Arena out as U.S. coach
Speculation quickly shifts to ex-Germany coach Klinsmann
Jack Bell, New York Times
Saturday, July 15, 2006
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Bruce Arena's eight-year reign as the manager of the U.S. men's national soccer team is over.
Former MLS commissioner and longtime soccer executive Sunil Gulati, who was elected last March as the president of the United States Soccer Federation, said during a conference call Friday that a worldwide search will soon begin for Arena's replacement.
Gulati, Arena and Dan Flynn, the federation's general secretary, held a five-hour meeting Thursday at LaGuardia Airport. Arena's contract is due to expire at the end of the year.
The decision not to renew Arena's contract rekindled speculation that the federation would pursue Juergen Klinsmann, who recently resigned as Germany's coach. The federation also has expressed interest in Gerard Houllier, a former manager of France and Liverpool and the current coach at Lyon in France, and Guus Hiddink, a Dutchman who took Australia to the second round in Germany, according to a source close to the federation.
Hiddink recently agreed to take over as the coach of Russia's national team, and the U.S. would have to buy out his new contract.
"We reached a decision that we will not be renewing Bruce's contract," Gulati said. "For him to be there eight years is unrivaled. He has given the U.S. credibility worldwide and achieved in the summer of 2002 what has caused so much consternation because the expectations were so much higher."
The rising expectations were a result of the United States having advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, but they were clearly not met at the tournament in Germany, when the U.S. team finished last in its first-round group and was eliminated. Arena was the longest-tenured among the 32 coaches at the World Cup.
With a 71-30-29 record, Arena, 54, a New York native, is the most successful national team manager in U.S. soccer history by far. He has held the position since Oct. 26, 1998, after having led D.C. United of Major League Soccer to two league titles and previously taking the University of Virginia to five NCAA Division I championships.
"I am proud of how far the organization has come over the last eight years and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the sport in our country," Arena said in a statement released by the federation Friday. "As for me, I am planning to take some time off to weigh my future opportunities."
According to published reports, most recently earlier this week in the Washington Post, Arena has discussed a position with the New York Red Bulls of
Gulati said the search for Arena's successor will not be restricted to someone who "holds a U.S. passport or resides in the U.S." but added that the next coach would need "some knowledge of American soccer, experience, leadership; a track record of success." It was an obvious reference to Klinsmann, who lives in Southern California with his family near the U.S. training base at the Home Depot Center in Carson (Los Angeles County). Klinsmann took his native Germany to a third-place finish at the World Cup and has been linked with the American job the past several weeks.
Gulati added that he had not discussed the position with Klinsmann, who said earlier this week that he had "absolutely no interest" in the U.S. job. Other possible candidates include Peter Nowak, the Polish coach of D.C. United; Bob Bradley, a former assistant to Arena at D.C. United who is now the coach of Chivas USA, and Sigi Schmid, the coach of the Columbus Crew.
Speculation quickly shifts to ex-Germany coach Klinsmann
Jack Bell, New York Times
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Printable Version
Email This Article
Baseball (AL/NL)
NFL
College Football
Tennis
Golf
NHL
NBA
WNBA
College Hoops (M)
College Hoops (W)
Soccer (M)
Auto Racing
Boxing
Horse Racing
Bruce Arena's eight-year reign as the manager of the U.S. men's national soccer team is over.
Former MLS commissioner and longtime soccer executive Sunil Gulati, who was elected last March as the president of the United States Soccer Federation, said during a conference call Friday that a worldwide search will soon begin for Arena's replacement.
Gulati, Arena and Dan Flynn, the federation's general secretary, held a five-hour meeting Thursday at LaGuardia Airport. Arena's contract is due to expire at the end of the year.
The decision not to renew Arena's contract rekindled speculation that the federation would pursue Juergen Klinsmann, who recently resigned as Germany's coach. The federation also has expressed interest in Gerard Houllier, a former manager of France and Liverpool and the current coach at Lyon in France, and Guus Hiddink, a Dutchman who took Australia to the second round in Germany, according to a source close to the federation.
Hiddink recently agreed to take over as the coach of Russia's national team, and the U.S. would have to buy out his new contract.
"We reached a decision that we will not be renewing Bruce's contract," Gulati said. "For him to be there eight years is unrivaled. He has given the U.S. credibility worldwide and achieved in the summer of 2002 what has caused so much consternation because the expectations were so much higher."
The rising expectations were a result of the United States having advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, but they were clearly not met at the tournament in Germany, when the U.S. team finished last in its first-round group and was eliminated. Arena was the longest-tenured among the 32 coaches at the World Cup.
With a 71-30-29 record, Arena, 54, a New York native, is the most successful national team manager in U.S. soccer history by far. He has held the position since Oct. 26, 1998, after having led D.C. United of Major League Soccer to two league titles and previously taking the University of Virginia to five NCAA Division I championships.
"I am proud of how far the organization has come over the last eight years and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the sport in our country," Arena said in a statement released by the federation Friday. "As for me, I am planning to take some time off to weigh my future opportunities."
According to published reports, most recently earlier this week in the Washington Post, Arena has discussed a position with the New York Red Bulls of
Gulati said the search for Arena's successor will not be restricted to someone who "holds a U.S. passport or resides in the U.S." but added that the next coach would need "some knowledge of American soccer, experience, leadership; a track record of success." It was an obvious reference to Klinsmann, who lives in Southern California with his family near the U.S. training base at the Home Depot Center in Carson (Los Angeles County). Klinsmann took his native Germany to a third-place finish at the World Cup and has been linked with the American job the past several weeks.
Gulati added that he had not discussed the position with Klinsmann, who said earlier this week that he had "absolutely no interest" in the U.S. job. Other possible candidates include Peter Nowak, the Polish coach of D.C. United; Bob Bradley, a former assistant to Arena at D.C. United who is now the coach of Chivas USA, and Sigi Schmid, the coach of the Columbus Crew.