ASSISTANT head coach Alfredo Montesso has been appointed technical director, replacing fellow Brazilian Walter Gama, who was sacked earlier this year.

Montesso’s appointment was ratified at a Jamaica Football Federation Board meeting last Thursday, it is said, but there will be no salary increase, and the appointment runs through to the end of his current contract which expires next year July.

No executive of the JFF was available to confirm the appointment up to press time last evening, as president Captain Horace Burrell, vice-president Bruce Gaynor and general secretary Raymond Grant were en route to Mauritius for a FIFA Congress.

“It is not a secret, I have been doing 17 years working with Rene Simoes, many of the times working as his assistant in Costa Rica, working as his assistant in Iran, working as his assistant here in 2008, so I learnt a lot with him and with Professor Gama as well, and when Captain Burrell invited me to come, I think that it was a time to try to get some things in place for the technical staff, get some more direction between all the units (age group teams),” Montesso told the media last evening following the team’s training session at the JFF Technical Centre at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

“I think that we need more interaction between all the units we have in the federation, so I think it was a good task and I think it was the time for me to step up and do something.”

Despite the absence of an increased salary, Montesso said he accepted because it would be good for his CV.

“I accept, of course, it was a very good achievement for me, and especially to start with Jamaica, because I have my identity with Jamaica, this is my third time here, I love the job that I do here, so I am still passionate about Jamaican football.”

The Brazilian was also quick to point out that his new role will not affect senior team head coach Theodore Whitmore.

“There will be no interference, not at all. I believe that all the coaches have their authority in every unit that they have to work with. I will always be with ‘Tappa’, actually we are not just colleagues, but we are friends from a long time.

“Always I have been working with him, as he has confidence in me. He went to Brazil and he was the one who invited me to come back and he did the connection with Captain Burrell and Horace Reid at the time, and we trust each other too much to have any interference,” said Montesso.