After the sidelining of Djamel Belmadi, eliminated in the first round of the 2024 African Cup of Nations (CAN), the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) was looking for a new coach. On Thursday February 24, she opted for the Swiss Vladimir Petkovic, former coach of Young Boys Bern, FC Sion then Lazio Rome (2012-2014), she announced in a press release. The native of Sarajevo especially made an impression through his time at the head of the Swiss selection, from 2014 to 2021. Under his mandate, the Nati finished fourth in the Nations League (2018-2019) and reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2021, eliminating France on penalties in the round of 16. After a brief – and catastrophic – stint in Bordeaux (2021-February 2022, twelve defeats in twenty-five matches), he was free.
According to the Algerian federation, the new coach will arrive in Algiers on March 3. First missions for the 60-year-old technician: qualify the Fennecs for the next CAN, which must take place in Morocco in the summer of 2025, then for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Vladimir Petkovic will start in Algiers with two friendly matches: March 22, against Bolivia, then March 26 against South Africa, as part of the first edition of the FIFA Series intercontinental tournament.
Under the leadership of his predecessor, who arrived in 2018, Algeria won its second CAN in 2019. Djamel Belmadi, however, failed twice in the first round of the CAN (in 2021 and in 2024) and failed to qualify the Fennecs for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.