JFF president Captain Horace Burrell (right) officially announces Rene Simoes as Jamaica's technical director in New Kingston yesterday. General Secretary Horace Reid looks on. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Rene Rodrigues Simoes was yesterday officially announced by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) as the new technical director of all of the country's football teams, and the Brazilian will earn US$600,000 (J$42m) annually over three years.

Simoes, 55, is expected to be in the island no later than January 5, 2008 for his second stint and should have his first international game at the National Stadium on February 6.

The little Brazilian, who recently guided Coritiba Football Club to promotion to the Brazilian top league, will take with him three other Brazilians as part of his coaching staff. They will each be paid US$180,000 (J$12.6m) a year over three years.

In all, the total package for Simoes and his coaching staff is US$1.14m, exceeding the US$1m which was being paid to former technical director Serbian Velibor Milutinovic, who was sacked last month.

Incidentally, Simoes' salary is basically the same as when he left Jamaica seven years ago, in 2000, and is $400,000 less than what Milutinovic earned.

In addition, interim head coach Theodore Whitmore will be an assistant coach, but his financial details have not yet been finalised.

JFF president Captain Horace Burrell said Milutinovic's sacking was a unanimous decision; likewise the hiring of Simoes.

Said Burrell: "The JFF board of directors gave its unanimous approval of the hiring of the new technical director, who I am announcing officially for the first time. Brazilian Rene Simoes.

"Professor Simoes will take along with him three assistants coming out of Brazil. They are assistant coach Glydistan Ananias, trainer Afredo Monteso and goalkeeper coach Chico Santos," said Burrell at a press conference at the JFF Secretariat yesterday.

Burrell made it abundantly clear Simoes will be responsible for all national teams, both male and female, and will also be responsible for the selection of all local coaches for national programmes, subject to the board's approval.

"Professor Simoes has a wealth of experience and since he left Jamaica several years ago, he has gone to coach the Brazilian national women's Olympic team, and did so in a very successful way by gaining the silver medal at the last Olympic tournament.

"Coming here to Jamaica, the board of directors felt that we needed a man like Simoes - a man with many attributes, with the ability to give us guidance as it relates to the coaching of the women's teams.

"We do believe that we have a talented group of young ladies playing football in this country and we're going to do what is humanly possible to get the best out of our ladies and what with the technical ability of Simoes, the development of women's football in Jamaica is alive," noted Burrell.

Simoes was first employed by the JFF in 1994, and he guided Jamaica to the World Cup Final in France in 1998.
This was the country's first and only appearance in a Final as Jamaica in the process became the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to qualify for the World Cup.

A devout Christain, Simoes later fell out of favour with the Jamaican public amid murmurings that he was given too much power and was abusing it. He resigned in 2000 and returned to his native Brazil.

In the 2004 Summer Olympics, he won the silver medal with the Brazil women's national football team. He also coached Jamaica's arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago, and was also head coach and manager of Iran national Under-23 football team.

Simoes' Achievements:

1988 South American Youth Championship with Brazil national under-20 football team

1990 Qatari League with Al-Rayyan Sports Club

1990 Sheikh Jasim Cup with Al-Rayyan Sports Club

2004 Athens Olympics Silver Medal with Brazil women's national football team

2004/5 Cup of Portugal with Vitória F.C.

2006 Asian Games Bronze medal with Iran national under-23 football team

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