Felix Sanchez Named Head Coach of Bahrain Men’s Football Team
Published By Regional Desk
Bahrain’s Football Association announced on social media that Spaniard Felix Sanchez has been appointed as the new head coach of the senior men’s national team. The Gulf state aims to improve its performances after a disappointing run in recent regional tournaments.
Appointment and Background
The Bahrain Football Association said it had reached an agreement with Sanchez to take charge of the squad, replacing Dragan Talajic of Croatia, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent the previous week after an early exit from the title defence in the 27th Gulf Cup held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The association added that Sanchez will start his duties during the forthcoming FIFA international window from 9 to 17 November and will be presented to the local media once he arrives in the kingdom.
Upcoming Challenges
Sanchez inherits a team preparing for two major engagements early next year: the AFC Asian Cup 2027 scheduled for January and February, and the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2030 that begin in March.
At 50 years old, he becomes only the second Spanish coach to lead Bahrain, following Juan Antonio Pizzi’s brief spell in 2023‑24.
Coaching Career Highlights
Before joining Bahrain, Sanchez coached Qatar’s senior men’s side from 2017 to 2022, also overseeing their under‑19 and under‑23 teams. Under his leadership, Qatar won the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, exiting at the group stage.
He then served as head coach of Ecuador’s senior men’s team in 2023‑24, after having spent over a year in charge of Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd.
At youth level, Sanchez guided Qatar’s under‑19 side to the AFC U‑19 Championship title in 2014 and helped the under‑23 Olympic team finish third in the 2018 AFC U‑23 Championship.
His early career included a stint with the youth setup at Spanish club Barcelona.
Sanchez now faces the task of reversing Bahrain’s poor form, which saw the team lose all three preliminary matches in this year’s Gulf Cup.
Those losses extend a worrying streak that began after Bahrain won the 26th Gulf Cup in January 2025; subsequently they were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after defeats to Japan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and China, and also lost three of four friendlies ahead of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Doha, Qatar, despite winning their qualifying round.
