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Benzarti Sharjah coach

ABU DHABI — Al Sharjah have put their faith in Faouzi Benzarti to guide them through next season. The Tunisian was named coach of Al Sharjah, the club confirmed.

Faouzi is the brother of Lotfi Benzarti, who is the coach of Emirates. Lotfi also coached Bani Yas during the 2009-2010 season. Faouzi arrived in the UAE on Sunday night to sign the contract with the club. Faouzi was handed a one-year contract. His immediate task would be to bring Al Sharjah back to the top flight.

Al Sharjah were relegated but were handed a lifeline with the UAE Football Association (UAEFA) ruling that there will be 14 teams in the UAE Pro-League next season.

Al Sharjah and Emirates, two of the relegated teams will be involved in a play-off against Al Shaab and Al Dhafrah, the two teams who finished third and fourth in the UAE First Division. The two teams from the play-offs will be promoted to the UAE Pro-League.

Faouzi replaces Abdul Majeed Al Nimr. Al Sharjah made five coaching changes during the season.

Talajic for Ittihad Kalba

Newly promoted Ittihad Kalba have secured the services of Dragan Talajic to coach their team next season. Ittihad Kalba emerged topped the UAE League Division 1 which earned them promotion to the UAE Pro-League next season.

Talajic was declared the Best Coach of Asia and Best Coach of Arabic Football by Al Jazeera Sport TV in 2010-11. He was adjudged Best Coach of Arabic Football by MBC Sport TV the same year. He was also declared the Best Coach of Jordan in the same year.

Talajic was a goalkeeper during his playing days where he played in the UEFA Cup and he has considerable experience in the Middle East, having coached Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad and Al Nahda, Bahrain Riffa Club, East Riffa Club, Jordanian clubs Shabab Al Ordon and Al Wahdat, and Al Kuwait from Kuwait.

Talajic led Al Ittihad to the AFC Champions League title in 2004 and then coached Bahrain’s Al Riffa to the final stages of the Gulf Cup in 2005-06. In 2007-08. The 46-year-old led the Saudi club Al Nahda to the final of the Prince Faisal Cup.

He led Jordanian club Shabab Al Ordon to victory against Al Ahli Sana’a in the AFC Cup in Yemen in the 2009-10 season.

With Jordanian powerhouses Al Wahdat, he won the Jordan Shield Cup and the Jordan Super Cup. He became the second coach in the history of Jordanian football to win all four trophies in a season.

Kalba have also signed Brazilian Sergio Antonio de Carmo.