RATCHABURI, THAILAND (AFP) - Former AC Milan star Marco Simone on Monday (March 25) insisted he was unconcerned by the trigger-happy nature of Thai football as he became the latest footballing great to sign up as a club manager.
The 50-year-old, unveiled as head coach of Thai League 1 side Ratchaburi, said he was undeterred by the number of high-profile managers to have passed through the country in recent years without making much of an impression.
Sven-Goran Eriksson's stint as technical director at BEC Tero Sasana lasted a matter of months back in 2012 and Avram Grant's spell at the same club was similarly brief in 2014.
Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler and ex-Spurs and Germany wing-back Christian Ziege are two more big names who have had a stab at managing Thai clubs without success.
Ziege lasted less than two months at Simone's new club, which saw three head coaches come and go in 2018, while two have already departed since the beginning of 2019.
"I don't like to talk about other people because every moment, every, match and every season is different," said Simone. "Now the club president wants to make a change but I don't like to compare this situation with the past.
"Today, the club is not the same club as it was five years ago. The club has different ambitions and they want to be bigger. As time passes, we will see if I stay one week, two months, seven months, two years, I don't know. It is a particular kind of job.
"I have a contract for this season but it's possible that after two months, the club want me to sign for two seasons or they might decide that it's not possible."
The ex-Italian international was part of the great Milan side of the 90s, playing alongside the likes of Marco van Basten, George Weah and Ruud Gullit. The striker won two Uefa Champions League winners' medals and four Serie A titles in Milan.
He would later have spells in France with Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco and his coaching career has seen him take charge at Monaco, Laval and Tours in France, while his most recent post was at Club Africain in Tunisia.
But someone with Simone's impressive playing profile but modest coaching career will find it tough to be a success in Thailand, where the lifespan of coaches can be very short.
The challenge begins when Ratchaburi host Muang Thong United in Thai league action on Sunday, and Simone will be hoping for an auspicious start to indicate that he will not be just another high-profile disappointment.
Liverpool stun Barcelona to reach Champions League final. English giants reach the final for the second year in a row as they beat Barcelona 4-0 to win 4-3 on aggregate.
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (4-3 agg): Jurgen Klopp's side
Lions set to play two friendly matches in June. The Lions will come together once again to play against Solomon Islands on 8 June before taking on Myanmar on 11 June.
Mauricio Pochettino went in search of bovine inspiration as he arrived in Italy and wondered aloud whether Tottenham might be better off for last year's agonising exit at the hands of Juventus.
Tottenham vs Liverpool: Mauricio Pochettino must take
"We knew one position where we needed to add depth was wide receiver, so we looked at players who could come in and make plays," Fox said. "We also knew we needed to add to our pass rush and our kicking game. The incoming class is comprised of good football players who will push our returning players by providing competition on a daily basis.
Sissoko could miss two weeks - Pochettino | FOX Sports Asia
Jürgen Klopp has said he is 'relieved' to have ended his streak of defeats in cup finals after lifting the Champions League trophy with Liverpool following a 2-0 victory over Tottenham. Klopp won
Klopp warns Europe: 'This is still only the start' - UEFA
Keeping aside all the rumours, news, and blah blah, here are the five things that we learnt from the Premier League weekend. #1 Harry Kane is no more a future prospect
Premier League: Five things we learned from the weekend's
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Chelsea's Willian will replace Neymar in Brazil's Copa America squad, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Friday, after the world's most expensive player was sidelined by injury. Willian, 30, was a surprise choice as the country's media had tipped Real Madrid
Willian to replace Neymar in Brazil's Copa America squad
Eden Hazard "deserves" a move to Real Madrid, says Emmanuel Petit, but his departure is going to leave "boring" Chelsea struggling to "cope without him".
Hazard confirms he is staying at Chelsea this month | Latest
Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi is courting interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and Villareal. The 17-year-old attacker is one of England's best players in his age group and has made four appearances for Antonio Conte's side this season.
Bayern Munich eye Nice star Youcef Atal - Read Bundesliga
Tim Paine, the Tasmanian hauled from the scrapheap and handed the Test captaincy amid the biggest scandal in Australian cricket history, has pulled off a remarkable victory, humbling Indias
Football: Bournemouth's Nathan Ake strikes late to sink nine-man Tottenham BOURNEMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM (AFP) - Nine-man Tottenham Hotspur's bid for Champions League football was rocked on Saturday (May 4) after Nathan Ake's last-gasp winner punished red cards for Son Heung-min and Juan Foyth and condemned Spurs to a 1-0 Premier League defeat at
Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham, Ake strikes late to sink nine-man
La Liga is unaware of any interest from the Premier League in hiring their president, Javier Tebas, but described reports linking him to the job "as a source of pride." The Times reported that
La Liga flattered by reported Premier League interest in
Football: Former Lion Kadir Yahaya joins Tampines Rovers as adviser, to guide coach-in-waiting Gavin Lee
Latest KADIR YAHAYA | The Straits Times
0 comments:
Post a Comment