Verbeek: It's now or never
EXCLUSIVE - David Lewis
Leading Socceroos coaching contender Pim Verbeek - one-time deputy to Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat with Korea Republic - is in danger of being poached by Iran as Football Federation Australia deliberates on whether to follow up an initial approach for the Dutchman.
Verbeek, who has made no secret of his desire to fill the void left by Advocaat’s last-minute betrayal, has just returned from Japan, where it’s believed he had talks with Iranian officials.
And the 51-year-old he has a message for FFA CEO Ben Buckley: Give me a call in the next seven days or it will be too late.
”I will certainly have something concrete in two weeks, so I cannot afford to wait for the Australians,’’ Verbeek said.
‘’I told Ben Buckley last week when he contacted me that I had to go to Japan for a few days ... well, now I am back (in Netherlands) and it’s up to the Australians if they want to talk again.”
‘’Maybe they have other ideas or coaches to talk to, it’s certainly not an obligation on them to call me back.”
‘’When we spoke, I was asked if I was interested and I said ‘Yes’. But, of course, they can speak with who they like and so can I. That is not my problem.”
‘’I, too, have the possibly to also go my own way,’’ he added
The FFA, meanwhile, have made serious advances towards Frenchman Philippe Troussier, who declared coyly on Sunday when contacted by TWG: ‘’Now is a difficult time to discuss this issue – there may be a lot more to talk about next week.’’
Both names are expected to loom large when the FFA’s supreme commander Frank Lowy chairs a board meeting in Sydney on Tuesday to discuss who should be anointed to spearhead Australia’s campaign to qualify for South Africa 2010.
Troussier, who took Japan to the last 16 of the World Cup in 2002 and was in charge of South Africa at France 98, has not worked since an acrimonious split with Morocco after just two months in the job nearly two years ago.
It was expected he would re-emerge to pilot Benin at January’s Africa Cup of Nations, but negotiations broke down after Troussier said he only wanted a contract for the duration of the tournament.
That wasn’t good enough for Benin, who had a two-year deal on the table.
Verbeek is in demand after guiding the Koreans to third place at July’s Asian Cup - and his former assistant in Seoul, Afshin Ghotbi, is already working with the Iranians who are seeded third in the region.
He is also on the hit-list of coach-less Korea, whom he helped steer to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup finals. However, he is not interested in retracing his steps.
‘’Of course I am still keen on Australia. It’s a moving country in football and if I can be part of that I would be very interested but there are time limits on everything,” Verbeek added.
Despite the fact that the Iranians are prepared to pay $6.5million over two years to the right man - around $2million more than the FFA’s budget - Verbeek will still give the Socceroos preference. If the call comes.
Iran have been drawn in the same pool as Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Syria en route to South Africa 2010. More a group of deserts than a group of death.
Australia of course has drawn China, Iraq and Qatar in the third round of qualifiers.
