Dick joins Socceroos
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:08 am
Advocaat joins Socceroos
Article from: The Daily Telegraph
August 14, 2007 12:00am
DUTCHMAN Dick Advocaat has agreed to terms to become the next Socceroos coach and will be unveiled as Graham Arnold's successor before the end of the year.
It's believed that Football Federation Australia have concluded negotiations with Advocaat but will delay a formal announcement at the coach's request until the end of the Russian league championship in November.
It means that Arnold is likely to be asked to lead Australia in friendlies against Argentina next month and China in October before handing over the reins.
Advocaat has made it clear he wants to do the right thing by his club, Zenit St Petersburg, as they chase the Russian title and doesn't want to publicly agree to a new job until his current one is complete.
A start date of January would allow Advocaat to finish the Russian season and have a short holiday before taking the Socceroos' reins ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign.
It's unclear so far whether Advocaat will bring his own No 2 in or retain Graham Arnold as the assistant coach. Arnold has a contract with the FFA until 2010 but his availability for the senior team depends on the Olyroos' quest to reach next year's Olympic Games.
The final qualification program for that runs from later this month until November.
Arnold will mastermind those six games and if successful in qualifying for Beijing might struggle to combine the preparations for such a tournament with the responsibilities of assisting Advocaat.
Another Dutch coach, Pim Verbeek, has signalled his desire to work with Australia and has a good record as a No 2 under Advocaat and Guus Hiddink, both times with Korea.
Verbeek took South Korea to the Asian Cup last month but quit after losing in the semi-finals.
Advocaat is chasing the Russian championship with St Petersburg, and they reclaimed second spot on the ladder with a win on Saturday.
A renowned disciplinarian, Advocaat will have the task of rebuilding the unity and purpose displayed under Guus Hiddink.
His coaching team is unlikely to include Brazilan Jorvan Vieira, who led Iraq to a fairytale Asian Cup win. It's believed he's had no contact with the FFA since showing an interest in succeeding Arnold.
