Petrovi? signs Iraq deal

Petrovi? has managed Serbia and China Baghdad - Arabstoday Serbian manager Vladimir Petrovi? has officially signed a rolling one-year contract with the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) to coach the country's national team. The 57-year old succeeds caretaker Hakim al-Shaker who managed the team during the 2013 Gulf Cup of Nations in January. Petrovi? arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday morning with his agent after agreeing the basic tenets of his contract with the IFA over the phone. The former Serbia and China national team coach told reporters that he had aspirations to take the Iraqi national team to "the next level" and had a strong belief in the "young, distinguished and gifted players," at his disposal. Petrovi? stressed the importance of doing well in the upcoming Asian Cup Championship and Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifiers. IFA sources said the Serbian's contract is worth $800,000 and requires him to live in Baghdad, so he can follow the Iraqi Premier League and select players for the national team. Petrovi?'s first match in-charge will be against former employers China on March 21, in the second round of AFC Cup 2015 qualifiers. In the first round, Iraq beat Indonesia 1-0, courtesy of a goal from Younes Mohammed. Former Iraq manager al-Shaker has returned to coaching the U20 team ahead of the U20 World Cup in Turkey.