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 Last
year was a bad year for Thai football and it looks even worse this year
after just over two months.
While Thais, like Chinese, are looking forward to prosperity in the year
of the golden rooster, Thai football has been in the headlines for the
wrong reasons and looks more like a rooster sickened by bird flu.
A couple of officials quit their positions and the Football Association of
Thailand (FAT) could face punishment for using an overaged player in a
junior tournament.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is to look into allegation that
veteran midfielder Therdsak Chaiman was overaged when he was in Thailand's
U-16 national squad years ago.
On Mondy, the ''vicious circle'' concerning Thailand's coaches was back as
the FAT dismissed German Siegfried Held as national team head coach.
Thailand may not be a major force on the international stage but they are
like nine-time European champions Real Madrid in terms of changing
coaches.
Brazilian Vanderlei Luxembourgo is Real's fourth coach in nine months,
while Charnwit Polcheewin, Held's replacement, is Thailand's fifth in 16
months. We may be trying to seek success in Real Madrid's ways.
What did Held do wrong? FAT president Vijitr Getkaew did not give any
reason for axing the former Germany international who just took over from
Chatchai Paholpat in September.
Vijitr said the move was aimed to stop all problems concerning the
preparations of the SEA Games squad and for ''suitability'' _ one of the
most frequently used words in Thailand when the bosses run out of excuse
when they fire their employers or transfer them to low-key jobs.
To be fair to Held, Vijitr should tell the public why the coach was
dismissed or the rumour mill will have a field day.
There have not been international matches since Thailand were eliminated
in the Tiger Cup in December so it was quite apparent that Held was
dismissed because of politics rather than any footballing reason.
If the German was not good enough, the FAT should have sacked him right
after he failed to steer Thailand to progress past the group stage of the
Tiger Cup. Had Vijitr dismissed him then, he would have a sound excuse.
 Why
was Held sacked? Certain players and officials were reportedly unhappy
with his rigorous training method and his selection of players for the SEA
Games to be held in the Philippines later this year.
Some officials and coaches were said to be upset by his selection of the
SEA Games squad as Held did not consult anyone and overlooked players from
their camps.
If that was true, then it showed again that the national coach did not
have a free hand.
Former Thailand coach, Brazilian Carlos Carvalho, fired a parting shot
before returning home last year that certain officials often intervened in
his job.
This has been one of the biggest problems in Thai football as it seems
that everybody, particularly the team manager, wants to become involved in
the selection of the squad and starting line-up.
News reports say foreign coaches are not welcomed by local coaches who
feel that they work less but get far more money.
Some claim there was a campaign against Held by local coaches.
If that was the case, then we should never hire a foreign coach.
 It
would be a waste of money to hire a foreign coach who would unlikely to be
successful with Thailand if the situation remains unchanged.
It is almost certain that Held's contract with the FAT, which expires next
month, will not be renewed. Even if he gets a new offer from the FAT, he
is not likely to accept it after being ''stabbed in the back.''
As for former Thailand international Charnwit, he is one of the most
respected Thai coaches and should be able to do a good job _ if he can
stay free from interference.
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