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Another comedy of errors

ČMFS bungles search for new head coach

By František Bouc
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
July 23rd, 2008 issue

The Czech Football Association (ČMFS) surprised most experts and fans by introducing Petr Rada as their choice for head coach of the national team. He will replace Karel Brückner, who stepped down after Euro 2008 tournament.
Rada, 49, served as Brückner’s assistant on the Czech team. He also assisted Jozef Chovanec with the national squad until Chovanec resigned in 2001, following their failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. Otherwise, the new head coach has very little notoriety, directing Jablonec and Teplice in the Gambrinus liga without celebrating any major victories.
Throughout the search process, in fact, Rada was considered a clear underdog for the position.
“Honestly, I was quite surprised myself at the outcome of the vote,” he says of the July 17 decision. “Based on what I heard in the media, I thought my chances were not great.”
Sparta Praha President Chovanec, 50, was considered the most likely candidate to replace Brückner. But the ČMFS executive board voted 9-2 in favor of Rada.
In true Czech fashion, the announcement came with a lot of drama. Despite Brückner stating his intention to retire after Euro 2008 early this spring, ČMFS failed to launch a search for a replacement until the last minute, scrambling to put together a list of potential candidates after the organization’s favorite, Ivan Hašek, turned down the initial offer. Hašek coaches El Ahly in the United Arab Emirates. Then Slavia Praha refused to release head coach Karel Jarolím for the job.
In desperation, the ČMFS extended the search abroad. The effort, however, ended in fiasco.
First, the organization announced that Carlos Alberto Parreira, who guided Brazil to a World Cup title in 1994, expressed an interest in taking over the Czech team. But, following a discussion with stunned journalists, they realized the interested party was not the famous coach. Rather, it was Carlos Alberto, the victorious Brazilian captain at the 1970 FIFA World Cup, who had never coached a successful team.
Days later, ČMFS Chairman Pavel Mokrý claimed that French football guru Gerard Houllier, once Liverpool coach and now technical director of the French Football Federation, also had his eyes on the Czech vacancy. Houllier quickly denied the statement. Mokrý later admitted an e-mail hoax prompted his announcement.
Finally, the ČMFS introduced Klaus Toppmöller as a favored candidate. But the German coach balked at a contract requirement to work with Czech assistants and live in the country.
He withdrew his candidacy before the vote, leaving only Rada and Chovanec as viable candidates.

František Bouc can be reached at fbouc@praguepost.com


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[17:50 30/08/2008] : Hi. This is John.The above article is so funny. I am interested in reading these type of comic articles.

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