World Cup Managers Face Minimal Preparation Time Before Tournament
Several international managers appointed just weeks before the World Cup are arriving with minimal preparation time and competitive experience with their teams. Coaches like Carlos Queiroz (Ghana), Georgios Donis (Saudi Arabia), and Graham Potter (Sweden) have had only a handful of games to prepare their squads. The lack of preparation time could significantly impact team performance at a tournament where there is little margin for error.
Multiple World Cup managers have been appointed recently with limited time to prepare their teams for the tournament. Carlos Queiroz, appointed Ghana manager on April 13, has managed only one competitive game before the World Cup. Saudi Arabia's Georgios Donis was appointed 10 days later and has had three friendlies to prepare. Other newly appointed managers include Miroslav Koubek (Czech Republic, appointed December with zero prior international experience), Graham Potter (Sweden, appointed October), Sabri Lamouchi (Tunisia, appointed January), Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco, appointed March), and Fabio Cannavaro (Uzbekistan, appointed October). While some managers like Ouahbi have enjoyed unbeaten friendly records, others such as Potter and Cannavaro have experienced recent losses. The article notes that leading a nation through qualification offers no guarantee of remaining as manager through the tournament itself, a reality that has reshaped several teams' World Cup preparations.
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In at the deep end: The World Cup managers short on preparation
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