UAE club Al-Ain fires coach Hernan Crespo less than 6 months after winning Asian CL title

By The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Al-Ain has fired head coach Hernan Crespo, less than six months after the Argentine led the United Arab Emirates club to Asia’s Champions League title. The decision came after a string of disappointing results that culminated in a 5-1 loss to Cristiano Ronald’s Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday. It means Crespo will not get a chance to lead Al-Ain to the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup despite helping it qualify for the tournament in the United States next summer. The club thanked Crespo in a statement but said “recent results have not met expectations.”