Michael Laudrup was unveiled as the coach of Al Rayyan yesterday and club chairman Sheikh Saud bin Khalid al-Thani presented him with the team jersey with his name printed on it. Laudrup looked at it and jokingly asked, “No number?”
“He’s number 1,” replied the Rayyan chairman.
With Jorge Fossati being called up to rescue the Qatar national team, last year’s emphatic Qatar Stars League winners needed an able replacement. And by getting Laudrup to sign on the dotted line, Rayyan have definitely moved in the right direction.
The Dane was being wooed by many clubs across the world but Qatar managed to rope him in and it’s the familiarity that clinched the deal for the legendary playmaker. “I have also had calls many countries including China and the United States. But this is the place I know. So I chose Qatar,” said Laudrup during the press conference yesterday.
“When you come back to a place where you have been before, it’s different than starting from zero. You know how the city works, how the people are here and I think that’s very important. As a coach for me the most important thing is that this is team that is very competitive and can compete for trophies in different competitions,” he added.
The club top brass will be happy that they got someone will title-winning experience in the Qatar Stars League. “We’re happy to present Michael Laudrup as the new coach of Rayyan. We thank him for accepting our offer. We wish him all the success and hope that he’ll do as well as he did with his managerial career in Europe and the short while he was here in Qatar,” said Sheikh Saud yesterday.  
“We would like to stress that we’re starting a new era. We want to Rayyan to win all the titles. That’s always the ambition. But we know that, that is difficult to achieve. What’s most important is that Rayyan plays competitively and competes for all the titles available,” he added.
Last season’s title heroics from Rayyan mean that Laudrup will have a lot of pressure to maintain the winning run, especially considering that Rayyan got back to winning ways after a long, long time. “It’s difficult to reach the top but even more difficult to stay there. It’s not always about winning everything. You could end up winning the league or we could end up winning the Cup events. It’s difficult to win everything. But what’s important is to be competing for trophies,” said Laudrup.
“This is an important season for Rayyan. We have the QSL, Cup competitions and the Asian Champions League. There are a lot of competitions that Rayyan will take part in. We’ll take it step by step,” he added.
The 2016-17 QSL season is just two-matches old and that gives Laudrup enough time to plot ways to retain the title. “Normally it’s difficult to join a team mid-season. That happens usually because the team isn’t doing well. And the coach has been sacked. But this is a different situation. The team is doing well. The reason for me coming in is that the coach (Fossati) has been called up to the Qatar national team. And Rayyan have played just two games so far. So I don’t think of this being as mid-season,” said the Dane yesterday.  
Laudrup is known for his free-flowing, attacking style of play – one that Lekhwiya exhibited. Rayyan, too are a formidable attacking and the new coach says Rayyan’s style of play will be dependent on the players. “The most important thing is that we have a style that suits the players currently in the squad. The last season in the QSL was a big success for us. I have to see the players and talk with them. Our style of play will depend on how the players are.”  
One of the key moments for Laudrup when he faces his former team and he admits it would be a special situation. “Of course when we play Lekhwiya it will be a special event for me. Many of the players were in the side that I coached. We are talking about human relations and that never changes. But we all want to win and that’s what will matter in the end.”
When probed further on why he chose to come to the QSL rather than the high-profile English Premier League or the La Liga, Laudrup said: I don’t want to go back to the La Liga or Premier League. The English and Spanish leagues are nice to watch. It’s difficult to get a job in these countries but I have worked with three clubs (Getafe, Mallorca and Swansea). I had a fabulous time there. But that was that.”
For now, the 52-year-old is here in Qatar and keen on getting Rayyan winning titles. “I thank Rayyan for having the trust in me. I hope that this move will be a great success for all of us,” said Laudrup. Now to see how the Rayyan No.1 fares on the pitch.