Schaefer's future in the balance

 

 Amid intense speculation over the German coach’s future, the Thai FA is due to decide on Schaefer’s fate at its board meeting on Sunday. Thailand made a dreadful start to their campaign for a berth in the 2015 Asian Cup finals in Australia by losing both their opening qualifiers.

Speculation is rife that the FA will either decide to transfer the 63-year-old Schaefer, in charge of the Thai team since 2011, to a new post, probably as a technical director, or reassign him to oversee youth development. 

While clarifying the terms of Schaefer’s contract, Ong-art insisted the organisation had no such plans for the German coach, who led Cameroon to the African Nations Cup title in 2002. 

“We will invite Schaefer to attend Sunday’s meeting, where we’ll evaluate the team’s performances in each competition so far. Schaefer’s contract expires at the end of the year – not in July, as people believe. 

“However, a clause in the contract states that the two parties can make adjustments to the deal after two years in July. I don’t know where the report that we would have to pay Bt18 million in compensation if we terminated the contract now, or Bt5 million should we wait until April, came from.

“It is not true that we will appoint him as a technical director, and I also don’t know anything about a report that we will let him take charge of the youth programme. I can’t say either that we have any plan to promote “Zico” Kiatisak [Senamuang, coach of SEA Games squad] to coach the senior team. Let’s wait until the meeting to see what happens,” said Ong-art.