Al-Zawraa Club is in a state of anticipation after failing to reach an agreement with the new coach who will replace Abdul Ghani Shahid, to lead the team during the upcoming period in local and continental competitions for the 2025-2026 season.

The management of Al-Zawraa had previously announced the mutual termination of Abdul Ghani Shahid's contract, following a series of modest results achieved by the team recently, the latest being a loss to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya with a score of (2-0) in the Iraqi Stars League.

Special sources told Winwin: "The management of Al-Zawraa has placed Swedish coach Masoud Miral at the top of the candidates for the position, due to his experience and previous knowledge of the Iraqi league during the last season."

The sources added: "Although the Swedish coach had received a strict penalty from the Iraqi Football Association, banning him from working within the country for six months, following his inappropriate objections to the referee's decisions during his team's previous match against Al-Talaba, the management of Al-Zawraa did not express concern about this penalty, which will end next November."

The sources indicated: "The penalty was imposed last May, and thus it is nearing its end, but the main problem was the coach Miral's refusal of the offer presented by Al-Zawraa, as he confirmed that he had already entered into a preliminary agreement with an Emirati club and would not be available to work in the Iraqi league during the current season."

They concluded by saying: "The management of Al-Zawraa has already started looking for other alternatives, especially since the club's president, Haidar Shanshul, emphasized in previous statements that the next coach should have prior experience in the Iraqi league, whether from local or Arab coaches, to ensure quick integration and understanding of the nature of local competition."

Reports indicate that several names are on the management's table, and negotiations will take place with more than one coach simultaneously before making the final decision and voting on the identity of the new coach, who will face a difficult task of restoring the honor of Al-Nawaris after a decline in results in the local league.

It is noteworthy that Al-Zawraa's team has achieved only one victory since the beginning of the season, which came against Goa of India in the Asian Championship, while losing to Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia in the AFC Champions League, drawing with Al-Talaba and Al-Karma, and suffering a painful defeat against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the Iraqi Clasico.