWIJK

    Age: 66

    Employer: Unemployed

    If Van Marwijk has another World Cup cycle within him, he’d be the ideal candidate. Saudi Arabia were transformed under him, ending a 12-year exile from the global event. But his spiky character saw him leave before the competition, where he underwhelmed with Australia. Iran also want the World Cup 2010 finalist with the Netherlands, showing his qualities.

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    HERVE RENARD

    Age: 50

    Employer: Morocco

    Renard is a master of the international arena. The consummately suave Frenchman led unfancied Zambia to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, plus returned Morocco to the World Cup after 20 years away. Compensation will be high to extract the CAF Coach of the Year from the Atlas Lions, but if the UAE are serious about making World Cup 2022 he’s a solid gamble.

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    HENK TEN CATE

    Age: 64

    Employer: Al Wahda

    The Al Jazira icon has made no secret of a desire to lead the Whites to success. Ten Cate has a proven track record working with the likes of Ali Mabkhout, plus gave prominence to emerging youngsters such as Khalifa Al Hammadi. A lack of international experience does count against the ex-Barcelona assist, who turned down his native Netherlands in 2017.

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    JUAN ANTONIO PIZZI

    Age: 50

    Employer: Unemployed

    A rollercoaster tenure – they usually are with the Saudis – ended in disappointment in the Asian Cup’s round of 16. But this should not detract from trophy winning ex-Chile boss’ successful implementation of a concise, Spanish style of play. Also showed remarkable powers of recovery after the opening hammering by Russia at World Cup 2018. Will he want to work in the Middle East again, however, at a lesser nation? Also isn’t tactically varied.

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    ZLATKO DALIC

    Age: 52

    Employer: Croatia

    Rampant rumour at the Asian Cup saw the ex-Al Ain man lined up as a mid-tournament replacement for Zaccheroni. This talk proved fanciful – and a permanent return to the UAE also requires a stretch of imagination. Dalic’s stock is sky high after he guided Croatia to World Cup 2018’s final. But he holds an enormous affection for the Emirates. Could this pull bring him back?

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