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'Football needs a Bolt' - Schäfer wishes speedster was part of programme
Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter
Coach Winfried Schafer (left) and Jamaica Football Federation boss Captain Horace Burrell. - file
Winfried Schäfer has agreed to return as head coach of the Reggae Boyz, but one person he wishes he could lure into the programme is reigning IAAF Male Athlete of the Year, Usain Bolt.
Schäfer is scheduled to return to the island today at 2 p.m. via Condor Airlines.
The 64-year-old German was so keen on staying on as Jamaica's head coach following the expiration of his initial four-month contract in November that he went about seeking sponsorship in Germany while there during Christmas.
additional sponsors
"He (Schäfer) is cognisant of the fact that Jamaica is not a rich country, and he also believes in brand Jamaica," Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President, Captain Horace Burrell, said. "He is a well known football icon in Germany, so he proceeded to use his clout to get additional sponsors from Germany. He spoke directly with two German sports goods manufactures and although not yet confirmed it is looking good."
According to Burrell, Schäfer believes attracting sponsorship for the Reggae Boyz would have been very easy if Bolt formed part of the team.
"He (Schäfer) said to me 'if only we could get a little bit of Usain Bolt in Jamaican football it would be all over, because in Germany it is about Usain Bolt,' " Burrell shared. "He said if only we could borrow a little bit of Usain Bolt, we could have got any amount of sponsorship, such is the magnitude of Usain Bolt. Jokingly, he said 'we have to find a way to make Usain Bolt become a Reggae Boy.'
The six-time Olympic gold medallist, is a known football enthusiast, and has in the past stated a desire to play for defending Barclays English Premier League champions, Manchester United. He has also featured in several charity matches in Jamaica, but it not likely that the 27-year-old would trade in spikes for a pair of football boots at this stage.
Schäfer was originally appointed for a four-month period in an effort to rescue the country's ailing 2014 World Cup campaign, but it proved too little too late as the Reggae Boyz finished at the bottom of the hexagonal. Things will, however, be put in place this time around, according to Burrell, to ensure the Reggae Boyz's qualification for Russia 2018, with Schäfer's return set to be followed by numerous changes.
http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/2014...s/sports1.html
Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter
Coach Winfried Schafer (left) and Jamaica Football Federation boss Captain Horace Burrell. - file
Winfried Schäfer has agreed to return as head coach of the Reggae Boyz, but one person he wishes he could lure into the programme is reigning IAAF Male Athlete of the Year, Usain Bolt.
Schäfer is scheduled to return to the island today at 2 p.m. via Condor Airlines.
The 64-year-old German was so keen on staying on as Jamaica's head coach following the expiration of his initial four-month contract in November that he went about seeking sponsorship in Germany while there during Christmas.
additional sponsors
"He (Schäfer) is cognisant of the fact that Jamaica is not a rich country, and he also believes in brand Jamaica," Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President, Captain Horace Burrell, said. "He is a well known football icon in Germany, so he proceeded to use his clout to get additional sponsors from Germany. He spoke directly with two German sports goods manufactures and although not yet confirmed it is looking good."
According to Burrell, Schäfer believes attracting sponsorship for the Reggae Boyz would have been very easy if Bolt formed part of the team.
"He (Schäfer) said to me 'if only we could get a little bit of Usain Bolt in Jamaican football it would be all over, because in Germany it is about Usain Bolt,' " Burrell shared. "He said if only we could borrow a little bit of Usain Bolt, we could have got any amount of sponsorship, such is the magnitude of Usain Bolt. Jokingly, he said 'we have to find a way to make Usain Bolt become a Reggae Boy.'
The six-time Olympic gold medallist, is a known football enthusiast, and has in the past stated a desire to play for defending Barclays English Premier League champions, Manchester United. He has also featured in several charity matches in Jamaica, but it not likely that the 27-year-old would trade in spikes for a pair of football boots at this stage.
Schäfer was originally appointed for a four-month period in an effort to rescue the country's ailing 2014 World Cup campaign, but it proved too little too late as the Reggae Boyz finished at the bottom of the hexagonal. Things will, however, be put in place this time around, according to Burrell, to ensure the Reggae Boyz's qualification for Russia 2018, with Schäfer's return set to be followed by numerous changes.
http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/2014...s/sports1.html
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