Coach 2010 - Algeria

• Name: Rabah SAADANE
• Country: Algeria
• Date of Birth: 3 May 1946

Coaching Career

• Algeria (ALG) : From 2007 to 2010
• ES Sétif (ALG) : From 2004 to 2007
• Yemen (YEM) : From 2004 to 2004
• Algeria (ALG) : From 2003 to 2004
• Algeria (ALG) : From 1999 to 2000
• Etoile Sportive du Sahel (TUN) : From 1991 to 1992
• Raja Casablanca (MAR) : From 1989 to 1990
• Algeria (ALG) : From 1985 to 1986
• Algeria (ALG) : From 1981 to 1982

Playing Career

• Rennes (FRA) : From 1973 to 1974
• USM Blida (ALG) : From 1972 to 1973
• JS El Biar (ALG) : From 1969 to 1972
• CS Constantine (ALG) : From 1968 to 1969
• MSP Batna (ALG) : From 1964 to 1968

Rabah Saadane first took up the mantle of Algeria coach in 1981, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ will be his third appearance in the competition having previously travelled to the 1982 and 1986 editions with les Fennecs.

Saadane began his footballing life as a central defender with MSP Batna, his hometown club, and went on to enjoy a playing career for MO Constantine, El Biar and USM Blida, before moving outside Algeria to play for French outfit Rennes.

In 1977, Saadane embarked on a coaching path that has lasted over 30 years. His first role was with the Algerian youth team and after just four years he joined the coaching staff with the national squad at the 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain™. At that tournament the unfancied North Africans were drawn in Group 2 alongside West Germany, Chile and Austria. In one of the great FIFA World Cup shocks, the Algerians defeated the Germans 2-1, before succumbing 2-0 to Austria and then defeating Chile 3-2. Despite winning two of their three matches and finishing level on points with West Germany and Austria, les Fennecs were knocked out of the tournament on goal difference.

Four years later in Mexico, Saadane returned to the world’s biggest stage as head coach. However, Algeria again failed to get past the first round, this time managing just one point from a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland and losing 1-0 to Brazil and 3-0 to Spain to finish bottom of Group D.

After this disappointing performance, the ‘Cheik’ left the national team to try his hand at club football. He joined Raja Casablanca where he tasted success for the first time, winning the CAF African Champions League in 1989. There followed a succession of short-lived posts with Etoile Sportive du Sahel in Tunisia, Mouloudia Alger and Etihad Al’asima, both from Algeria.

Saadane returned to international management in 1999 when he took charge of Algeria for the third time, but in his short stay he failed to make a significant impact. Then, in 2003, the Algerian FA recalled him for a fourth spell as coach, but despite reaching the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia in 2004, he subsequently quit and headed east to take over as coach of Yemen.

Three years later, Saadane was back in club football with ES Setif, where he won the Algerian League and the Arab Champions League. Then, after a flirtation with European coaches had failed to revive the nation’s flagging fortunes, the Algerian FA once again called on his services. Saadane set about building a squad of young players to form the backbone of Algerian football, and when he guided his team to the finals of the 2010 African Cup of Nations, that was an achievement in itself.

But more historic success was to come. When Algeria and African champions Egypt finished level in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, they were forced into a play-off at a neutral venue in Sudan. And it was the plucky Algerians who sensationally ran out 1-0 winners to qualify for the world’s greatest tournament for the first time in 24 years. Ironically, the two sides would meet again in the semi-finals of the 2010 Cup of Nations in Angola where the Egyptians got their revenge, winning comfortably 4-0.

Saadane has succeeded in building a team of like-minded players capable of overcoming the perpetual problem faced by Algerian managers, i.e. a lack of familiarity and harmony that can be put down to most of the team plying their trade throughout Europe. Despite being by far the most successful manager in the history of Algerian football, like many of his counterparts in similar posts around the world Saadane is consistently stung by criticism in the domestic press.

Coach 2010 - Argentina

• Name: Diego MARADONA
• Country: Argentina
• Date of Birth: 30 October 1960

Coaching Career

• Racing Club (ARG) : From 1995 to 1995
• Deportivo Mandiyú (ARG) : From 1994 to 1994

Playing Career

• Boca Juniors (ARG) : From 1995 to 1997
• Newell''s Old Boys (ARG) : From 1993 to 1994
• Sevilla FC (ESP) : From 1992 to 1993
• Napoli (ITA) : From 1984 to 1991
• FC Barcelona (ESP) : From 1982 to 1984
• Boca Juniors (ARG) : From 1981 to 1982
• Argentinos Juniors (ARG) : From 1976 to 1981

If there is one member of the global footballing fraternity who needs no introduction, it is Diego Armando Maradona. The Argentinian legend is considered by many to be the greatest player to have walked the Earth. Now, at the age of 49, he has put his reputation at stake by taking on an entirely different challenge at the helm of the national team.

Set to take part in his fifth FIFA World Cup™ finals, El Diez knows all about the highs and lows the competition can bring. After captaining his country to glory at Mexico 1986, he experienced the bitter taste of defeat in the Final at Italy 1990, the last time the Albiceleste reached the tournament showpiece.

Maradona began his coaching career at Mandiyu while he was serving a playing suspension for a positive drugs test at USA 1994. The unfashionable club from inland Argentina were struggling to stay in the top flight at the time and looked to the fallen idol for salvation. Maradona lasted just 12 games, however, presiding over one win, six draws and five defeats before trying his luck at Racing Club, one of Argentina’s big five. He fared little better at La Academia, resigning from the post after overseeing just two wins in 13 games. After then resuming his playing career, El Pelusa made his last league appearance in the colours of Boca Juniors in October 1997 and stayed out of the game for the next 11 years.

In October 2008, not long after travelling to Beijing to see watch Argentina win Olympic gold, Maradona was offered the job of national coach following Alfio Basile’s resignation ten games into the qualifying competition for South Africa 2010. Argentina had won just one of their previous seven games and with their qualification bid in serious jeopardy, Maradona agreed to take on the task of turning things around.

“It's totally unfair to expect to see the Maradona style when I only get the guys together two days before each game,” he explained in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com nine months into the job. “I see myself as more of a coach than a technical director.” Whatever his job description, El Diez was able to steer his side into the world finals, overcoming crushing defeats against Bolivia and Brazil to seal their passage in the final game against Uruguay in Montevideo.

Though his qualification record of won four lost four was far from perfect, Maradona has since had the satisfaction of seeing his side beat France and Germany in high-profile friendlies away from home, both times without conceding a goal.

“I've been at World Cups, I've played in two finals and I know how to get there, how to handle the group, how to coach them,” he added in that recent interview with FIFA.com. “I know what to say to them. I know what I'm talking about. I didn't come eighth or ninth and it didn't happen to me just like that. I know something about all this.” The time for him to prove it has arrived.

Coach 2010 - Australia

• Name: Pim VERBEEK
• Country: Netherlands
• Date of Birth: 12 March 1956

Coaching Career

• Australia (AUS) : From 2007 to 2010
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 2006 to 2007
• Netherlands Antilles (ANT) : From 2004 to 2004
• Kyoto Purple Sanga (JPN) : From 2003 to 2003
• PSV Eindhoven (NED) : From 2002 to 2003
• Omiya Ardija (JPN) : From 1998 to 1999
• Fortuna Sittard (NED) : From 1994 to 1997
• FC Groningen (NED) : From 1992 to 1993
• Feyenoord (NED) : From 1989 to 1991
• De Graafschap (NED) : From 1987 to 1989
• Unitas Gorinchen (NED) : From 1984 to 1987
• Dordrecht 90 (NED) : From 1981 to 1984

Playing Career

• Sparta Rotterdam (NED) : From 1975 to 1980

Though making his FIFA World Cup™ debut as a coach Verbeek has nearly three decades of experience on the bench. He also has been to two previous tournaments as an assistant coach with Korea Republic, firstly under former Australia coach Guus Hiddink at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and then also with Dick Advocaat at Germany 2006.

Verbeek is strongly respected by the players and has built a strong sense of togetherness since his first match in charge against Qatar in February 2008 when Australia kicked-off their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Very much a pragmatist, Verbeek has worked diligently with the team to ensure they are familiar with his system, one which he rarely diverts from. Having been influenced most particularly by Hiddink at both PSV Eindhoven at Korea Republic, Verbeek is also known for his level of preparation and focus.

In March Verbeek announced that he would take up a position with the Morocco youth national teams immediately after South Africa 2010. Since being appointed in December 2007 Australia had lost just four matches prior to June 2010. Qualification for both the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2011 AFC Asian Cup were achieved making Verbeek’s tenure a successful one on results alone. Not afraid to blood young talent he gave senior debuts to well over 30 players including Scott Jamieson, Bruce Djite and Tom Oar. Verbeek was also in charge when Australia reached their highest ever position of 14 in the FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking in September 2009.

Verbeek spent most of his playing career in his home town with Sparta Rotterdam only for injury to facilitate an early move into the coaching arena. He went on to hold a position at Sparta for three years in his 20s before another 15 years coaching in the Netherlands with De Graafschap, Feyenoord, FC Wageningen, Groningen and Fortuna Sittard. Two years at J.League club Omiya Ardija immediately preceded a further two years with South Korea under Hiddink culminating in the nation’s famous run to the 2002 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. Verbeek’s next senior role was with the Koreans immediately after Advocaat in 2006 where he led the team to third at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

Verbeek has also been employed by the KNVB (Netherlands Football Association) in a coach development role and with the national team in a scouting role. His younger brother Robert Verbeek is also a football coach, notably looking after the PSV Eindhoven youth team for eight years as well as Eerste Divisie club FC Dordrecht.

Coach 2010 - Brazil

• Name: DUNGA
• Country: Brazil
• Date of Birth: 31 October 1963

When Carlos Alberto Parreira vacated the Brazilian hot-seat following the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, few expected the CBF to hand the reins to Dunga. After all, he had no experience in coaching.

However, the former midfield enforcer had shown his leadership qualities during his playing career, as a vociferous, inspirational captain who guided A Seleção to 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™ glory. An atypically Brazilian player, Dunga compensated for a lack of flair with fierce tackling and impressive ball retention, and made 91 appearances for his country between 1987 and 1998.

It became immediately apparent that Dunga was not going to pick players based on their reputations and he bravely dropped a number of Brazil's revered superstars.

Dunga went unbeaten during his first six matches at the helm of A Seleção, including a morale-boosting 3-0 win over rivals Argentina, before his team fell to Portugal 0-2 in February 2007. The head coach’s first big test came at the Copa America 2007 in Venezuela, where after opening up with a loss to Mexico, they charged to the final and again overcame Argentina 3-0.

Brazil had their share of problems at times during South Africa 2010 qualifying, as three straight 0-0 draws at home put pressure on Dunga’s broad shoulders. But the former world champion soon proved his worth in emphatic fashion, leading the Canarinho to an unbeaten FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 title in South Africa and finishing the South American qualifiers in first place with a handful of fine displays, particularly the away wins against Uruguay (4-0) and Argentina (3-1).

Coach 2010 - Cameroon

• Name: Paul LE GUEN
• Country: France
• Date of Birth: 1 March 1964

Coaching Career

• Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) : From 2007 to 2009
• Rangers (SCO) : From 2006 to 2006
• Olympique Lyon (FRA) : From 2002 to 2005
• Rennes (FRA) : From 1998 to 2001

Playing Career

• Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) : From 1991 to 1998
• FC Nantes (FRA) : From 1989 to 1991
• Stade Brest (FRA) : From 1983 to 1989

At just 46, Paul Le Guen is the second youngest coach present at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, one year older than Slovakia’s Vladimir Weiss. He is also part of a batch of recent appointments at the head of competing sides, having been charged with the task of leading the Lions indomptables under a year ago. But while he is relatively new to the job, the Breton has a vast amount of coaching experience under his belt.

Cameroon may be the first national side that he has coached, but ‘PLG’, who holds a degree in economics, had previously built himself a solid reputation at club level, since hanging up his boots back in 1998. In fact, it was only a few weeks after his retirement as a player that he was given the opportunity to show what he could do as a coach, Rennes’ directors deciding that a new approach was needed. In his first year at Stade de la Route de Lorient, the club qualified for Europe. However, two seasons down the line, just as he was beginning to make real progress with the team, a contract extension was not forthcoming.

Instead of simply leaping on the first subsequent offer that materialised, Le Guen decided to take a year off from football. During this sabbatical, he travelled extensively, taking counsel with numerous sporting figures the world over. And then, in the spring of 2002, he would attend one of the most important meetings of his career. Jacques Santini, fresh from guiding Lyon to their first-ever French Championship, had just been offered the reins of the national team, leaving a vacancy at Stade Gerland. Jean-Michel Aulas, chairman of Les Gones, had made Le Guen his top priority, and his plans for the club appealed to the former Nantes defender. The happy marriage lasted three seasons, during which time Lyon won the league title every year, and appeared in two UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, just losing out on penalties in one of them. In addition, the team played in an extremely attractive style that many observers feel has not been matched since. Despite this unprecedented success, Le Guen took the decision himself this time not to prolong his contract, opting instead for another year out of the limelight.

In May 2006, a rejuvenated Le Guen felt ready to take on a challenge abroad. His choice was a surprising one: Rangers, in Scotland. After Dutchman Dick Advocaat, he was the club’s second-ever foreign manager in over a century. Unfortunately, it was to be an experience to forget for the Frenchman, with internal strife and bad results forcing his departure from Ibrox stadium after just six months in charge. This time around, he chose his next move quickly, taking the helm at the club he had served as a player, Paris Saint-Germain.

An elegant defensive midfielder and sweeper in a seven-year stint (1991-98, 345 matches) at the Parc des Princes, his cultured left foot had made him a firm favourite with the Paris faithful. As coach, he was not destined to enjoy the same level of support. Although the club did capture the French League Cup during his tenure, his time was marked by two successive relegation battles, which, while ultimately successful, tested the patience of directors and fans alike. Season 2008/09 saw results improve considerably, but finished without European qualification, signalling the end of his reign.

Le Guen manoeuvred his career in a new direction in July 2009, taking over at the head of a struggling Cameroon team that was riven by internal conflict. He ironed out these issues and brought in numerous promising young players; the strategy was a success, with qualification for South Africa 2010 secured in the final qualifying match. This will be Le Guen’s first FIFA World Cup, as despite 17 caps for France – including one as captain – he missed out on USA 94 following Emil Kostadinov’s infamous last-minute goal in the final qualifying match against Bulgaria. Having avoided such disappointment with his newly-adopted country, he can now look forward to springing a surprise or two on Cameroon’s Group E rivals in June.

Coach 2010 - Chile

• Name: Marcelo BIELSA
• Country: Argentina
• Date of Birth: 21 July 1955

Coaching Career

• UEFA 3 ( ) : From 1998 to 2004
• R.C.D. Español (ESP) : From 1998 to 1998
• Vélez Sársfield (ARG) : From 1997 to 1998
• America (MEX) : From 1995 to 1997
• Atlas (MEX) : From 1992 to 1994
• Newell's Old Boys (ARG) : From 1990 to 1992

Playing Career

• Club Atlético Argentino de Rosario (ARG) : From 1979 to 1980
• Instituto (ARG) : From 1978 to 1979
• Newell''s Old Boys (ARG) : From 1976 to 1978

Argentinian tactician Marcelo Bielsa was elevated to the status of national hero in Chile after guiding La Roja to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, their first appearance at the world finals since France 1998. The man they call El Loco took it all in his stride, however, having grown accustomed to achieving unlikely goals during the course of his illustrious coaching career.

Born in Argentina’s second-largest city of Rosario, Bielsa rarely shone as a defender with his hometown club of Newell’s Old Boys. It was only after he retired as a player that he began to make a real impact in the game, taking charge of La Lepra in his first coaching job and winning the league championship with them in 1991 and again in 1992, when they also finished runners-up in the Copa Libertadores. From there, it was on to Mexico for stints with Atlas and America prior to a return to Argentina to win the 1998 Clausura with Velez Sarsfield.

A spell in command at Espanyol in Spain was followed by his appointment as Argentina’s national coach, a job in which he would experience all the highs and lows that football can bring. It all started well enough as his Albiceleste side sauntered through the qualifiers for the Korea/Japan 2002. But then came disaster and their first-round elimination in a tournament they had been widely tipped to win. Heavily criticised by the Argentinian media, he stayed in the job until 2004, standing down just weeks after his U-23 side had won
gold at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Athens 2004.

Out of the limelight for the next three years, he was lured back to management by the Chilean FA, who presented him with their vision for the future of the national side. Following extensive negotiations, El Loco eventually decamped to Santiago in August 2007, his brief being to secure qualification for South Africa 2010.

Moulding an entertaining, attack-minded side, Bielsa achieved his mission in style. Not afraid to take the game to the continent’s heavyweights, the young and ambitious Chileans secured their first ever FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Argentina and followed up with valuable away victories in Peru, Paraguay and Colombia to finish second in the CONMEBOL Zone on 33 points, just one behind Brazil. In the process, Bielsa won the adulation of his adopted country and once again earned the recognition of the international footballing community.

Coach 2010 - Cote d'Ivoire

• Name: Sven Göran ERIKSSON
• Country: Sweden
• Date of Birth: 5 February 1948

 Coaching Career

• Mexico (MEX) : From 2008 to 2009
• Manchester City (ENG) : From 2007 to 2008
• England (ENG) : From 2001 to 2006
• Lazio (ITA) : From 1997 to 2001
• Sampdoria (ITA) : From 1992 to 1997

• Benfica (POR) : From 1989 to 1992
• Fiorentina (ITA) : From 1987 to 1989
• AS Roma (ITA) : From 1984 to 1987
• Benfica (POR) : From 1982 to 1984
• IFK Göteborg (SWE) : From 1979 to 1982
• Degerfors IF (SWE) : From 1977 to 1978

Playing Career

• Västra Frölunda (SWE) : From 1973 to 1975
• KB Karlskoga (SWE) : From 1972 to 1973
• SK Sifhälla (SWE) : From 1971 to 1972
• Torsby IF (SWE) : From 1966 to 1971

Vahid Halilhodzic’s successor in the Elephants’ dugout, Sven-Goran Eriksson will be contesting his third FIFA World Cup™ this summer, having overseen England’s bids in 2002 and 2006.

The Swedish coach embarked on three ultimately doomed adventures after leaving that post, each fading his image as a winner and one of football’s most astute tacticians, but the Côte d'Ivoire Football Association still saw plenty of reasons to hand him the keys to the national team in March this year. While his extensive big-tournament experience certainly impressed, his knowledge of the English game – in which most of the team’s stars ply their trade – also helped seal the deal, and officials hope his high profile will now help raise the Elephants to the level craved by an expectant nation.

Forced to hang up his boots at the age of 27 due to a knee injury, Eriksson swapped his modest playing career for a far more successful one when he began his first coaching assignment at Degerfors. He took the club from the Swedish third division to the elite in three years and, in 1979, was rewarded with the top job at domestic titans Gothenburg. Together they won two league crowns and a Swedish Cup, but the highlight unquestionably came in 1982, when Eriksson led the side to UEFA Cup glory.

His standing now raised around Europe, the Sunne native looked to continue his progress overseas, kicking off his extraordinary spell of itinerancy at Benfica that same year. Between his switch to Portugal and his appointment as England manager in 2001, the 62-year-old collected silverware wherever he went and built himself one of the most formidable reputations throughout the continent. With Benfica, he won championship titles in 1983 and 1984 and returned for a second stint from 1989 to 1992 that yielded another Portuguese league crown in 1991 as well as a run to the European Champion Clubs’ Cup final in 1990. He likewise engineered a trio of Coppa Italia successes with Roma in 1986, Sampdoria in 1994 and Lazio in 1998, while also steering I Biancocelesti to their UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup triumph in 1999 and the Italian league-and-cup double the following year.

Those feats persuaded the Football Association to reward him handsomely for taking the England helm, but the recruitment of a foreigner did not go down well in all quarters. Eriksson experienced some fierce criticism during his five years in charge and never succeeded in taking the side beyond the last eight in his three major tournament campaigns.

Next came Manchester City, where despite a promising start he only stayed a year – which proved longer than he survived in the Mexico job soon afterwards. A surprise move to serve as Director of Football at fourth-tier English outfit Notts County similarly came to a premature end, but the Elephants coach now has a superb chance to confound his detractors and reacquaint himself with the kind of success that decorated the early part of his career.

Coach 2010 - Denmark

• Name: Morten OLSEN
• Country: Denmark
• Date of Birth: 14 August 1949

Coaching Career

• Denmark (DEN) : From 2000 to 2010
• Ajax (NED) : From 1997 to 1999
• 1. FC Köln (GER) : From 1993 to 1995
• Brøndby IF (DEN) : From 1990 to 1992

Playing Career

• 1. FC Köln (GER) : From 1986 to 1989
• RSC Anderlecht (BEL) : From 1980 to 1986
• FC Brussels (BEL) : From 1976 to 1980
• Cercle Brugge (BEL) : From 1972 to 1976

The name Morten Olsen will always be inextricably linked to Danish football. Olsen spent almost 20 years as an international regular, and has now coached the national team for a decade. He has been arguably the single most important influence on the nation’s footballing progress for two generations now.

A libero in his playing days, Olsen’s clubs included FC Cologne and RSC Anderlecht, where he won the UEFA Cup in 1993. He hung up his boots at the age of 40 and embarked on a coaching career that took in spells at Cologne and in Amsterdam with Ajax.

He was the first Danish international to pass the magical 100-cap milestone, and captained his country at their maiden FIFA World Cup™ appearance in 1986.

"I played for Denmark for 19, almost 20 years, and I've now been coach for ten, so that's half of my life I've devoted to the national team," Olsen told FIFA.com. "The best thing is that I still get the same feeling I did when I first started, and I see that the young players are just as proud as I am. That's fantastic. When I don't have that feeling any more, I'll know that I need to stop."

He took the national helm in 2000, and coached the side at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004. "World Cups are always special," he said. "The fact it's the first time in Africa is fantastic because it's bringing it closer to the people there, but every World Cup has its own unique flavour and appeal. I remember seeing how excited Asia was to have it in 2002 and what a fantastic experience that was for everyone. For me and for all the players, competing at the World Cup is the ultimate; it's the biggest honour for any player."

Once in South Africa this summer, the goal is to at least emulate the team of eight years ago, which made it to the Round of 16 before falling 3-0 to England. "Denmark will not be one of the favourites but if we have our best players available, which wasn't the case in the qualification phase, we can achieve a lot. The most important thing at a World Cup is to show that you can play good football. In 2002 we reached the second round and this time we hope to repeat that while playing good football."

Coach 2010 - England

• Name: Fabio CAPELLO
• Country: Italy
• Date of Birth: 18 June 1946

Coaching Career

• Real Madrid (ESP) : From 2006 to 2007
• Juventus (ITA) : From 2004 to 2006
• Roma (ITA) : From 1999 to 2004
• AC Milan (ITA) : From 1997 to 1998
• Real Madrid (ESP) : From 1996 to 1997
• AC Milan (ITA) : From 1991 to 1996

Playing Career

• AC Milan (ITA) : From 1976 to 1980
• Juventus (ITA) : From 1970 to 1976
• Roma (ITA) : From 1967 to 1970
• Spal Ferrara (ITA) : From 1962 to 1967

If Fabio Capello collects art in his private life, in his professional life it is silverware.

As a midfielder with Roma, Juventus and AC Milan, the future England manager won four Serie A titles and two Italian Cups.

After stepping into coaching, he achieved even greater success. In 15 seasons as a club coach he won the league title with AC Milan, AS Roma and Juventus in Italy, and Real Madrid in Spain.
Wherever he has gone, he has left the stamp of a winner. At Milan in the early 1990s, he maintained the winning machine set up by Arrigo Sacchi.

With Roma, he oversaw a first Serie A success in 18 years. He guided Madrid to the Spanish Liga summit in two separate year-long stays a decade apart.

By then he had already claimed the biggest prize in European club football, the UEFA Champions League, in 1994 when his Milan side shattered Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ 4-0 in Athens.

Capello, in short, is a serial winner and now his goal is the holy grail of world football, the FIFA World Cup™.
As the Italian said when taking the reins of an England side that had failed even to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008: “England has a great team that can go right to the top."

His first match in charge brought a nervy 2-1 win over Switzerland in February 2008. By the end of 2009, though, he had overseen an impressive qualification campaign, England securing their place in South Africa with two games to spare.

Capello’s charges were Europe’s highest scorers, a measure of their improvement the 4-1 and 5-1 defeats of Croatia, his predecessor Steve McClaren’s nemesis in EURO qualifying.

His 22 games in those first two years brought 15 wins with the only losses sustained against France, Spain, Brazil and, with qualification already assured, Ukraine.

As a player Capello was known as the Geometra (Surveyor) for the precise lines of his passing and he has introduced a hitherto absent degree of discipline into the England set-up. Players know there are lines that cannot be crossed – with strict rules, for instance, on mobile phone use, team dress, and dining together.

Capello’s aim is to create a team ethic but he has shown no inclination to become pally with players. As Paolo Di Canio, who played under him for Milan, once said: “He’s not there to be your friend. He’s there to be your boss.”

Ever the pragmatist, his exclusion of Michael Owen showed a desire to select players on form alone rather than reputation.

A serious, often terse figure in press briefings, he underlined his no-nonsense approach when he took swift action in February to strip John Terry of the captaincy over negative publicity surrounding his private life.

Capello – who turns 64 on 18 June, the date England play Slovenia – once scored the goal that earned Italy their first victory at Wembley Stadium. Half a lifetime later, he is seeking to guide England to their first international success away from that same venue.

Rio Ferdinand, his captain, says the Italian’s presence at the helm brings the belief England can do just that: "He's been successful in every country he's been in. He knows what it takes to win and that's what we needed for England.”

Coach 2010 - France

• Name: Raymond DOMENECH
• Country: France
• Date of Birth: 24 January 1952

Coaching Career

• France (FRA) : From 2004 to 2010
• Olympique Lyon (FRA) : From 1988 to 1993
• Mulhouse (FRA) : From 1984 to 1988

Playing Career

• Mulhouse (FRA) : From 1984 to 1986
• Girondins Bordeaux (FRA) : From 1982 to 1984
• Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) : From 1981 to 1982
• RC Strasbourg (FRA) : From 1977 to 1981
• Olympique Lyon (FRA) : From 1970 to 1977

Always guaranteed to divide opinion, the least that can be said about Raymond Domenech is that he leaves few people indifferent. Even as a defender during his playing days he was seen as a tough-tackling warrior by some and an over-physical spoiler by others. Now, after six years in the France job, he strikes supporters either as mischievous and passionate or over-confident and provocative. He is a paradoxical figure, uniting a nation as coach of the national team but splitting them down the middle when it comes to his methods.

As a player starting out with his hometown club Lyon, his combative approach quickly earned him the nickname ‘Le Boucher’ (The Butcher), and he happily cultivated his image as a hard-nosed defender by growing a somewhat intimidating moustache. Despite his uncompromising style, he earned recognition at international level and helped win two French titles, with Strasbourg and then Bordeaux.

His transition to coaching came in the twilight of his playing career, when he spent two years as player-coach for Mulhouse before finally hanging up his boots in 1986. Two years later, he became the first man in the dugout at the start of the Jean-Michel Aulas era at Lyon, who had spent the previous five seasons in the second tier. The return to his alma mater proved an immediate success, as Domenech led Les Gones back to the elite in his first season and kept them there for five years before taking on a job at France’s National Technical Training Centre and taking the reins of the French Under-21 side. He oversaw several gifted generations of talent during his time with the U-21s though was unable to secure any titles other than a pair of Toulon Tournament wins.

Appointed coach of the senior team in 2004, following on from the reigns of Roger Lemerre and then Jacques Santini, he brought an instant breath of fresh air to proceedings, not least due to his talents as an orator when confronted with the press. He inherited a squad weakened by the retirements of veterans such as Zinedine Zidane but eventually succeeded in persuading the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ winner to return to the fold, along with Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele. With those senior figures back on board, he boldly told the nation to clear their diaries for 9 July, 2006, the date of the Final, even before the tournament had kicked off.

He kept his promise, however, as France won their way through to meet Italy in Berlin, when just one spot-kick against the crossbar during the penalty shoot-out denied him the hero status Aime Jacquet had been accorded eight years earlier.

Instead, he has had to grow used to a torrent of criticism whenever Les Bleus put in under-par performances, with the team’s poor showing at UEFA EURO 2008 a particular low point. Domenech was castigated for his tactical choices and his management of the squad, which contained a number of injured players and others struggling for form. He then did little to appease his critics when his first words to the media after France’s elimination contained a marriage proposal.

It was a far from uncharacteristic move for a man with a special interest in the spoken word and a penchant for the well-turned phrase, and whose press conferences have always been an occasion worth attending. Some of his more celebrated declarations include the lines: “Sometimes I think that if I was standing right in front of myself, I’d hate me,”; “If I could select myself, I’d play”; and “Only the results count – in the end I’ll either be God or the Devil.”

Despite the criticisms, Domenech has nonetheless overseen more France matches than any of his predecessors, including the 12 qualifying games on the road to South Africa. As he prepares his charges for the global showcase, his team and formation contain both genuine talent and experience, however a number of question marks remain. Much like 2006, in short.

Coach 2010 - Germany

• Name: Joachim LOEW
• Country: Germany
• Date of Birth: 3 February 1960

Coaching Career

• Austria Wien (AUT) : From 2003 to 2004
• Wacker Innsbruck (AUT) : From 2001 to 2002
• Adanaspor (TUR) : From 2001 to 2001
• Karlsruher SC (GER) : From 1999 to 2000
• Fenerbahçe (TUR) : From 1998 to 1999
• VfB Stuttgart (GER) : From 1996 to 1998

Playing Career

• SC Freiburg (GER) : From 1985 to 1989
• Karlsruher SC (GER) : From 1984 to 1985
• SC Freiburg (GER) : From 1982 to 1984
• Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) : From 1981 to 1982
• VfB Stuttgart (GER) : From 1980 to 1981
• SC Freiburg (GER) : From 1978 to 1980

Joachim Low  is without doubt one of the most popular Germany coaches of all time. With his natural, personable style and class, he has secured a place in the hearts of German football fans. However, it is Low's outstanding technical knowledge, demonstrated by his meticulous match preparations and razor-sharp analysis that has really impressed. The 50-year-old may not have been one of the greatest footballers to come from the home of the three-time world champions, but his coaching credentials have long been held in the highest esteem.

Born in the Black Forest, the popular figure made four appearances in the German U-21s, but a senior debut eluded him. ‘Jogi’, as he is affectionately known, left his greatest legacy as a striker with Freiburg, where he remains the all-time leading goalscorer to this day. However, it is from the dugout that he has enjoyed far greater success, reaching the coveted position of Germany coach.

Low was taken to Stuttgart as assistant to new coach Rolf Fringer in summer 1995. A year later, he was handed the reins on a caretaker basis and, after a run of six games unbeaten, was offered the permanent position of head coach. In his first full season in charge, Low lifted the German Cup and a year later, reached the final of the European Cup Winners Cup, losing out 1-0 to Chelsea in Stockholm.

In the summer of 1998, Low moved to Istanbul with Turkish giants Fenerbahce, heralding a phase where he would accrue experience with a number of clubs in a short space of time and allowed him to develop his own style. After just one season in the Turkish metropolis, he returned home to Karlsruhe before heading back to Turkey with Adanaspor and finally trying his hand in Austria with Tirol and Austria Vienna, winning the Austrian championship with Tirol.

When Jurgen Klinsmann succeeded Rudi Voller as Germany coach following a disappointing UEFA EURO 2004, he brought ‘Jogi’ into the German set-up as assistant coach. The duo struck up an incredible partnership as they set about replacing the static and defensive style of the three-time world champions with a more attacking philosophy. Low was cast as the tactical genius in the background from the outset and Germany went on to enjoy exciting and successful campaigns at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup™.

Following the FIFA World Cup on home soil, Low replaced Klinsmann as Germany coach to continue that evolution towards a more offensive style. This footballing philosopher has had a particular obsession with the amount of time his players hold on to the ball before passing. During his tenure, he has reduced this time significantly, increasing the pace of the German game.
At UEFA EURO 2008, Low led Germany into the knockout stages for the first time in 12 years and progressed all the way to the final, where his side went down 1-0 to Spain. In Austria and Switzerland, Germany were not always able to emulate the attacking performances seen at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but further progress was evident in qualifying for South Africa as Germany booked their place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup emphatically and without tasting defeat. Now Low is looking to take his side’s progress a stage further in South Africa. As he told FIFA.com: “We have the quality to go a long way. We saw that at the European Championship. And we will give it everything."

Coach 2010 - Ghana

• Name: Milovan RAJEVAC
• Country: Serbia
• Date of Birth: 2 January 1954

Coaching Career

• Ghana (GHA) : From 2008 to 2010
• Borac Cacak (SRB) : From 2008 to 2008
• Vojvodina (SRB) : From 2006 to 2007
• Crvena Zvezda (SRB) : From 2004 to 2004

Playing Career

• Sloboda Uzice  (SRB) : From 1985 to 1986
• Borac Cacak (SRB) : From 1982 to 1984
• Vojvodina (SRB) : From 1979 to 1980
• Crvena Zvezda (SRB) : From 1978 to 1979
• Borac Cacak (SRB) : From 1975 to 1978

Milovan Rajevac did not have a large international profile before taking over as coach of Ghana in 2008, but inside the world of football, he already had a reputation as a coach of much potential. His work inside of Serbia and elsewhere in Europe and Asia, and the experience picked up alongside the likes of Bora Milutinovic, Ljubko Petrovic and Milovan Djoric, stood him in good stead leading the team to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. And the confidence in Rajevac will be fully realised as he takes Ghana’s Black Stars to Africa‘s first finals.

As a player, he was a defender at Red Star Belgrade, capped by the former Yugoslavia and in the squad that reached the 1979 UEFA Cup final. But as coach he has had to earn his spurs at more provincial destinations, even though he was taken on to the coaching staff at Red Star when he first hung up his playing boots. Qualifying two unheralded Serbian clubs, FC Vojvodina and FK Borak, to the UEFA Cup were the achievements that earned him the notoriety to seek a national team job and when Ghana were looking for a replacement for Claude le Roy before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Rajevac proved their choice, even though the public had never heard of him before and were somewhat sceptical. Rajevac signed a two-year contract and immediately set about taking the Black Stars to their second successive FIFA World Cup finals appearance. Ghana had some tough games in their first round group but were surprisingly ruthless against much tougher opposition in their final group phase, thereby enhancing the reputation of the 56-year-old coach.

The Black Stars were the first of the African sides to get through the preliminaries and then went on to further verify their credentials by finishing second at the 2010 CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Angola in January. Reaching the final was an achievement that Rajevac can take the lion’s share of credit for, after he was handed a squad beset by injuries and without most of his key players. Ghana’s squad was largely inexperienced and Rajevac had to dip into the reservoir of talent that had won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt last October. He freely admits he now faces a pleasant selection headache ahead of the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

Rajevac, who has a quiet but steely air and still uses an interpreter to address press conferences, started as a coach at his home club FC Borak in 1989, then went to Sweden (FC Srbija), back to Serbia (FC Sloboda), then to Germany and onto China (Beijing Guoan FC). In 2004, he was an assistant to FIFA World Cup veteran Milutinovic at Al Saad in Qatar before going on his own at Vojvodina. When the club from Novi Sad finished an unexpected third in the Serbia Super League in 2007, Rajevac was named best coach by his contemporaries and the sporting press. He was born in Uzice in the west of Serbia but is now regarded by Ghanaians as one of their own.

Coach 2010 - Greece

• Name: Otto REHHAGEL
• Country: Germany
• Date of Birth: 9 August 1938

Coaching Career

• 1. FC Kaiserslautern (GER) : From 1996 to 2000
• Bayern München (GER) : From 1995 to 1996
• Werder Bremen (GER) : From 1981 to 1995
• Fortuna Düsseldorf (GER) : From 1979 to 1980
• Arminia Bielefeld (GER) : From 1978 to 1979
• Borussia Dortmund (GER) : From 1976 to 1978
• Werder Bremen (GER) : From 1976 to 1976

Affectionately known in his native Germany as the 'Kind der Bundesliga' (The Bundesliga Kid), the septuagenarian Otto Rehhagel has been defying the passage of time for many years now.
During his eventful playing and coaching career in the German top flight, the veteran Greece coach racked up all manner of records, some of them more glorious than others. Rehhagel has been involved in the record number of Bundesliga wins, draws and defeats, and the teams he has coached have scored and conceded more goals than those of any of his contemporaries.
Curious stats aside, however, Otto Rehhagel is one of the most successful German coaches of all time. His long association with the game started way back in the 1950s. Over the next two decades he made over 200 Bundesliga appearances, building up a reputation as a player with an uncompromising streak, a virtue he has instilled in his Greece side.

A top-flight coach for fully 25 years, he took the helm at all the country’s leading club sides, including Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, Kaiserlautern and Bayern Munich. Then, in 2001, he accepted the Greek FA’s invitation to become their national coach.
His nine-year association with the country has brought many landmark achievements. Having only qualified for the FIFA World Cup™ finals on one previous occasion, a forgettable first-round exit at USA 1994, Greece suddenly began to work miracles under Rehhagel.

It was the German who masterminded their stunning triumph at UEFA EURO 2004, which was achieved with a pragmatic style of football short on attacking frills. As a reward, he became the first foreigner to be named Greek of the Year, and when the German FA subsequently came in with an offer to take charge of the national side, he eventually turned it down.

Though they failed to reach Germany 2006 and came up short in their defence of their European crown in 2008, Rehhagel and his charges proved their durability by winning a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. In the meantime, he further cemented his reputation by taking Greece to their highest ever position in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: eighth in July 2008.

Famed for his motivational skills, Rehhagel has created a club atmosphere in the Greek dressing room and has not been afraid to bring in new players to replace some of the veterans of their glorious EURO 2004 campaign. And though Greece continue to lack genuine stars, the team spirit and solidity Rehhagel has forged makes them formidable opponents.

The first foreign coach ever to lift the European Championship trophy, it would be no surprise to see the durable German inspire another impressive performance from his underrated side in South Africa.

Coach 2010 - Honduras

• Name: Reinaldo RUEDA
• Country: Colombia
• Date of Birth: 16 April 1957

Coaching Career

• Colombia (COL) : From 2005 to 2006

To say that Reinaldo Rueda is a popular figure in Honduras would be something of an understatement. The Colombian coach earned a deserved place in the country’s football annals by taking Los Catrachos through to the FIFA World Cup™ finals for only the second time in their history, 28 years after their maiden appearance at Spain 1982.

In reviving their fortunes on the pitch, Rueda has done a considerable amount of psychological work off it, changing the fortunes of a side that have always been able to count on talented players but have rarely converted those individual gifts into results.

Since his arrival, the Colombian taskmaster had made it clear that places in his team are awarded on merit alone. Having also had the good fortune to be able to call on gifted performers in virtually every position, he has put together a formidable unit that he believes can hold their own against anyone.

When he took over the CONCACAF underachievers in 2007, Rueda set his sights on leading them all the way to South Africa 2010. In his 50 games in charge so far, there have been some testing moments but a good number of notable successes too, not least three victories over Mexico, a historic 4-0 thrashing of Costa Rica and a vital qualification-clinching win over El Salvador. Indeed, the only team to avoid defeat to the reborn Hondurans during the campaign were USA.

Meticulous planning has been the key to Rueda’s success. Although he never played football professionally, he decided at a young age that he wanted to become a coach. Graduating in Physical Education, he then did a PhD at the University of Cologne before embarking on his career on the touchline. In his first job he saved Cortulua from relegation, moving on to Deportivo Cali and then Medellin, the stepping stone to a position as Colombia’s national youth team coach. The positive results he obtained there led to his promotion to the senior side, which he took to the brink of qualification for Germany 2006.

A learned scholar of the game, Rueda is an astute tactician and gifted motivator, and as the Honduras players acknowledge, he has instilled them with a new-found faith, teaching them to believe in themselves. An advocate of a 4-4-2 system, he has been known nevertheless to switch his line-ups depending on the opposition and the circumstances surrounding each game.  In the home match against the Mexicans in the final CONCACAF qualification group, for example, he put out an eminently offensive side. Yet, for the return fixture at the Estadio Azteca he opted for more defence-minded personnel while still lining up with the same 4-4-2 formation.

One of the sharpest minds on show at South Africa 2010, Rueda is sure to be a huge factor in Honduras’s success or failure at the tournament. And if the coaches of Spain, Chile and Switzerland, their opponents in Group H, are to outwit this shrewd strategist, they will certainly need to do their homework.

Coach 2010 - Italy

• Name: Marcello LIPPI
• Country: Italy
• Date of Birth: 12 April 1948

Coaching Career

• Italy (ITA) : From 2004 to 2006
• Juventus (ITA) : From 2001 to 2004
• Inter Milan (ITA) : From 1999 to 2000
• Juventus (ITA) : From 1994 to 1999
• Napoli (ITA) : From 1993 to 1994
• Atalanta (ITA) : From 1992 to 1993
• Lucchese (ITA) : From 1991 to 1992
• Cesena (ITA) : From 1989 to 1991

Playing Career

• Pistoiese (ITA) : From 1980 to 1982
• Sampdoria (ITA) : From 1970 to 1980
• Savona (ITA) : From 1969 to 1970

Having spent his entire playing and coaching career in Italy, Marcello Lippi is an exception among the ranks of national team coaches. However, there are few tacticians who boast a more complete background, given the Tuscan-born supremo's experience working with youngsters, in the lower divisions, in Serie A and at major international tournaments.

Though he never reached the senior national team as a player, with the closest he came being two appearances for the Nazionale's B side, Lippi can still point to a decade of top-flight football as a libero for Genoa outfit Sampdoria. And after hanging up his boots in 1982, it was in Samp's youth set-up that he took his first steps on the coaching ladder, going on to make his bow as a Serie A coach with Cesena six years later.

The 1993/94 campaign was a landmark for Lippi as a first-division coach, with the strategist presiding over one of Napoli's best seasons post-Maradona and helping the club qualify for the UEFA Cup despite their mounting financial problems.

The call then came from Turin giants Juventus, who saw in him the ideal man to guide a team including the likes of Gianluca Vialli, Ciro Ferrara and Roberto Baggio. Indeed, his first season (1994/95) ended in a Scudetto success, with the coach collecting a total of three Scudetti, one Italian Cup, two Italian Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League (plus two further finals appearances), a UEFA Super Cup and a Intercontinental (Toyota) Cup before joining Inter Milan in 1999.

After an unremarkable spell with the Nerazzurri, Lippi rejoined Juve ahead of the 2001/02 campaign and immediately led the Vecchia Signora to consecutive Serie A titles. His second coming at the Bianconeri also included two Italian Super Cups and an appearance in the 2003 Champions League final, where they were beaten by AC Milan.

Appointed Italian national-team coach on 16 July 2004, the 29th man to hold the post, Lippi led the Azzurri to a fourth FIFA World Cup™ crown at Germany 2006. The win on German soil underlined Lippi's charisma, ability to get the very best out of his players and tactical nous, which included successfully deploying three forwards and an attacking midfielder in the later stages of the semi-final win over the host nation.

After stepping away from the job on 12 July 2006, having accrued an overall record of 17 wins, ten draws and just two defeats (45 goals scored, 19 conceded), Lippi said "I feel my mission at the head of the national team is complete". He subsequently turned down the overtures of a host of club and national sides, instead focusing on giving conferences across Italy and working as a television consultant.

Following Italy's exit from UEFA EURO 2008 at the quarter-final stage under Roberto Donadoni, Lippi heeded his country's call when reappointed on 26 June 2008. Lippi even ran up a grand total of 31 games without a loss to equal the international coaching record held by Spain's Javier Clemente and Argentina's Alfio Basile.

After being ingloriously knocked out in the first round of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, Italy easily qualified for South Africa 2010 on top of their group. Just like in 2006.

Coach 2010 - Japan

• Name: Takeshi OKADA
• Country: Japan
• Date of Birth: 25 August 1956

Takeshi Okada is popularly considered one of his country’s all-time greatest coaches. In his second spell in the Japan hot-seat since 2007, the 53-year-old’s achievements include winning back-to-back J.League titles with Yokohama Marinos and easing the Samurai Blue through South Africa 2010 qualifying.

Okada was a versatile defender during his playing days, renowned more for his clever reading of the game than his ferocity in the tackle. He represented Furukawa Electric - now known as JEF United - for ten years from 1980, and won 24 caps for Japan, representing them in their fruitless mission to reach Mexico 1986.

When Okada hung up his boots in 1990, he became part of his only club’s backroom staff. He spent a year in Germany, studying coaching methods in a nation that has produced a plethora of brilliant tacticians, before retuning to his homeland.

There, he became assistant to Japan coach Shu Kamo in 1995, but when the latter was sacked two years later in the midst of their France 1998 qualifying campaign, Okada was handed the reins. He responded by guiding them to a place at the FIFA World Cup for the very first time, via a 3-2 play-off victory over Iran in Malaysia.

Japan suffered three single-goal defeats, by Argentina, eventual bronze medalists Croatia and Jamaica at the global finals, and Okada quit following the tournament.

Okada’s next assignment was with Consadole Sapporo, whose promotion into the Japanese top flight he masterminded in 2000. His progress alerted a number of prestigious clubs and, despite the pressure he knew he’d be under, he assumed the controls at Yokohama Marinos, one of Asia’s biggest clubs, in 2003.

Okada’s time in Japan’s largest incorporated city was an overwhelming success. He led Yokohama to successive J.League titles in 2003 and 2004, and was named the tournament’s best coach at the end of both seasons. He left the Marinos in 2006.

When a sudden illness forced Japan coach Ivica Osim to resign the following year, the Japanese Football Association didn’t hesitate to court Okada. He accepted the post once again.
Grouped with Australia, Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan in the final round of Asian Zone qualifying for South Africa 2010, Okada decided to use a defensive approach. After beating Bahrain in their opener, however, consecutive home draws with Uzbekistan and Australia prompted the press to question the Osaka native’s tactics.

Okada took the criticism on the chin and let subsequent results do his talking. And on 6 June 2009, a 1-0 reverse of Bahrain made Japan the first team to qualify for the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup.

Rather than play down Japan’s chances of success in South Africa, as is perennially the norm, Okada has repeatedly stated the same towering ambition. "Our target is to reach the last four," he declared.

"We have a tough group but we will not change our target. I said I wanted to shock the world. If South Korea reached the semi-finals in 2002, then why can’t we this year?"

Coach 2010 - Korea DPR

• Name: KIM Jong Hun
• Country: Korea DPR
• Date of Birth: 1 September 1956

Despite guiding Korea DPR to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, coach Kim Jong-Hun remains an unfamiliar figure on the international scene. Indeed, little is known about Hun’s playing career, where served as a defender for both club and country, other than the fact he featured in four FIFA World Cup qualifying matches for Germany 1974 and Mexico 1986. However, his achievement in moulding an inexperienced group into one of Asia’s most competent sides has earned him an undisputed place among the continent’s elite tacticians.

A former mainstay in the back line with local giants April 25 Sports Group, Kim opted to stick with the club after hanging up his boots, switching to the coaching staff of domestic giant. He proved an eager learner during his apprenticeship, finishing an athletic course at a local university before taking part in coaching courses.

Kim quickly established himself as a highly respected strategist on the home front and assumed the reins of the national team in 2007, charged with the task of leading the team through Asia’s qualifying campaign for the South Africa 2010. This indeed was a tall order for both Kim and his team given the nation’s 44-year absence from the FIFA World Cup. However, with a host of talented players coming through the ranks, the coach aimed to make up for their lack of international experience with a tactical approach.

In attempting to qualify for Germany 2006 a rampant Korea DPR stormed into Asia’s final qualifying round where they displayed attacking football against the continent’s best. Entertaining they may have been, but the Chollima lost five straight matches to receive the wooden spoon. Taking into account the past lessons, Kim embarked on a revolution within the national team switching their offensive game plans into more pragmatic strategies.

One of his key tactics was shoring up the rearguard by deploying a five-man defensive line, with Ri Jun-Il more withdrawn as the sweeper, a role coach Kim used to play for the national team during his playing years. His new formation proved an instant success during the 2008 East Asian Football Federation(EAFF) Championship when an unfancied Korea DPR drew both Korea Republic and Japan only to lose to hosts China in the closing game.

With Kim pulling the strategic threads, Korea DPR went on to impress in the subsequent third round of qualifying for the South Africa 2010, finishing the only team to have conceded zero goal as they marched into the concluding round, where they held off the likes of Iran and Saudi Arabia to take one of Asia’s four automatic qualifying slots.

Born in September of 1956, coach Kim was a nine-year-old during his country’s fairy-tale run-up to the last eight in their FIFA World Cup debut at England 1966. 44 years on, the man responsible for taking Korea DPR to their second appearance at the world football’s extravaganza is just keen to emulate their old feat.

Coach 2010 - Korea Republic

• Name: HUH Jung Moo
• Country: Korea Republic
• Date of Birth: 13 January 1955

Coaching Career

• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 2007 to 2010
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 2005 to 2007
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1998 to 2000
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1996 to 1998
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1995 to 1995
• Korea Republic (KOR) : From 1993 to 1995

Playing Career

• Ulsan Hyundai Horangi (KOR) : From 1984 to 1986
• PSV Eindhoven (NED) : From 1980 to 1983
• Korea Electric Power Corporation / Navy  (KOR) : From 1978 to 1980
• Yonsei Univ. (KOR) : From 1974 to 1978

Huh Jung-Moo is one of the most experienced coaches in Korea Republic, in terms of his participations in major international competitions. The 55-year-old has taken part in the AFC Asian Cup, the Asian Games, the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament as well as the FIFA World CupÔ, while leading Chunnam Dragons to three Korean FA Cup successes in the past two decades.

After hanging up his boots in 1986, following an illustrious playing career that culminated in that year’s FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Huh joined the coaching staff of Korea Republic as a fitness trainer at Italy 1990. The following year saw him appointed as the assistant coach of Pohang Steelers, where he went on to take the reins in 1993. Huh then temporarily returned to the national team as an assistant coach for Kim Ho, under whose guidance the Taeguk Warriors narrowly missed out on a place in the second round of USA 1994.

His coaching debut for Korea Republic was a friendly with Brazil in Suwon on 12 August 1995, which ended in a 1-0 defeat. Huh subsequently joined his hometown club Chunnam Dragons, where he went on to establish himself as a tournament specialist with successes in the Korean FA Cup in 1997, 2006 and 2007.

However, his second spell in Korea Republic’s hot seat was not so successful. Huh’s charges were defeated 3-2 by Turkmenistan in their opening match at the 1998 Asian Games Football Tournament in Bangkok, before going down 2-1 to hosts Thailand in the quarter-finals. Despite the disappointing results during the transitional period, Huh would be regarded by many later on as the man who picked up talented young players such as Lee Young-Pyo, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Park Ji-Sung, who have become the stalwarts of the Taeguk Warriors.

The autumn of 2000 was probably the busiest time in the coaching career of Huh, who led Korea Republic’s U-23 side at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in September before taking their senior side to the AFC Asian Cup the following month. The young Taeguk Warriors could not overturn the 3-0 defeat by Spain despite winning the remaining group games against Morocco and Chile at Sydney 2000, although their seniors managed to finish third in the continental finals in Lebanon.

After stepping down from the coaching post, Huh served the Korean FA as a technical advisor for the national team under Guus Hiddink at Korea/Japan 2002, before joining the technical committee as its vice chairman in 2004. He was also the senior assistant coach for Johannes Bonfrere during the 2004 Asian Cup in China.

The final chapter of his football life, as he described upon his third appointment as Korea Republic coach in December 2007, has proved to be a success so far. Huh’s charges topped their group with three wins and three draws in the third round of qualifying for South Africa 2010, before going on to claim their place in world football’s showpiece event with two games remaining in the final round of the preliminary competition.

Coach 2010 - Mexico

• Name: Javier AGUIRRE
• Country: Mexico
• Date of Birth: 1 December 1958

Coaching Career

• Atlético Madrid (ESP) : From 2006 to 2009
• Osasuna (ESP) : From 2002 to 2006
• Mexico (MEX) : From 2001 to 2002
• Pachuca (MEX) : From 1998 to 2001
• Atlante (MEX) : From 1995 to 1996

Playing Career

• Guadalajara (MEX) : From 1987 to 1993
• Osasuna (ESP) : From 1986 to 1987
• Atlante (MEX) : From 1984 to 1986
• CF América (MEX) : From 1979 to 1984

When he was appointed Mexico’s national coach in 2009, Javier Aguirre found himself in a familiar position, taking charge of a team that was struggling to make their way in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifying competition. But, just as he did on the road to Korea/Japan 2002, the experienced Aguirre steadied the ship and safely steered El Tri to South Africa. The task now facing El Vasco is to take Mexico beyond the Round of 16, an insurmountable barrier for them in their last four appearances in the world finals.

Aguirre was a member of the Tricolor side that reached the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico, the highlight of a distinguished career in which he turned out for clubs of the stature of America and Guadalajara in Mexico and Osasuna in Spain. After moving into coaching, he began to make a name for himself by taking the unfancied Pachuca to the 1999 Invierno league title.

Two years later he was given the job of rescuing Mexico’s faltering bid for a place at Korea/Japan 2002, turning around an underachieving team who went on to qualify in style without losing another game. Aguirre’s achievements did not end there. When his side reached the Far East they topped a tough section featuring Italy, Croatia and Ecuador before suffering a painful defeat to neighbours and rivals USA in the Round of 16.

His next port of call was former club Osasuna, where he would go on to become one of the most successful coaches in their history. The high-point of his four-year stay came when Los Rojillos qualified for the UEFA Champions League, a notable achievement that prompted Atletico Madrid to come in for him. Just to show it was no fluke, Aguirre took Los Rojiblancos into Europe’s premier club competition as well.

After leaving the Vicente Calderon at the start of 2009, Aguirre was invited by the Mexican FA to repeat the miracle he had worked seven years earlier. Happy to accept, he revitalised Tricolor fortunes following a debut defeat to El Salvador, overseeing another unbeaten run as Mexico qualified for the world finals with plenty to spare. On top of that they also won the CONCACAF Gold Cup, thrashing hosts USA 5-0 in the final, their first win north of the border in a decade.
A consummate man-motivator, Aguirre’s success as a coach is founded on his tactical acumen and his ability to get his message across to his charges and to build a strong team spirit. Never asking too much of his players, he has a very clear vision of success and how to achieve it.
Aguirre’s Mexico invariably operate with a 4-3-3 formation, one designed to make the most of the speed of their forwards and the tactical discipline and physical strength Mexican players are known for. When the situation requires, he has been known to switch to 4-2-3-1, rotating three forwards down the flanks in support of a lone striker.
An avid reader, El Vasco is a staunch supporter of social causes and a great fan of baseball and boxing. An honest talker and strong-minded with it, he is not afraid to own up to his mistakes, a quality that has only increased his popularity in his native country.

Coach 2010 - Netherlands

• Name: Bert VAN MARWIJK
• Country: Netherlands
• Date of Birth: 19 May 1952

Coaching Career

• Feyenoord (NED) : From 2007 to 2008
• Borussia Dortmund (GER) : From 2004 to 2006
• Feyenoord (NED) : From 2000 to 2004
• Fortuna Sittard (NED) : From 1998 to 2000
• SV Meerssen (NED) : From 1995 to 1998
• RKVCL Limmel (NED) : From 1991 to 1995
• FC Herderen (NED) : From 1990 to 1991

Playing Career

• FC Assent (NED) : From 1987 to 1988
• Fortuna Sittard (NED) : From 1986 to 1987
• MVV (NED) : From 1978 to 1986
• AZ (NED) : From 1975 to 1978
• Go Ahead Eagles (NED) : From 1969 to 1975

Aged 58, the man masterminding the Netherlands’ bid is embarking on his maiden FIFA World Cup™ finals journey as a coach. Bert van Marwijk took over from Marco van Basten in 2008 and, since then, everything has gone according to plan, the Oranje having breezed through qualifying thanks to a historic eight wins from as many games. With Frank de Boer and Phillip Cocu serving as assistants, the father-in-law of Mark van Bommel has introduced some much-needed discipline at the back, without sacrificing the traditional attacking flair so beloved of the nation's football enthusiasts.

Before taking over the national side, the Deventer native started out as a midfielder, spending much of his 18-year playing career with Maastricht. It was there that he enjoyed his first taste of coaching too, starting a four-year spell in the dugout in 1982. He then took the reins of another five clubs before being recruited by Feyenoord in the summer of 2000, fresh from leading Fortuna Sittard to the Dutch Cup final the previous season. His reputation growing, Van Marwijk hit a whole new height when he steered the Rotterdam outfit to triumph in the UEFA Cup in 2002.

Two years later, Borussia Dortmund brought him on board and even though his Bundesliga stay produced no trophies, the experience was far from a failure. When he returned to Feyenoord in 2007, he won the Dutch Cup at the end of his first season back, before his country came calling.

Said by Andre Ooijer to be “close to the players and ready to listen to them”, Van Marwijk harbours plenty of ambition and is not afraid to show it. Like his assistants, he has publicly stated his aim to clinch the grand prize in South Africa this summer, but he has never had trouble keeping his feet on the ground. “I’m very happy that our excellent performances in the qualifiers have been rewarded,” he said. “Still, we mustn’t give in to runaway optimism. This is a World Cup and because of that there won’t be any easy opponents. We’ve proved we’re a genuine team, however, and you always have to aim as high as possible. Nobody needs to put pressure on us because I do that myself.”