DOHA: Qatar’s football association has denied German media reports that it is planning to hire Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola as national team boss.

Guardiola has been a regular visitor to the Gulf state which will host the 2022 World Cup for the last five years. He was an ambassador for the QFA in the run-up to the controversial World Cup vote in the FIFA executive committee and now travels to Qatar for weather-break ‘refresher’ trips with Bayern.

He and several senior players attended matches at the recent World Men’s Handball Championship in Qatar.

The QFA has said the latest reports are “devoid of any truth.”

Qatar are currently coached by Algerian Djamal Belmadi who guided them last year to their West Asian and Gulf championships.

Belmadi is under contract with the QFA until the end of 2018.

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