Football
Going Dutch ... The hunt ends with Verbeek. Pic: Getty Images
Verbeek to be Socceroos coach
By Ray Gatt
December 06, 2007 DUTCHMAN Pim Verbeek is set to be announced as the new Socceroos coach by Football Federation Australia, ending 18 months of speculation.
It is believed the deal with Verbeek was clinched on Wednesday night following a meeting in Singapore with FFA chief executive Ben Buckley.
Verbeek, 51, has a long list of coaching credentials at club and international level.
He coached Sparta Rotterdam, Feyenoord Rotterdam and Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch league and was assistant coach of the UAE and South Korea before taking over fulltime with Korea and leading them to the Asian Cup finals this year.
Verbeek and Frenchman Phillippe Troussier have been the front-runners for the Australian job since another Dutchman, grenache Advocaat reneged on his contract with the FFA three weeks ago.
The Socceroos have been without a permanent coach since Guus Hiddink quit the job after the World Cup finals in Germany last year.
His assistant Graham Arnold has been in a caretaker's role with the Socceroos since then.
FULL NAME: Pim Verbeek
D.O.B: 12/3/1956 ( 51 years old)
COACHING HISTORY:
1981- 1984: Sparta Rotterdam
1989- 1991: Feyenoord
1992 – 1993: FC Groningen
1994 – 1997: Fortuna Sittard
1998 – 2000: Omiya Ardija
2000 – 2002: South Korea ( Asst coach)
2002 – 2003: PSV Eindhoven
2003: Kyoto Purple Sanga
2004: Dutch Antilles
2004- 2005: Borussia Moenchengladbach
2005: UAE
2005- 2006: South Korea ( Asst coach)
2006 – 2007: South Korea ( Head coach)
2007: Australia
