Lebanon Coach Quits after Failed WCup Campaign

Lebanon coach Theo Buecker says he is leaving the national team after it failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup and is taking over at Saudi club side Al-Ettifaq.

Buecker, who has coached Lebanon since 2011, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he has signed a one-year contract with the Dammam-based club.

Lebanon's World Cup failure was largely due to a match-fixing scandal which implicated 24 players — including six involved in qualifying matches. Two of the 24 players were banned for life and the rest were given lesser sanctions.

A veteran of the Middle Eastern football, the 64-year-old German has previously coached four Saudi clubs and has held 16 positions in clubs in the eight countries of the region, including in Libya, Egypt and Qatar.