Qatar Coach Lopetegui Warns Against Syria-Palestine Match, Affirms FIFA Vigilance

Julen Lopetegui, the Spanish coach of the Qatari national team, expressed significant displeasure following his side's 1-1 draw against Syria in the second round of Group A of the 2025 Arab Cup. He considered the result a missed golden opportunity for the team, especially after squandering several clear scoring chances during the match.

Lopetegui did not hesitate to criticize the refereeing decisions, particularly the cancellation of a penalty for Al-Annabi (Qatar) after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, following Homam Al-Amin's fall inside the penalty area. He asserted that the decision caused considerable confusion, stating: “The penalty was clear on the field, and what the VAR referee did is completely incomprehensible.”

The Spanish coach then shifted his focus to the anticipated clash between Syria and Palestine in the final round, cautioning against the possibility of both teams playing for a draw to secure qualification.

Lopetegui added: “We must always believe in fair play, and FIFA will be vigilant about what happens on the field. We will focus on winning against Tunisia, then we will await the results of the other match to know our fate in the group.”