Al Jazira have reappointed Marcel Keizer as manager less than one year after he left the club for Sporting Lisbon.
The Dutchman, 50, has signed a two-year contract, replacing at the Abu Dhabi club compatriot Jurgen Streppel, who was relieved of his duties this weekend following a disappointing start to the season.
Keizer returns to Jazira having been dismissed by Sporting last month after a run of only two victories from their opening five matches. He managed Jazira at the beginning of the 2018/19 season, guiding them to five wins and four draws before switching to Sporting in November.
“I am delighted to be back in the UAE and representing this great club,” Keizer said in a statement. “We will work hard in all competitions this season and we hope to give our fans plenty of excitement and entertainment along the way. I am looking forward to meeting up with the squad and I am excited about what we can achieve together.”
At Sporting, Keizer led the side to success in the Portuguese Cup and Portuguese League Cup, while also finishing third in last season’s Primeira Liga. However, they began this campaign with a hugely damaging 5-0 defeat to Benfica in the Super Cup.
At Jazira, Keizer inherits a team who won four of their eight matches since Streppel’s appointment this summer, although only one in the Arabian Gulf League. After three rounds, the 2016/17 champions sit seventh.
“We are delighted to announce Marcel’s return to Al Jazira FC,” said Jazira CEO Ayed Mabkhout. “He is a top-class coach and his understanding of the local and regional championships here will be a big advantage to us. We wish him all the very best for a successful season ahead.
“I would like to thank Jurgen for all of his commitment and work during his time with us. We wish him every success in the future.”
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Teaching in coronavirus times
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
