Kiatisak set to be Thailand coach
The Football Association of Thailand's president designate Worawi Makudi yesterday asked the SEA Games-winning under-23 side to be patient in their dispute over promised bonuses for their successful Myanmar campaign.
Before the players left for the biennial tournament last month, they were promised Bt1 million each if they reclaimed a title that had eluded the country since 2007. On their return, the players said they were told they had to settle for far less. Led by captain Theerathon Bunmathan, they told officials that they would not accept the heavily reduced bonus.
Worawi, who is yet to assume his role as FA president following trouble over his controversial re-election in mid-October, pleaded for patience. “I don’t know the details of what happened. I assume that some seniors, with good intentions, wanted to give the team a boost by promising money. So I want the players to stay patient for a while.
“Apart from Bt8 million from the association, Bt1 million from ThaiBev and Bt4 million from the National Sport Development Fund, I just learnt that the team officials are trying to get more money. The players might have to wait a bit longer as the person who is trying to get more money for the team also has other business to attend to. Anyway, I don’t think this is a big deal,” said Worawi.
The FA boss also said the association was set to promote Kiatisak “Zico” Senamuang as coach of the senior side by next week. Zico led the country on their title-winning campaign in Myanmar.
“We’ll talk about the coaching post and his contract next week. He [Kiatisak] is still our first-choice candidate for the job. I don’t see any problem and we will hand him a long-term contract, as we did with foreign trainers we hired before him,” said Worawi.
