before the expiration of his contract, having taken just three points and no wins in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. On 3 November 2009, Cúper agreed to continue his managerial career with Greek club Aris Thessaloniki until the end of the 2009–10 season. On 15 December, he extended his contract with Aris until June 2011. On 24 April Cúper lost another final, this time in the Greek Football Cup against Panathinaikos. In the 2010–11 season, Cúper lead Aris in its first participation in the Round of 32 of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League, taking the club to second place in Group B with 10 points, after two surprise wins against Atlético Madrid. On 18 January 2011 after some bad results in Greece, Cúper decided to step down from his managerial position. On 29 June 2011, Cúper returned to La Liga with Racing Santander, signing for one season. However, after five months he left the last-placed team by mutual agreement with the board. Cúper signed a contract with Süper Lig side Orduspor on 19 December 2011, but left by mutual consent on 13 April 2013. On 14 November 2013, Cúper was announced as new head coach of the UAE League side Al Wasl. He was sacked on 4 March 2014 due to poor results. Return to international football Egypt On 2 March 2015, the Egyptian Football Association appointed Cúper as the new manager of their national football team. At the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, he led the team to the final, which they lost 2–1 to Cameroon. He led Egypt to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their first appearance in the tournament since 1990, after defeating Congo by 2–1. His contract was due to expire at the end of the tournament, and negotiations were postponed until its conclusion. Following defeats in Egypt's three group games at the tournament, it was announced that Cúper's contract would not be renewed. Uzbekistan On 1 August 2018, Cúper became head coach of the Uzbekistan national team, signing a contract that would take him through to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was sacked in September 2019 after a shock 2–0 loss away to Palestine in the first qualifying game for that tournament. DR Congo On 13 May 2021, Cúper was appointed manager of the DR Congo. He lost 1–0 away to Tunisia in a friendly on his debut on 5 June. In March, his