Rene Simoes continues to hold Jamaica’s football and the people very dear to his heart.

Even though he may never return as a coach for a third stint in charge, and he has said so, he still avails himself for advice or in any other unofficial capacity.On a recent visit to the island where he mixed a little business with pleasure, the charismatic Brazilian continued to drop his philosophical gems when he urged Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) officials that repeat World Cup success will only come when every person involved sees him or herself as a vital component.Also, Simoes encouraged a commonality of purpose — all parts pulling in one direction.“You must have one mind… you can’t have two minds. When I spoke with the people at the Federation today (last Thursday) I told them that if you don’t think you are a part of the programme, and if you don’t think the programme can fail or succeed with you, then forget it. You have to create that atmosphere,” he told the

Jamaica Observer.Simoes, who has the distinction of leading Jamaica’s historical and only qualification to a senior World Cup Finals in France 1998, recollected that when he first arrived in Jamaica the division in football was glaring between the social classes.“When I came, there was a division in spirit as the poor people loved football and the rich people didn’t like football, but what you think happened? Everybody came together and when they were all in the stadium, you didn’t know who was rich and poor as everybody sat together in the same space and this is how you create the spirit of nationalism… so we have to galvanise,” noted the Brazilian.He warned that even with the best strategies to rally support around the common cause, this in and by itself does not always guarantee success.“But with that can you guarantee that you will qualify? No, but what you can guarantee is that at the end of the line that you were extraordinary because you tried your best and I think that maybe that is what is lacking these days,” Simoes argued.After the success of France 1998, Simoes was brought back for another shot at glory in 2008 for the South Africa 2010 campaign, but found that the atmosphere was less than ideal to stage a great repeat.After horrible results in the qualifying campaign, he was fired, citing insufficient time to stamp his mark and what he deemed a lack of “soul and spirit” that he claimed fuelled the landmark ‘Road To France’ campaign.Meanwhile, Simoes paused to raise the proverbial toast to two stalwarts of Jamaica’s football and other key protagonists of the magical France ’98 World Cup journey.It emerged as no secret that Simoes and JFF President Captain Horace Burrell shared a special bond, a rare symbiosis that was critical at the time to power a campaign that provided fother for cynics, similarly to that which befell the biblical Noah as he constructed the ark.“Captain doesn’t take no for an answer… he does not believe in the word ‘no’; he believes always that it can be done.“Captain was very strong and I could see a serious man who was determined to do the right things in the right way… we worked on many things together and we achieved a lot of things together,” noted the Brazilian.Burrell, who is fighting an illness, has the support of his old friend from Brazil. “Right now I am just praying for him to get better and better quickly,” Simoes said.Horace Reid, who was general secretary during the heady years of the local game, and who has since moved on to hold top positions with CONCACAF, is another who has won the respect of the Brazilian tactician.Reid is currently the confederation’s director of football for the Caribbean.“I must say I am very proud for what Horace Reid has become as he is very intelligent and he is a workaholic and a great administrator,” Simoes said in salute.