Rijkaard signs in London [AN Photo]
Frank Rijkaard has been appointed national coach of the Saudi Arabian football team on a three-year contract, worth a record 7.7 million euros, signed in London.
The former Barcelona coach and Dutch football player is expected to arrive in Riyadh within two days ahead of the start of the Saudi football season.
He will be watching league matches before he calls up his first squad.
Head of the Saudi Youth Welfare Presidency Prince Nawaf bin Faisal said Rijkaard would have full control over the running of the national team and that his appointment was for the long-term.
Rijkaard will be expected to ensure Saudi Arabia qualify for the 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil.
Once among the top teams in Asia, Saudi Arabia has been without a coach since crashing out of the Asian Cup in January.
A deal was signed with Ricardo Gomes but it was canceled after Saudi Arabia rejected his demands.
Saudi Arabia has appeared in four World Cups, but the Kingdom's fortunes have declined since reaching the 2006 tournament. The team missed out on the 2010 event and has fallen to 92nd in the FIFA world rankings after reaching a high of 23rd in 2004.
Saudi Arabia’s low point came earlier this year after being knocked out of the Asian Cup, a tournament it has won three times, in the group stage after an opening loss to Syria. The team’s Portuguese coach was fired after the loss and his successor, Nassir al-Johar, was sacked after the campaign ended with a 5-0 loss to Japan.
After the tournament, King Abdullah also removed Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as football federation president.
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