Qatari champion Al-Duhail hires former Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Three months after being fired by Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier was hired Thursday to coach Qatari champion Al-Duhail.

Al-Duhail announced the hiring one day after ending the contract of Hernán Crespo, the former Argentina forward who coached the Doha club to the Qatar Stars League title last season.

The club had cited a “deterioration in the team results” under Crespo including a 1-0 home loss to Persepolis of Iran in the Asian Champions League group stage this month.

One of Galtier’s first games in charge is against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club which leads the group after two rounds. That game is in Riyadh on Oct. 24.

Galtier was fired by PSG in July after just one season in charge and winning the French league.

He is due to stand trial on Dec. 15 in Nice, France, to face allegations he made racist and anti-Muslim comments when he was coach at the city’s soccer club.

Al-Duhail did not state the length of Galtier’s contract.

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