The experienced Argentine manager Héctor Cúper has been named the new head coach of Peruvian club Universitario de Deportes, the three-time national champions announced on Monday, May 11. The 70-year-old takes over for the remainder of the 2026 season, with local media reporting that the contract could extend through the end of 2027.
Cúper, who had been without a club since leaving his role with the Syrian national team in mid-2024, replaces Spanish coach Javier Rabanal, who was dismissed in mid-April due to poor results. Universitario currently sits in fourth place in the 2026 Apertura table with 24 points, nine behind leaders Alianza Lima, and no longer has a chance to win the title.
In the Copa Libertadores, the cream-colored side is third in Group B with four points from four matches, three behind joint leaders Deportes Tolima and Coquimbo Unido.
The bulk of Cúper’s coaching career was spent in Europe, with his most notable stint at Valencia from 1999 to 2001. He led the Spanish club to two consecutive Champions League finals, losing to Real Madrid in 2000 and Bayern Munich in 2001. He has also managed Argentine clubs Huracán and Lanús, as well as Mallorca, Betis, Greek side Aris Thessaloniki, and Italian teams Parma and Inter Milan, among others.
At the international level, Cúper has coached Georgia (2008-2009), Egypt (2015-2018), Uzbekistan (2018-2019), the Democratic Republic of Congo (2021-2022), and Syria (2023-2024). With Egypt, he reached the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2017 and led the team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
