Despite Marco Verratti, who has certainly not played since January 23 due to an injury, but also former Ligue 1 players such as Jean-Charles Castelletto, Youssouf Sabaly, Boubakary Soumaré and Benjamin Bourigeaud as well as Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek and Algerian nugget Adil Boulbina, Al-Duhail is having a very disappointing season in Qatar. The team led by Djamel Belmadi did not maintain its position, although it finished second last year under the orders of Christophe Galtier.
Appointed in June 2025, for his return to this Doha club with whom he won four Qatar championship titles (2011, 2012, 2017 and 2018), Belmadi never managed to put his team in the fight for the title. The Red Knights won only nine matches in 22 Qatar Stars League games and finished 12 points behind champion Al-Sadd, led by Roberto Firmino.
Djamel Belmadi fired?
Only 5th in the final ranking, Al-Duhail missed qualification for the Asian Champions League (for 2nd Shamal) and even in “Champions League 2” (for 3rd Al-Rayyan). Piatek has only scored 9 goals, as many as Pablo Sarabia or Baghdad Bounedjah…
Belmadi is now in the hot seat since his team lost in the final of the Qatar Cup (the Emir Cup) against Al-Sadd (1-4, double from Akram Afif), Tuesday evening on his home field. The coach of Algeria, 2019 African champion, could walk out the door and have to find a new challenge in Qatar or another Middle Eastern country. Al-Sadd will face Al-Gharafa of Yacine Brahimi and Joselu in the final.
