Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
Simoes
Brazilian Rene Simoes, the man responsible for steering Jamaica to a historic berth in the 1998 World Cup, looks to have packed his bags for an anticipated return to the island, where it is assumed he will take charge of the Reggae Boyz as they bid for an appearance in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
"I am going to a place that needs me, where I was always valued, respected and learned to admire them as a race, as a people and as a country," Simoes, 54, said in a goodbye letter to fans of Brazilian local league Serie B club Curitiba, posted online by Curitiba publication Gazetta Do Pova yesterday.
LOYALTY FROM JFF
"Complicity, loyalty has always been what I had from the President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and its secretary-general," Simoes, the heavily moustached coach, best remembered for his animated forays up and down the sidelines clad in a 'Jesus Saves' T-shirt, continued.
"(It) is this that I always search for in my work, people who recognise the value of the work and invest in the future, who can be strong in losses and say we are going forward. Visionaries," he said.
Simoes, dubbed 'the little magician' by local fans of the game, recently led Curitiba to the Serie B title and promotion to the Brazilian top flight.
Not immediately available
Since being reappointed unopposed as JFF president earlier this month, there has been speculation that Captain Horace Burrell, who brought Simoes on board for the first time in October 1994, would once again look in that direction for guidance.
Days after being in office, the new administration terminated the contract of Serbian Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, who had signed a four-year contract with the then Crenston Boxhill-led administration in November of last year. The Brazilian, who has also had stints with Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors, Honduras, the Brazil women's teams and the Iran Under-23 team, was, however, not immediately available, having still been bound by contractual ties to his Brazilian club.
