FAT's news

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FORMER TV ANCHOR KASITI TO RUN FOR THAI FA PRESIDENCY

BANGKOK (28 May 2011) – Former TV sport anchor Kasiti Kamalanavin has thrown his name into the hat for next month’s election for the post of president of the FA of Thailand (FAT).

Kasiti, who was previously the consultant with former Tourism and Sports minister Suwit Yodmanee, will be up against incumbent Datuk Worawi Makudi, former Thai Port FC club president Pichate Munkong and former Thai team manager Virat Chanpanich for the election rescheduled for 17 June 17.

In a letter sent to Thai member clubs and the press, Kasiti said he would address the two main issues should be get elected for the top football job in Thailand – the management of domestic competitions and national team.

“Our football league competition lacks fairness. Some teams become victims of bias, while others gain advantage by getting a favourable schedule. The performances of our national team are quite disappointing and the FAT management lacks transparency,” said Kasiti.

“All of these has left fans disappointed and led to calls for change. However, when the time came for the election of a new FAT president, there was cronyism, which is not good for the development of the game.

“That’s the reason why I came to the decision to run for the post. I’m neutral and not in favour of anyone. I’ll run the association transparently and make our national team one of the best in Asia.”

Kasiti was confident that he could win the post when contacted by Kom Chad Luek newspaper.

“When you join in any race, you must have hope that you would win it. I would have not jumped in, if I didn’t I have a chance to win. I just want the member clubs to vote in the interest of the country. This would be a question of whether they really want to see changes in our football structure,” he added.

“By now, I have at least 10 votes from the clubs to which I am close. I think I could get more support from the clubs who have yet to decide their vote. I believe my policy to put emphasis on equality would win over the members .”

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Vindicated by Fifa, Worawi to sue over 'ruined reputation'

Caretaker chief of Thai football Worawi Makudi, currently in Switzerland attending the 61st Fifa Congress, said he feels a sense of outrage despite being absolved of allegations of corruption, which he claimed had severely damaged his reputation .

"I am still angry at the turn of events. The charges against me were very serious, but groundless. [The episode] has ruined my reputation globally. It also affected my family, since they were made to feel uncomfortable after the allegations.

"I never did what [David Triesman] accused me of doing - asking for TV rights. The talks we had were just a direct discussion between two organisations. I gathered all the documentary evidence, which includes a letter from the English FA expressing its inability to send an England team to play in Thailand.

"We had no need to request TV rights since Fifa regulations clearly state that the rights belong to the host country.

The caretaker president of the Football Association of Thailand also said he would go ahead with his plan to file a lawsuit against Lord Triesman in a British court to seek justice and salvage his reputation.

"After being cleared of any wrongdoing, I call on the Thai media to publish my side of the story and help protect my reputation as well as the country's.

"I would also like the media to examine Triesman's background and ask why he had to resign from his post as [English] FA chairman. Last week, my lawyers sent a letter to the UK parliament, asking for justice in the case.

"In the letter, I also asked Triesman to speak out in public, which would give me a chance to defend myself. I am determined to take court action against him, and will not give up until justice is done," said Worawi .

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Thailand eye Withe as coach

Bangkok: Former England international Peter Withe is a possible contender to replace Bryan Robson, who quit suddenly as coach of Thailand after just under two years in the job, local media said Thursday.

Withe, 59, previously coached the side from 1998 to 2002, leading Thailand to two ASEAN Football Championships and the semi-final of the Asian Games in Bangkok.

"Peter Withe is an interesting choice because we are very close friends and I was the one who asked him to coach the Thai team last time," Siam Sport quoted Football Association of Thailand chief Worawi Makudi as saying.

Thailand have had a string of big-name British managers, including former Sunderland and Manchester City boss Peter Reid, who left in September 2009 after only one year.

The reasons for the departure of Robson, a former England and Manchester United captain, are unclear. He underwent surgery for throat cancer on March 3 and has previously said doctors were optimistic he would make a full recovery.

"Bryan wished to resign and his contract was terminated by mutual consent, but I cannot give any more details," said Worawi.

Robson won 90 international caps during a glittering career, including 65 as captain, despite a string of major injuries. England manager Sir Bobby Robson nicknamed his namesake "Captain Marvel".

But he had a patchy record with Thailand since taking over in September 2009, winning only seven of 18 matches.

"This decision has been made for a number of reasons, but primarily for health and family reasons," Robson said in a statement.

"I have enjoyed my time associated with Thai football and leave with nothing but respect for the endeavours of people within the game who are working so hard to develop the game to reach the standard that it truly deserves."

[bon-nirnam]

It is the right thing to do for Robson to make a move when the earth is shaking as tsunami could potentially damage ManU image reactor. As for the port of soneone is eying Withe for potential Robson's replacement, I have this to say to Thailand football management personnel. 'You are as inferior as you think you are' and that 'Your limitation is at your own imagination'. Competitiveness in sports at any levels should be a life-style not an item on a wish list with missing componets. 

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Worawi re-elected football chief

 

Worawi Makudi was re-elected president of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) for a third term on Friday, reports said.

The election was held at the National Football Training Centre in Nong Jok province.

Mr Worawi received 123 out of 168 votes.

Former national football team manager Virat Charnpanich received 44 votes while former Thai Port FC chairman Pichate Munkong received one vote.

No FAT members nominated Kasiti Kamolnavin, a journalist who earlier announced that he would contest this election.

Mr Worawi, who is also an Fifa executive member, has been FAT president since 2007.

Last month, former English Football Association chairman David Triesma accused Mr Worawi of demanding television rights for a proposed friendly match between Thailand and England in return for his 2018 World Cup vote.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) later cleared the allegation against the Thai football chief, but Mr Worawi said he would file a complaint against Lord Triesman for defamation despite Fifa's ruling.

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NO DECISION YET ON NEW THAI COACH: DATUK WORAWI

BANGKOK (19 June 2011) – Datuk Worawi Makudi said that there is still no word yet on the appointment of a new chief coach for Thailand following the recent departure of Bryan Robson from the post.
He made the statement immediately after getting the nod for his third term as president of the FA of Thailand (FAT) this week.
“At the moment, we are not able to make any decision with regards to Robson’s successor. After I complete my FIFA commitments at the Women’s World Cup in Germany, we should get a better idea of who will be the new coach,” said Datuk Worawi.
“So far, several foreign coaches have expressed an interest in the job. However, I have yet to decide whether the next coach will be a local or a foreigner.”
Robson resigned from his position last month following a recent surgery he had for throat cancer.
Datuk Worawi said that other than looking into the appointment of a new chief coach, he will also be concentrating on reforming the administration of the national team.
“I would like to thank all clubs, whether they voted for me or not. From now on, I’ll dedicate myself totally to the work, however tough it is. An overhaul of the national team management will be a priority of my policy,” added Datuk Worawi.
“I’m open to constructive suggestions from anyone, either the fans or the media. However, each decision needs to be made by the (FAT’s) executive board. I will take time to find well-qualified people to become members of the new board.”

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Schaefer to take over the reigns in Thailand

Winfried Schafer

EXCLUSIVE: The Football Association of Thailand today reached an agreement with former Cameroon manager Winfried Schaefer to hire the German on a three-year contract as the new national team coach.

Worawi Makudi’s first task after retaining his post as FAT president for a third successive term last week was to fill the post left vacant by former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson’s resignation, given that the Thai team are due to embark on their World Cup qualifying campaign next month.

The FAT chief had earlier said that the next Thailand coach could be a local, but after receiving suggestions from the public via worawi_m@hotmail.com, Worawi seems to have favoured a foreign trainer.

Rumours had been rife that the 61-year-old Schaefer was favourite to succeed Robson, who ended his illfated two-year tenure earlier this month, citing health problems as the reason for his resignation.

With the World Cup secondround qualifier against either Afghanistan or Palestine looming, the Association came to the conclusion yesterday that the veteran coach, who built his coaching reputation at German outfit Karlsruher, was the right man for the job.

“After talking with several members of the executive board, we all agreed Schaefer ticked every criteria we set for the national post. He has possibly the best pedigree of any foreigner we have ever hired to coach the team.

“Schaefer’s record speaks volumes, following successful spells with small clubs such as Karlsruher as well as his achievement in international coaching with Cameroon by guiding them to the World Cup finals in 2002 and winning the African Nations Cup title that year.

“We’re hoping that he can bring similar success to our team,” said Worawi, who also sits on FIFA’s executive committee.

Worawi added that Schaefer’s immediate task was to steer Thailand into the final stages of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.

“I made it clear to him that we want to at least reach the last 10 teams round in the Cup qualifiers. Should we manage to achieve that, then we can start dreaming of making it to the World Cup for the first time, because anything would be possible by then.

“He’s also known for nurturing many of young German talents such as Oliver Kahn and Mehmet Scholl. Hopefully, he hasn’t lose his touch, and he can help develop our young players,” said Worawi, who declined to reveal the value of the contract.

The two parties were due to sign an agreement at Bangkok’s Golden Tulip Sovereign hotel later tonight (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, Worawi confirmed Thailand’s hopes of overturning their disqualification from the Olympic qualifiers had been dashed after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected the appeal .

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Ridiculous FAT not doing any favour to game

With exactly a month to go for the decisive World Cup qualifier against Oman, the question is how well are the Thais prepared for their final Group D match in Muscat?


 To stay in contention for a place in the Asian final qualifying round at the conclusion of the group stage was an achievement by itself for the Thai side, who were virtually written off after being drawn in a section that had two regional heavyweights, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

 The Thais, who have four points from five matches, must now hope that other results would go their way in the final round of fixtures. A Thai win on February 29 coupled with Saudi Arabia losing to an already-qualified Australia would see them through to the last-10 team stage.

 There is a possibility that such a scenario could happen considering that Thailand's single victory came when they brushed aside Oman 3-0 at home in September, while the once-mighty Saudis have endured an erratic campaign ahead of their Australia trip.

 Should the Thais, who have harboured long-standing ambitions to make their first appearance in the World Cup finals, manage to squeeze into the next round, it would be the first time in more than a decade that they would be reaching the final qualifying phase. The last they managed to go thus far was at the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.

 There is no doubt that the Oman fixture is viewed as the most important game in many years for a Thai side, now coached by former Cameroon trainer Winfried Schaefer, but the Football Association of Thailand's preparations raises doubt whether the mandarins realise the significance of it.

 The FAT decided to stage the recent King's Cup tournament in January instead of December as in the past to use it as part of the WC preparations. They went ahead with their plans despite Schaefer's suggestion that rescheduling the annual event in mid-February would be a better option as the players would have more time to recuperate after a gruelling domestic season.

 How accurate was Schaefer's caution! The Thais lost all their matches in the four-nation competition won by South Korea's under-23 side. The German quickly pointed to the players' poor physical condition, which restricted him to fielding a largely second-string side, for the hosts' lethargic showing in the country's most prestigious event.

 The 62-year-old German, who has infused life into Thai football since taking over in July, also must have wondered what his wards had gained from participating in the tournament earmarked as a test before the Oman fixture but not featuring any team with Middle Eastern football style. With the event being held outside the Fifa international calendar, the other three participating teams opted not to send their senior squads, with Denmark and Norway fielding a team entirely consisting of home-based players. That made a mockery of the Thai FA's attempt to promote the tournament as one of the premier events of the region.

 The veteran coach's work was further complicated when it was revealed that the FAT had to call off a training camp in United Arab Emirates next month after their counterparts said they were unavailable to field a side for a warm-up match on February 24.The cancellation of the UAE trip underlined the Thai FA's poor management skills. They should have prepared things much in advance than last week, having known the date of the Oman game many months earlier. Leading football nations plan every detail months and years in advance. Some of those even start finding accommodation in the host country of major tournaments right after they secure their berth.

The FAT should have tried to arrange a training camp in the Middle East long ago as they knew the players needed to get acclimatised to the desert conditions. Even though there was still time to find an alternative country, the authorities preferred to extend the training stint of the players in Chiang Mai and invite unfancied Maldives for a friendly at home.

How could we dream of a World Cup appearance with such ridiculous thinking ?

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Schaefer could be on his way out

Winfried Schaefer may quit as coach of Thailand after the kingdom were eliminated in the 2014 World Cup qualifying.

Needing a win to stand any chance of advancing to the final stage of Asia's qualifying, Thailand lost 2-0 at Oman on Wednesday in their last Group D game.

The veteran German coach was so upset after the match that he criticised the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) for its poor management and lack of professionalism.

Only five players were at the training camp on the first few days of Thailand's preparations for the Oman match and four players missed the initial flight to the Middle East because they forgot to bring their passports.

Schaefer only knew before the match that he could not use Sompop Nilwong because the FAT did not register him for the World Cup qualifying with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The team returned home yesterday and Schaefer said he was considering if he would resign as Thailand's national team coach.

"At the moment I can't say if I will see out the contract. We were eliminated although we had a chance to progress to the next qualifying round. We went out because we had not been well prepared," said Schaefer whose reign in Thailand began last year.

He said he had received offers from Middle East teams and that he needed four or five days to consider if he would take one of the offers.

FAT president Worawi Makudi said he would not sack Schaefer because he had done a good job.

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'I am serving His Majesty': Schaefer decides to stay

German coach Winfried Schaefer revealed that the pride of working for His Majesty the King was behind his decision to continue in his post as Thailand manager.


 The veteran coach complained of poor preparations for last week's crucial World Cup qualifier in Oman, where a 2-0 defeat saw Thailand eliminated from the competition. He responded to the loss by saying he might not see out his contract.

 But after taking time to consider his position, the 62-year-old Schaefer said that along with Thai fans' overwhelming support, the opportunity to continue serving His Majesty had persuaded him to stay.

 "To be honest, I thought long and hard [about] whether to stay or not after the end of the Oman match. With many fans lending their support to me through my Facebook, as well as my personal target with the team, I simply can't leave.

 "Most important, though, is that I felt as if I had served the King while doing the job, since the FAT is under royal patronage. That really means a lot to me," said Schaefer, who has received plaudits for his work in reviving the Thai team's fortunes since taking the post in July.

 The German, who made his name by leading Cameroon to the 2002 African Cup title, admitted he was still finding the World Cup qualifying elimination hard to digest.

 "Everyone needs to have a dream and live with it. One thing that I can't take on my chin is the knowledge that we should have realised our dream if we had been well prepared for the Oman game. As we all knew, our preparation for such a crucial game with a ticket [for the final group-stage qualification] at stake was not what everyone expected. I don't know when such an opportunity will come round again."

 After talks with Thai FA president Worawi Makudi, who pledged to improve the management structure overseeing the national team, Schaefer revealed he has already set plans in motion for rebuilding the team.

 "For the future of Thai football, we need to start working right now, not tomorrow. The FAT president gave me his word that he would improve the way the Association worked to be more professional.

 "I plan to help develop our football at youth level, which is the foundation of success on the pitch. I already have the persons who I want to work with in my mind. But, I still [haven't told] anyone, because they are under contract with clubs."

 Schaefer also lashed out at some Thai league clubs for their delay in releasing players for the national team's training camp.

 "I'm quite baffled [as to] why we didn't receive good cooperation from clubs, considering how important the Oman game was. But, I don't want to dwindle on the past as we now must move on. Both clubs and the Association need to work together for the national team's interest, just like in Germany," said Schaefer.