Coaches Moving on
June 26, 2008
Terim hailed his side's performance but said after the semi-final on Wednesday, June 25, that he would now "most probably" quit as national team coach once he had spoken to the players and the football federation's president.
"I hope anyone who comes after me will do well," he said. He indicated he would like to return to club management outside Turkey.
Luis Aragones also announced on Wednesday to have all but completed a move from Spain to Turkish club Fenerbahce -- which could mean that half of the 16 Euro finalists could start the qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup with new helmsmen in autumn.
With the final Euro 2008 match looming, five coaches are already gone and others in the firing line.
Donadoni living on borrowed time
Italian news reports said on Wednesday that Donadoni will be the Italy ex-coach as of Monday after just two years on the job following the quarter-final exit against Spain.
Marcello Lippi was set to return after leaving immediately following Italy's fourth World Cup title in 2006.
The only serious debate was whether Donadoni would have to be officially fired or acknowledge that his contract would only be renewed if Italy made the semi-finals.
Italian soccer boss Giancarlo Abete insisted on Wednesday that Donadoni's "final contract included an automatic renewal [to 2010] in case of qualification for the semi-finals" and that "technically, there is no need for a dismissal."
France's Domenech under pressure to quit
Donadoni nonetheless said after the game he would stay on, and France's Domenech also sees no reason to go despite a winless first-round exit in which the World Cup finalists scored just one goal.
Star Franck Ribery came to the support of Domenech while former France defender Bixente Lizarazu said that Domenech had to leave. "The team did not meet the expectations so the coach should resign," said Lizarazu.
The future of other coaches was already settled ahead of Euro, with Dutch Marco van Basten moving on to Ajax Amsterdam (replaced by Bert van Maarwijk) and Swiss Koebi Kuhn retiring (with Ottmar Hitzfeld taking over).
The Czech Republic (Karel Bruckner), Austria (Joseph Hickersberger) and Portugal (Luis Felipe Scolari) are still in search of new coaches.
Brazil's Zico has been mentioned in connection with the Portugal job after Scolari announced a move to English top club Chelsea for the new season.
Aragones heading to Turkey regardless of Euro result
Zico left Fenerbahce after the past season which gave Aragones a new job instantly. But the 69-year-old had said ahead of the tournament that he would quit Spain regardless of the Euro result.
Others will continue, though, including Swede Lars Lagerbaeck despite heavy criticism on the team's static game.
Croatia's Slaven Bilic will also stay on -- and so will Otto Rehhagel and Leo Beenhakker despite first-round exits with title holders Greece and Poland, respectively.