SYDNEY: Head coach Bert van Marwijk will personally pay the salaries of eight assistant coaches and analysts to help Australia prepare the way for this month’s World Cup in Russia, local media reported Friday.
Dutchman Van Marwijk is reportedly on a short-term contract worth more than Aus$1 million ($760,000) to guide Australia through to the end of the World Cup and told Fairfax Media he will pay out of his own pocket to employ eight Dutch technical staff to fast track the Socceroos’ preparations.
His decision came after Football Federation Australia informed him they did not have the budget to hire a large team of new assistants, Fairfax newspapers reported.
Van Marwijk said that faced with such a short period of time with the Australian team before the tournament, he needed to have his own people in place to deliver his message, style of play and tactics as quickly as possible.
“I need that because I don’t have the time. When you try to develop a team in such a short time I need to work with people who know me,” van Marwijk was quoted as saying.
“They must look through my eyes, they must know what I mean. I cannot afford communication problems.
“You need time to get to know each other and I don’t have the time. I would like to work with Australian people.”
Van Marwijk’s backroom team are all people he has worked with in the past and include four assistant coaches, two video analysts and two scouts.
His assistants are Mark van Bommel, Roel Coumans, Jurgen Dirkx and Taco Van den Velde.
“I need them because they know how I work, they know how I want to work, they know how I want to play,” van Marwijk said.
“I know these guys and they don’t come for the money, they only come to perform. That must be very professional.
“When you want to have a chance in the World Cup, those things must be very, very professional and I think that’s the case now.”
Van Marwijk has two analysts, one whose day job is at PSV and the other who is from FC Utrecht in the Eredevisie.
Van Marwijk took charge of Australia’s World Cup squad in January after leaving his post with Saudi Arabia in September. He won 13 of his 20 games in charge of the Green Falcons, including the 1-0 win over Japan that booked the team’s place at the World Cup. Like Saudi Arabia, Australia are bidding to reach the knockout phase for only the second time.
“I want to survive the first round,” Van Marwijk said. :That’s the pressure I gave myself and also the players. For me, the first important thing is to perform in the World Cup.”
Former Saudi Arabia coach Bert van Marwijk pays for own coaching team with Australia
Former Saudi Arabia coach Bert van Marwijk pays for own coaching team with Australia
- Ex-Green Falcons coach to fund salaries of eight staff
- 'I need to work with people who know me'
Guardiola hails Man City’s ‘massive’ win over Newcastle
- Guardiola’s second-placed side closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just two points with their tense victory at the Etihad Stadium
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Pep Guardiola labelled Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday as a “massive” moment in the Premier League title race.
Guardiola’s second-placed side closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just two points with their tense victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Nico O’Reilly put City ahead in the first half and restored the lead before half-time after Lewis Hall had equalized.
City weren’t at their best in the second half, but they held on to pile pressure on spluttering Arsenal, who travel to Tottenham for the north London derby on Sunday.
Guardiola knew it was essential to make Arsenal sweat.
“Massive. Newcastle is an incredible team, awesome in physicality and speed they have up front. Physicality in the middle. Really tough but the team was unbelievable,” he said.
“It’s coming in best part of the season. Every single game will be similar to today.”
After finishing without a trophy last season, City are back in the hunt for the seventh English title of Guardiola’s reign.
They will have a game in hand on Arsenal after this weekend and are guaranteed to win the title if they win their last 11 league matches.
Guardiola has embarked on an expensive overhaul of City’s squad in the last 12 months, shedding aging stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Kyle Walker and bringing in the likes of Marc Guehi, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki.
The Spaniard is well aware that his new generation largely lacks the experience of winning under the pressure of a title race, which made their gritty success against Newcastle even more meaningful.
“70 percent of the players have never been in that situation, and I don’t play. So we have to live it, they know that every game will be like this,” he said.
“Especially at home, with five home games left. Today was the best crowd of the year, it was unbelievable with our people, really proud to be manager of these incredible people and fans.
“Of course in terms of points it’s important, but we have to improve to have chance to compete until the end. Now we deserve three more days off. Then another battle in Leeds.”
Guardiola singled out O’Reilly for praise after the young England midfielder’s pair of clinical finishes showed he won’t be affected by the strain of chasing Arsenal.
“Nico give us in the middle that physicality that we need. He now plays in his position,” he said.
“He has always played that, he is so complete and so young. I am really pleased the academy produced these incredible players, Nico, Phil (Foden), Rico (Lewis).”
