Al-Zawraa Club, one of the oldest football clubs in Iraq, announced this evening that it has officially contracted with coach Abdulghani Shahid to lead the first team during the new football season, in a move aimed at returning the team to the podium after a season that did not meet the aspirations of its fans.

The official announcement was made through a statement published by the club's administrative body, confirming that a final agreement had been reached with coach Shahid to take on the task of the technical management of the team, following negotiations that extended over the past few days. This return of coach Abdulghani Shahid to Al-Zawraa is considered a new and important station in his coaching career, especially after the successes he achieved in his previous stations both locally and internationally.

Abdulghani Shahid is considered one of the most prominent coaching names in Iraqi football, with an impressive record both with national teams and clubs. He previously led the Olympic team to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics and has coached several clubs including Naft Al-Wasat and Zakho recently, achieving positive results. He was a candidate for coaching other teams before Al-Zawraa finalized the situation in his favor.

For his part, Shahid expressed his happiness at returning to lead a team of the size and history of Al-Zawraa, emphasizing that the challenge is great, but he has the desire and ambition to work hard to restore the team's prestige and compete in all tournaments. He said in his first statement after signing: "Al-Zawraa is a popular and historic club, and I know the magnitude of the responsibility. The work will be collective, and we will start now to build a team capable of competing and achieving the aspirations of the fans."

The Al-Zawraa administration confirmed that the contract with Shahid comes as part of a comprehensive plan to rearrange the team's affairs, as the current lineup will be reviewed and quality contracts will be made during the summer transfer period, focusing on giving opportunities to young talents and integrating them with experienced elements.

It is scheduled for Shahid to start his new mission in the coming days, with the official preparations for the season kicking off, amid great aspirations from Al-Zawraa fans who hope this step will be the beginning of the team's return to the podium and the restoration of its historic brilliance.