In the week that this column kicks off its new season, it is only appropriate to take up where we left off - at France 98. You might argue that France 98 is dead and buried, just another set of soccer-video memories. You could try explaining that line of thought to Berti Vogts, Javier Clemente and Hristo Bonev, until last week coaches to the national sides of Germany, Spain and Bulgaria, respectively.
Three of Europe's most experienced national coaches, in charge of prestigious and powerful national teams, ironically quit in the same week and for the same reasons. In theory, Javier Clemente handed in his cards after six years because of Spain's disastrous start to their European Championship campaign when losing 3-2 to little Cyprus on September 5th. In theory, Bonev quit because of his side's equally disastrous Euro 2000 start with a 3-0 home defeat by Poland on the same night. In theory, too, Vogts quit after eight years because of lacklustre performances by his side in a 2-1 win against Malta and a 1-1 draw with Romania, in friendlies played two weeks ago. In practice, all three men belatedly paid the price of failure at France 98. Clemente would always have had a lot of explaining to do regarding his side's failure against the Cypriot collection of electricians, bus drivers and semi-professionals. Yet the vicious reaction has its most recent roots in Spain's unexpected first-round elimination at France 98 when Clemente's defensive methods were hoist high on the petard of an opening 3-2 defeat by Nigeria and then by a dour 0-0 draw with Paraguay.
Likewise, no one believes for a second that Vogts quit because of lacklustre friendlies against Malta and Romania. He, too, found himself in the frontline of a media barrage that clearly has its roots in Germany's World Cup quarterfinal 3-0 elimination by Croatia, which represents Germany's worst defeat in 30 years.
Significantly, both Vogts and Clemente acknowledged that the negative attitude to them had become so extreme that it was damaging the national side. Clemente spoke of a decision "made for the good of the players and of Spanish football" while Vogts, having resigned in order "to preserve any remnants of dignity left to me", was then forced to call for police protection from reporters gathered outside his Dusseldorf home.
Bonev's resignation inevitably stirred fewer waves but he too was paying the price of an inglorious France 98 where, like Clemente, he had come unstuck against Paraguay (0-0) and Nigeria (0-1). Ironically, the final humiliation for Bulgaria's Dad's Army came from Spain when Clemente's men humiliated them in a 6-1 defeat that proved meaningless, given Paraguay's 3-1 win over Nigeria on the same night.
In one sense, we can hardly be surprised. As of this week, only 10 of the original 32 France 98 finalist coaches are still in place. World Cups are always watershed moments in national team planning and inevitably coaching contracts expire with the end of the tournament. Furthermore, many countries make short-term appointments for the finals. Yet, the high fallout rate is nonetheless remarkable.
For the record, the 10 men who rode the France 98 bronco and managed to stay in the saddle are : Herbert Prohaska (Austria), George Leekens (Belgium), Nelson Acosta (Chile), Miroslav Blazevic (Croatia), Bo Johannson (Denmark), Glenn Hoddle (England), Rene Simoes (Jamaica), Manuel Lapuente (Mexico), Henri Michel (Morocco) and Craig Brown (Scotland). Even before the trio of resignations last week, we had seen some intriguing changes in many of the most famous sides of all. Both the France 98 finalists, France and Brazil, are now coached by new men, with French hero Aimee Jacquet wisely deciding that things could never get better and handing over to Roger Lemerre. In Brazil, "old man" Mario Zagallo has inevitably and unceremoniously been ousted in favour of Wanderly Luxemburgo. With an eye on Euro 2000, former AC Milan, Ajax Amsterdam and Dutch international Frank Rijkaard has taken over from Gus Hiddink in Holland. With an eye on World Cup 2002, equally significant changes may have been effected in Argentina (Passarella for Bielsa), Colombia (Gomez-Alvarez), Japan (Okada-Troussier) and Nigeria (MilutinovicLij bregts). As for the two big casualties of last week, Clemente and Vogts, their departures certainly set in motion some fun and games. The Deutsche Fussballbund (DFB) went after Blackburn's Roy Hodgson, Bayern Munich's Ottmar Hitzfeld and former international Paul Breitner, only to be turned down by all of them. In the end, the DFB surprised everyone with the appointment of 61-year-old Erich Ribbeck, once coach to Bayern Munich among others.
Ribbeck immediately confirmed AC Milan striker Oliver Bierhoff as his captain but then threw the doors open to everyone, young or old. Given that Vogts was consistently lambasted for having failed to develop a new, younger squad over the last six seasons, one wonders about the wisdom of the "young and old" remark. Helping Ribbeck will be former Real Madrid player Uli Stielike, brought in because, as Ribbeck himself put, "I'm getting on a bit and can't go out running round the pitch anymore, can I ?". Another remark that hardly inspires total confidence.
As for Spain, a replacement for Clemente has yet to be found. Former Atletico Madrid and Betis Seville coach Luis Aragones, who is 62-years-old, was offered the job over the weekend but refused. Perhaps he was less than impressed with the limited security of tenure.
