AFC Champions League Group A hopefuls Al Gharafa replaced their Brazilian coach Caio Junior with former Qatar tactician Bruno Metsu on Sunday.

The decision came following Al Gharafa’s poor domestic form. The team have lost their last three games and were held goalless by UAE’s Al Jazira in the AFC Champions League opener.
Al Gharafa’s poor form started with a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Qatar Sports Club, followed by a 3-0 drubbing by Al Khor. They lost 3-2 to Al Rayyan in a battle of ACL outfits last week.
The string of losses have put Al Gharafa in fourth position in the 12-team standings with 31 points after 17 games, eight less than leaders Lekhwia.
Caio Junior, 46, took over at the helm of Al Gharafa in July 2009 and guided the team to the Qatar League crown last year.
He, however, was suspended by the AFC Disciplinary Committee for four games following his offensive behavior during the team’s 3-0 loss at the hands of Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the quarter-final of the 2010 AFC Champions League.
Metsu, the 57-year-old Frenchman, failed to take hosts Qatar past the quarter-final stage in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™. They lost 3-2 to eventual winners Japan.
(Source: AFC)