Marco Alves gives instructions to his players.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 11: Al-Arabi Club has parted ways with Portuguese head coach Marco Alves and his technical staff.

The coaching team had included assistant coaches Ahmad Hayel (Jordan) and Blessing Lumuno, along with goalkeeping coach Artur Guedes, while Tunisian fitness coach Khalil Al-Jabali will continue in his role.

The dismissal follows Al-Arabi’s 2-1 loss to Al-Nasr on Sunday in the eighth round of the Zain Premier League. This was Al-Arabi’s first defeat of the season, while Al-Nasr notched its first win after seven consecutive losses. The defeat dropped Al-Arabi to third place with 14 points, just behind Al-Qadsia on goal difference and five points behind leaders Kuwait Club.

This season, Alves led Al-Arabi in 10 matches—three in the AFC Challenge League, winning one and drawing two, failing to reach the quarterfinals, and seven in the Zain Premier League, with four wins, two draws, and one loss.

The Al-Arabi board is carefully considering his replacement, with Nasser Al-Shatti emerging as the top candidate to return, having previously managed the club over the past two seasons.

Alves is the third coach to be dismissed from a Premier League club this season, after Nasser Al-Shatti resigned from Al-Salmiya following the first round (replaced by national coach Mohammed Dhailis) and Portuguese coach Miguel Leal was sacked by Al-Tadamon after round seven, replaced by national coach Maher Al-Shammari.

Overall, Alves is the fourth coach to leave a team in Kuwaiti football this season, following Al-Khaitan’s dismissal of Tunisian coach Hatem Al-Moudeb and the mid-October appointment of Russian coach Alexander Vladimirovich.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff