Doha, June 12 (QNA) - Qatar Sports Club officially announced the appointment of Spanish coach Bartolome Marquez Lopez as the new head coach of the club's first football team.

In a statement published on its official account on platform X, the club confirmed that the 62-year-old Lopez has signed a contract to lead the team for the upcoming 2025–2026 season, succeeding Moroccan coach Youssef Safri, who departed at the end of the 2024–2025 campaign.

Lopez previously coached Al-Wakrah starting in 2018, with a contract originally running until 2024. However, in December 2023, he was called upon by the Qatar Football Association to manage the national team during the AFC Asian Cup hosted in Doha, following the departure of Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz. Under his leadership, the national team secured its second consecutive continental title.

Qatar SC, which has not claimed a league title since the 2002–2003 season, is aiming to strengthen its squad during preparations for the new season, set to begin on August 14, 2025.

The club, which finished 10th last season, recently announced the departure of six foreign players: Spanish defender Javi Martinez, South African winger Percy Tau, Brazilian forward Carlos Vinicius, Congolese striker Ben Malango, Moroccan defender Badr Benoun, and Egyptian forward Ahmed Abdelkader. (QNA)