Schaefer Rejects T F A Bid To Prematurely End Contract

[Lite Beer]

Schaefer rejects TFA bid to prematurely end contract
Kitinan Sanguansak
The Nation

Schaefer

BANGKOK: -- Determined to cling on to the job, Thailand's beleaguered soccer team coach Winfried Schaefer insisted he had no plan to leave the post he has held for nearly two years.

The future of the 63-year-old German has been the subject of intense speculation for weeks following the Thai team's dreadful start to their Asian Cup qualifying campaign, which saw them suffer successive defeats in their opening two matches.

Since the team's heavy 5-2 loss to Lebanon in their Group B clash in Beirut in late March, the Thai FA, though, decided to defer a discussion on the future of the veteran trainer after the Asian Football Confederation's presidential election earlier this month.

Now, having time for internal issues again after his failure in a bid to become the new head of the regional governing body, Football Association of Thailand president Worawi Makudi revealed on Friday that he had tried to implore Schaefer to end his contract with one year remaining.

However, the former Cameroon manager Schafer, whose relationship with the Thai media has now turned sour, stressed he had no intention to walk away from what he felt was an unfinished work and he hoped to start a reforming process instead.

"I had asked Worawi for a meeting for a long time. We finally met yesterday. Like he said to the media, he told me that we had many enemies, which make the work difficult, and suggested it would be better to cancel the contract.

"I explained that I don't fear these enemies and that we could overcome all enemies with hard work, which is what we've been doing all along. And we agreed to talk again in July. I can't go more in detail about what we talked about, but I don't want to cancel my contract.

"Instead I want to begin with the reform project and that's what I told him. So when a few journalists began calling me to ask about Worawi ending my contract at the end of June, I was very confused," said Schaefer, who took over the national post since July 2011.

-- The Nation 2013-05-12

[mrtoad]

I am guessing Worawai was hoping he'd resign so there was no component paid out. Hardly a ringing endorsement from the TFA, but then they are not none for being particularly professional in terms of actual football matters.

[thaicbr]

I'm always amazed it's the manager's fault. Surely its the lazy arise Thai players at fault

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[StevieH]

i'd be interested to know what sort of money he is on.

[carmine]

When I've watched City against Chelsea they have looked a good side, but over the course of the season it seems as if too many players have dipped in form (aguero, silva) since last year. Odd considering I thought they would have the belief after winning the league last year and improve.

Maybe it could be because of too much rotation?

When fit, Aguero and Silva have played almost every time.

They have both been battling injuries this year, but I cannot accept 90% of the team dipping in form all at the same time. We all have off days, and City are not robots. But there have been too many performances like yesterdays.......unacceptable.

I mean Clichy made MacManaman look like Ronaldo!!

There was virtually no creativity in the team.Anyway, hopefully I will wake up tomorrow and find its all been a bad dream

"Bad dream" nightmare is a better description,you can have all the money in the world to buy the best players (mercenaries is more accurate) but it won,t buy you a TEAM- the Wigan team cost £7.8 million to assemble and they wanted to win-simple.

Sheik Mansour is reported to have offered a kings ransom to SAF to act in a consultancy/advisory capacity to City to be met with a polite refusal-the "noisy neighbours" must go back to the drawing board-once again LOL

It,s only a game Jack not life and death-

If this guys spent two years in Thailand he should know they'll try to knock him for the remainder of his money if he resigns. Sit it out, get your money, give 'em a wai and do one.

[mrtoad]

i'd be interested to know what sort of money he is on.

Probably not as much as Peter Reid was on

[lungmi]

2cond class coach in a 3ird class team, what do you expect?

[StevieH]

i'd be interested to know what sort of money he is on.

Probably not as much as Peter Reid was on

true. and a pretty damning indictment of shaefer in itself. though i believe peter reid did at least plough most of his earnings back into a certain section of the bangkok economy.

[mrtoad]

Thailand haven't really done well since the 90s. Peter Withe was the last successful import. Interesting that as the TPL has improved the national team have got worse. They are still living in the past IMO , and almost think they have a right to be these in SEA.

Not sure who they could bring in, Schaefer is one of those guys that actually has a fairly good record of working in obscure places, and has got teams, albeit more talented into the World Cup. I think from what I have heard in the past, that there is a lot of interference from executives, poor training facilities or the team, and more interest in lining ones on pockets. It's a surprise that Wowai has managed to cling to power for so long as well, given that he is regularly implicated in corruption.

As for Peter areid, I think e was on a million a month if I am not mistaken. nice enough bloke though.

[Bagwan]

I suggest that the TFA try to get Mancini. Being Italian he would be well used to dealing with Mafia hoodlums and the Thai Press are lambs in comparison to the Press of free democratic countries.

[mrtoad]

I suggest that the TFA try to get Mancini. Being Italian he would be well used to dealing with Mafia hoodlums and the Thai Press are lambs in comparison to the Press of free democratic countries.

I dont think they would be able to pay Mankini enough - and he's be complaining about the lack of transfer budget as well

[SantiSuk]

Sound like he'd better start hoping that his contract ends with a knock on the door from Immigration officials, not a knock on the head.