Kiatisak has lifted people’s spirits

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MAN OF THE YEAR
Kiatisak has lifted people’s spirits
Kitinan Sanguansak
The Nation



Coach of the national football team has overseen a dramatic renaissance, to top team in asean, after years of dismal results

BANGKOK: -- In a year when the nation was left shocked by the horrific scenes after the deadly blast at Ratchaprasong intersection, everyone needed someone who could lift people's spirits during such a traumatising period.

There was only one man who did exactly that to help his fellow Thais get through a difficult time. That man was no other than national football team coach Kiatisak Senamuang, fondly known as "Zico".

No matter what problems the people have faced, the 42-year-old Kiatisak has helped to keep smiles on their faces with his team's exploits on the field as he has engineered the Thai side's renaissance over the last couple of years.

The former national striker also helped Thailand to reclaim the mantle of the number-one country in Southeast Asian football after the team in 2013 had slipped down to the 157th place, its worst-ever performance in the world's rankings.

The resurgence has been particularly impressive for someone who the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) initially brought in two years ago just to hold down the fort following the departure of veteran German Winfried Schaefer.

In fact, the FAT's decision to put Kiatisak in charge of the national side was widely criticised, with some commentators saying the team had taken a step backward by handing the reins to a coach who had an indifferent record during his managerial career at the club level.

While his foreign predecessors, including ex-Manchester United captain Bryan Robson, had tried and failed to pull the Thai side out of mediocrity, with their efforts marked by humiliating back-to-back group stage exits at the SEA Games in 2009 and 2011, many wondered how Kiatisak could succeed where those high-profile coaches had failed.

However, the charismatic Kiatisak gave a sign of things to come two years ago during his first game in charge of the team by guiding the Thais to an emphatic 5-1 win in a friendly against China. And the team's performances since that memorable evening has proven that their heroics in Nanjing were not just a flash in the pan.

Kiatisak continued to confound his doubters by helping the under-23 side recoup its lost pride with a 1-0 victory over Indonesia in the final at the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar. Since that glorious evening in Nay Pyi Taw, Kiatisak has never looked back as he continued rebuilding the team while gradually developing an attractive brand of attacking football based on neat-passing play.

That kind of football was on full display during the Thais' imperious run en route to the title at the Asean Championship at the end of last year.

Not only did Kiatisak's side win the trophy with an aggregate 4-3 victory over Malaysia - their fourth title, putting them level with Singapore as the most successful teams in the biennial event - they also drew praise from across the region for their attractive style of play.

For all the success he has achieved, which also included a fourth-place finish at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, Kiatisak ironically had to wait until just two days before the end of that year to be given the national job on a permanent basis.

He then carried that momentum into this year by putting the Thai side in the driving seat to secure a berth in the last-12 team qualifying round of the Asian World Cup. Should the team manage to do so, it would only be the second time the country made it through to the final round of the qualifying event.

With the national team seemingly getting better and better under the guidance of Kiatisak, the popularity of national football has grown to such an extent that almost everyone seems to want a national jersey these days. Long gone are the days when matches were played in front of a sparse crowd as people now clamour for tickets.

Given the team's strong showings in the World Cup qualifiers, Thailand can claim to be the top country in the region this year as they are currently ranked 133th, six places above Asean's second best-ranked team, the Philippines.

Things, however, have not all been rosy for Kiatisak following a public spat with his assistant and fellow former national player Choketawee Promrat, which was caused by an ill-advised comment about the latter's contribution in helping the under-23 side retain the SEA Games title in Singapore in June.

Nevertheless, Kiatisak, who remains Thailand's best scorer of all time, can look back on the past 12 months with pride as his charges have made considerable progress down a long road to become a force on the international stage.

"We had satisfactory results in 2015, starting with our triumph at the SEA Games achieved by a team managed by Coach "Choke" [Choketawee]. We've now won back-to-back titles since our victory in Nay Pyi Taw.

"As for the World Cup qualifiers, no one expected us to either win the group or even sit at the top [of the table]. But, after five games, we now have 13 points from four wins and one draw. So, it's a great result for us."

He admitted that the incident that bothered him most over the past 12 months was his row with Choketawee, which nearly caused the latter to quit his national role. "We're living in the age of social media. The truth, though, is Choke and I are like brothers. There are already stories even though we haven't talked yet. But it's all now in the past and we can continue working together again."

And the recipe for success? Kiatisak said it was simply to give the utmost effort in whatever you do. "I've always had dedication in everything I do, giving more than 100 per cent in everything and just trying my best. What we've tried to do is be disciplined and build the team spirit as well as teamwork among everyone on the team."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/sports/Kiatisak-has-lifted-peoples-spirits-30275800.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-28

[FourAces]

There was only one man who did exactly that to help his fellow Thais get through a difficult time.

Just one man was able to help 67million people through a hard time and lift their spirits because they were all traumatized by the bombing

Sounds like a feed of horse s***t to me

[TEFLKrabi]

It's been great to see the stadium full for these games and to see the crowd and the country so excited by the national team. Let's hope they can get a result in the final game in March and move forward from there. It's a good time to be a Thai football fan. Well done and thanks "Zico".