The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Friday introduced newly appointed Nepal national football team head coach Guglielmo Arena to the media through a meet-and-greet program.
Arena had arrived in Nepal about a week earlier, and ANFA officially appointed him as the head coach of the Nepal national team on Thursday.
The agreement was signed by Arena and ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai, who also handed him the official appointment letter the same day. Arena has been appointed as Nepal’s head coach for one year.
Speaking publicly for the first time to journalists on Friday, Arena expressed his happiness about taking charge of the team.
“I am very happy to become the new head coach of the Nepal national football team,” he said at the start of the interaction.
During the discussion with journalists, he also shared his plans for Nepali football.
Arena said Nepali players have strong potential and that his goal is to increase the number of quality players.
“We have studied Nepali players. There are about 20 to 25 capable players. We want to increase that number and build a strong team for the future,” he said.
Who is Guglielmo Arena?
The 52-year-old Guglielmo Arena, born in Switzerland, is an Italian football coach with a Pro License.
Arena has coaching experience in several leagues around the world, including in Zambia and Morocco. He has also worked as the coach of the Laos U‑23 national football team.
He speaks English, French, and Italian.
Arena has coached in more than 300 matches across Asia, Europe, and Africa and has over two decades of coaching experience.
He began his coaching career around 2003–2004 with a club in Burkina Faso. Since then, he has coached clubs in several countries, including Benin, Morocco, Singapore, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and China.
In 2023, he also coached the Laos U-23 team.
Most recently, during the 2024–25 season, Arena coached Maghreb Association Sportive de Fès in Morocco’s top division, Botola Pro. He took charge of the team after coach Abdelhay Ben Soltane left the club mid-season.
In June 2023, Arena was appointed head coach of the Laos national football team and was also given responsibility for the Laos U-23 team. However, he did not lead the senior national team in any official match and left the position in September 2023.
