Paulo Bento vows 'no regrets' as he sets sights on Asian Cup and 2026 World Cup with UAE

New UAE manager Paulo Bento has vowed to have no regrets during his time with the national team, saying the most appropriate way to make fans happy is simply by winning matches.

The Portuguese, 54, was confirmed on Sunday as successor to Rodolfo Arruabarrena having signed a three-year contract with the Football Association.

Bento, who guided South Korea to the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, is charged with leading the UAE to a second appearance at a global finals – the 2026 event has been expanded to 48 teams – while the rescheduled 2023 Asian Cup will represent his first major tournament with his new team.

That kicks off on January 12 in Qatar. Qualification for the World Cup, meanwhile, begins this November.

Speaking at the FA’s headquarters in Dubai on Sunday, Bento was keen to draw a line under previous regimes, saying: “It will not be a good start if we start comparing this moment with the past, or with the recent past. It doesn’t make sense. It’s another project, another process.

“In my opinion, the most important is respect the past, take care of the present and prepare for the future. These are the three steps we should give and is the best way to show respect for all the people who worked in the federation before and tried to achieve their own goals and the goals of the federation. For us, the most important is the next step.

“I’m sure I will be happy here. I hope the people will be happy at the end of the process. And I’m sure I’m not going to regret anything after my experience here."