Wednesday, July 12, 2006

WARSAW, Poland, (AFP): Leo Beenhakker, the Dutchman who led tiny Trinidad and Tobago into the World Cup finals, was Tuesday named the new coach of Poland, who made an embarrassingly early exit from the competition.

Beenhakker, 63, replaces Pawel Janas, who the Polish football federation said had resigned by mutual agreement.

Beenhakker is the first foreigner to coach the Polish side and now faces the tough task of taking the squad through the qualifying rounds to the European Championships in 2008.

"It will be a long and difficult road, but I have to say that it is a privilege to be here and an honour as national coach to do anything to support the national team of Poland to be in the tournament in 2008," Beenhakker told a press conference.

Poland has never qualified for the European finals.

"We have lots of work to do. We will be busy every day, getting to know the players, making good contact with the players, finding the right people around me to administer the team," added the Dutchman, who arrived in Poland on Monday.

Poland are due to play a friendly in mid-August against Finland, with the qualifying rounds for the European Championships beginning in September, Beenhakker said.

"So there's not too much time, but we have to be sure we are prepared to play these matches," he added. "I am sure we can do the job in the short time we have and be very well prepared for these matches."

Earlier at the same press conference, Polish football chief Michal Listkiewicz said that Janas was leaving by mutual consent with the federation.

"We decided together that our cooperation with Pawel Janas will end," Listkiewicz said. "Given the current situation, we have to change the team coach," he added.

Janas made no comment at the conference.

The outgoing Polish coach came under heavy fire after Poland was the first team to exit the World Cup in neighbouring Germany, losing its first two matches in the group stage.

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