Brisbane Roar appears to have backflipped on its commitment to retaining interim coach Frans Thijssen as technical director.
The Dutchman is instead poised to exit the A-League club at the end of the season with a new coach believed to be waiting in the wings.
Thijssen arrived at the Roar in November as a short-term replacement for the sacked Mike Mulvey, under the arrangement that he would become technical director once a new coach was installed.
Managing director Sean Dobson originally confirmed the plan at Thijssen’s unveiling and club officials have maintained the backroom reshuffle would take place ever since.
But that hasn’t stopped Brisbane chairman Chris Fong from claiming it was never on the cards in an interview with SBS.
“I don’t know where it came from that he (Thijssen) was going to be technical director,” Fong said.
“I have read it a few times and that’s not the case. I have certainly never said that.
“And he has never asked me about it either.”
The Roar is understood to have settled on a final shortlist of coaching candidates around a month ago.
Despite their earlier commitments, the club is cautious of making any decisions on the structure and make-up of their coaching panel without the input of the new man in charge.
“The club’s coaching roles will be reviewed in conjunction with whoever the new head coach is,” a Roar spokesman said.
“We’ve said all along that our head coach position and Frans’s role within the club would be addressed at the end of the season.
“Nothing has changed.
“We still have three games to go and no decisions will be made until the end of the season.”
Only last month, Roar football director Ken Stead told AAP Thijssen was still in contention to become permanent head coach.
Stead also gave no indication that anything had changed regarding Thijssen’s future and the technical director’s role.
The club has been linked with moves for Aurelio Vidmar and Ante Milicic, while German coach Michael Oenning – who worked with Thomas Broich at Borussia Monchengladbach and Nurnberg – reportedly threw his hat into the ring earlier this month.
Brisbane has shown flashes of their best under Thijssen but their AFC Champions League campaign hangs by a thread and they have only qualified for the A-League finals after Perth Glory were booted from the top six.
Bondy
Guest
Brucie I note gws vs gold coast there's nobody there ,what an embarasmemt to Australian sport ?. And this is what we're to aspire too?. Lol Lol ...
Bondy
Guest
Brucie Honeybun's as a sport we will starve you out of exsistance, mark my words we will destroy your being until there's nothing left and I think you know that's happening right now ,you're a limp excuse as a human being . Bye bye for now pumpkin ....
Waz
Guest
Havd a read here for some background reporting on him: https://theroarreview.wordpress.com
Waz
Guest
There's a nice little summary on the possible short list from an independent blogger here: https://theroarreview.wordpress.com He always does decent stuff and there's a good summary of each of the candidates backgrounds;
Lionheart
Guest
Frans was in Beijing this week, with the other team. Not surprised Radon's doing some extra work. He's had a turn as head coach and failed.
j binnie
Guest
Just as an afterthought John L ,google in to the AAP report just posted on SBS's World Game web site and you will read why some people are confused. jb
j binnie
Guest
John L- I don't have the connections to Roar's decision makers that you have but despite that I refuse to believe that journos or media pundits simply pull a name out of the air and start speculating,there has to be a source.Now I have heard from other Roar fans that they too are not happy with the information passed to loyal fans and I can only believe they too have doubts. I will leave the matter by posing a question to you, who are we to believe when reading a press release issued by Roar officialdom,is it the words of Chris Fong who is the top man,or is it his counterpart Helm Rahman or is it the CEO Sean Dobson or football director Ken Stead. all of whom I could expect have some input into publicity. Do you know? Thanks jb
Bob
Guest
We don't know but there would have to be good reasons for it and the owners pumped $2m to cover losses the season before so I doubt they tossed a coin on this one. Whatever was going on the owners were sufficiently motivated to ditch a major asset to the company.
JohnL
Guest
JB, I think the change with the roar is that - and this is only my opinion - FT was advised a few weeks ago that he wasn't going to be given the role for next season. RV most likely will be remaining as part of the coaching setup at the Roar. So from that perspective, it seems better for the players to receive their instructions from someone that will be there next season, compared to someone that won't be. Not sure what has been shown on the tv telecasts for the home games, but viewing from the stands, RV has been doing this the last few home games, not just last night. As for the overseas coach, that was mentioned after MM was sacked. Roar management came out and said that they won't be rushing to appoint a coach, and that they will be looking overseas for someone. I still wouldn't pay attention to anything in the media, unless it states a club source. Take everything else with a grain of salt. I have chatted to people close to the club, but I won't mention what has been said. Will just advise to only pay attention to information being officially released by the club.
j binnie
Guest
John L- When one observes nine other coaches in the league "strutting their stuff" on the sidelines like "automatons" it is hard not to draw conclusions from last nights showing of Rado and Frans especially when it is considered that it is no secret the club is chasing an "overseas" coach,(where did that come from?) and it is reported that same day,not in the Courier Mail, that a coach from New Zealand is being looked at. Now as WAZ hints that may be innuendo but surely it has to be admitted these stories cannot all be in the imaginations of journalists seeking "space". Ps I like your reference to your own coaching days.In today's fully professional leagues where a man spends so much time during the week with his players why does he have to postulate and perform on the sidelines roaring and shouting?. Have the players he has chosen not got the message of what he requires, or are they just simply ignoring instructions? jb
Waz
Guest
Well said JL, more and better Comms from the club is a must.
JohnL
Guest
JB, it's been like that a few weeks now at the games, Rado has been seen giving instructions from the sidelines. It's a hard one to draw anything conclusively from though - I know when I was coaching, I rarely gave instructions from the sidelines and always got my managers to do it - mostly because they had the louder voice though. FT won't be the in charge next season. Also, don't read too much into anything in the media. A lot of the time, they are putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5, especially the Courier Mail. It's safer to wait for the official media releases to come from the club.
Paul
Guest
There's been much gnashing of teeth from Brisbane fans over the last few months aimed at "management" and "other coaches" with a couple named regularly (can't recall names) but the last three games for Roar have demonstrated the benefits of playing and coaching to a club philosophy! I don't know what impact Rada has had since his move from SFC but the kids on display must have been playing this style for years not months to match Victory and now Jets in such a manor. All clearly is not broken up North as we were led to believe ;-)
Waz
Guest
I was at a session a few weeks ago as well Ian and saw the same thing. I couldn't say any one individual was in charge of the whole as they had several different sessions in different areas of the pitch for differing skills but the most intense part of the session was definitely the session run by Rado
Waz
Guest
Exactly!
Ian
Guest
Jb - My family attended an open training session early last week, I couldn't make it. it was noticed the same person arm waving that I think you are referring to was more directly in control of the training session then also and giving the instructions. Perhaps Frans likes it that way, or perhaps not.
j binnie
Guest
Anyone who watched tonight's game would have to have noted who was doing all the pointing and arm waving to the players who were substituting others, while Frans apparently "sat out" the goings on.With a report elsewhere today of a coach named Ramon Tribulietx who resides in New Zealand I suppose upper management's supposed procurement of an "overseas "coach could be filled with this gentleman whose record shows some coaching prizes in NZ's lower divisions&,their women's teams but rather strangely makes no mention of who he played with though he is listed as a manager and player. Is this another tongue in cheek offering emanating out of Roar headquarters. jb
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Hey Bruce There are only 18 professional AFL teams ... IN THE WORLD and 7 of them are struggling to stay afloat! NRL is doing even worse. Both those sports are on an evolution path similar to the dinosaur.
LordBrucie
Guest
fussy wussy and johnl - I am well aware that all sporting leagues in Oz are ring fenced which is why I wrote that it was 'almost unique in asso football globally'. Aside from the MLS I know of no other asso football league where results don't matter much. That is not to say that I disagree with the ring fencing of the a league. There is no doubt that asso football in Oz will be unable to sustain a second professional division for at least 30 years. There are only 9 teams in Oz and 2 are struggling to stay afloat as it is so those that support this game locally must stay hugely humble and know their place in the nation's sporting hierarchy.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Just left Oakleigh FC in the VIC NPL to return to Brisbane due to personal reasons.