BAHRAIN’S first division football league champions Al Hidd yesterday announced that former Muharraq coach Isa Al Saadoon will be replacing Salman Shareeda as the first team’s coach.
Shareeda led Al Hidd to their maiden league title last year. Incidentally, Al Hidd beat Saadoon-coached Muharraq to the title with a 10-point gap.
Shareeda also helped Al Hidd to two other historic trophies during his year-and-a-half at the club starting in January 2015.
During his first six months at the club, Shareeda led the team to His Majesty the King’s Cup, Bahrain’s most prestigious trophy. He also led Al Hidd to victory in the Bahrain Federation Cup the same season.
Al Hidd wanted Shareeda to continue but the coach has decided to take a season-long break for personal reasons.
Saadoon’s assistants and other coaching staff as well as details of the contract are yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, Muharraq have agreed terms with Serbian coach Radan Gacanin to manage the team next season.
Assistant
Gacanin will bring along his Serbian assistant Damier Markanovic with goalkeeping coach Vladimir Ceric.
Bahraini Waleed Sharaf will work with the Serbian as a fitness coach while Yasser Abass will be the team physiotherapist and Mohammed Jassim media coordinator.
Gacanin, 39, had previously coached Bahraini side Al Riffa from 2003 to 2005 leading them to second place in his first season and to the title in the second.
The Serbian then went on to work with a number of clubs in Kuwait and Qatar. He also coached the Kuwaiti national team during the 2007-2008 season.