Bathenay confirmed as new UAE coach

The committee met at the UAE FA headquarters in Dubai late Monday and decided to offer 54-year-old Bathenay the vacant post.

Metsu resigned earlier this week after two successive defeats in the Asian leg of the 2010 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

UAE Football Association President Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi had entrusted the responsibility of finding a suitable replacement to the technical committee led by Khalid Bin Faris.

However, Bathenay was of the opinion that he needed to re-negotiate the terms in his contract before accepting the offer made by the UAE FA.

The UAE FA committee was scheduled to meet the new coach and discuss his terms late last night, while also setting fresh goals for the national team.

UAE FA General Secretary Yousuf Abdullah's suggestion that the committee consider three foreign coaches was also turned down.