Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport

SIMOES

RENÉ SIMOES, the Brazilian who served as technical director of Jamaica's football when the country qualified for its first FIFA World Cup Finals in France, 1998, will arrive here in about a month's time to begin his second tenure in a similar capacity.

The federation will host a press conference this afternoon where it is expected to announce the return of the Brazilian.

"The details concerning the technical director will be outlined within the next 48 hours, by which time the executive committee, the private sector, sponsors and government will all be informed of the details," Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell told The Gleaner yesterday.

"Following this, the federation will host a press conference to outline the details to the public as having been accused of being autocratic in the past, I'm determined that until all protocols have been observed, the details will not be announced."

The position has been vacant since the new JFF executive, presided over by Captain Burrell, terminated the contract of Serbia-born Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic just days after taking office at its congress on Sunday, November 4.

Jamaica have played two matches (El Salvador 3-0, Guatemala 2-0) and won since then, with former national captain and Seba United's player-coach, Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore as interim head coach, and Bradley Stewart as his deputy.

No confirmation

However, speculation has been rife since Bora's expulsion that Simoes would be brought back, but neither Burrell nor any member of the JFF has ever confirmed or denied that position.

At a function Saturday night, honouring referees who had served the sport for 30 years or more in Jamaica, Burrell promised that " ... on the arrival of the technical director in the first week of January more will be said about this", while referring to another topic.

In the meantime, Simoes, who was brought here by the Captain in October 1994 and worked through to 2001 when Jamaica had qualified for two more FIFA World Cup Finals - at youth level (Under-17 and Under-20) - until he was replaced by fellow Brazilian Clovis de Oliviera, all but announced his return in a goodbye letter to fans of Brazilian B team Coritiba posted online by Coritiba publication Gazetta Do Pova last week.

Simoes, who has just coached that team to the title and automatic promotion to Brazil's top league, said: "I am going to a place that needs me, where I was always valued, respected and learned to admire them as race, as a people and as a country."