Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
National technical director René Simoes addresses the media upon his return to the island yesterday.

Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

FULL OF conviction that Jamaica possesses the talent to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa, Professor René Simoes returned to the island yesterday to begin his second tour of duty as technical director of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), under a three-year contract.

Simoes is the coach who guided Jamaica to its first World Cup Finals, in France in 1998. A fan took time out to show his gratitude with a huge sign reading 'Welcome home René Simoes', at the intersection of the Michael Manley and Sir Florizel Glasspole Boulevards, yesterday.

The little Brazilian, neatly dressed in a grey suit, arrived close to 12:30 p.m. at the Norman Manley Inter-national Airport, accompanied by JFF president Captain Horace Burrell, his daughter, Bia, and Chico Santos, one of three coaches from Brazil who will be working with Simoes. Santos' specific responsibilities pertains to the goalkeepers.

In opening remarks at a press conference in the airport's VIP Lounge shortly after their arrival, Burrell said: "Today is a special day in our sporting life because today is the day when we welcome the return of Professor René Simoes, who has done so much for this country.

"Professor Simoes is here on a three-year contract. He's not here as the head coach of the Reggae Boyz. Jamaica simply cannot afford that. He is the technical director for all national teams, including the female teams," he said.

Assistant coach coming

Another Brazilian coach, Alfredo Montesso, who worked with Simoes during his first tenure from 1994 to 2000, is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. He will be the national team's assistant coach.

Glydiston Ananias, another coach who worked here during that period with Simoes, will not be returning as previously announced because he has commitments with Coritiba, the team that Simoes piloted to the Brazilian national Division Two championship and has been promoted to the nation's top-flight league.

His replacement will be Brazilian Jose Alexandre Mon-tenero, who will arrive here at a later date.

Each of these coaches will be paid a monthly salary of US$15,000, while Simoes is contracted at US$600,000 per annum.

Commenting on his reasons for returning, Simoes told journalists that he believed in the Jamaican people.

"Some people in Brazil told me lightning doesn't strike the same place twice," he noted in reference to his first stint. "We qualified because we believed we could qualify as a people and we worked hard for it."

Looking ahead to the next qualifying series that begins in June, Simoes said: "This time will be difficult ... but now we know we can do it. People will not take Jamaica lightly. We have to be better today than the last time because people know what Jamaica can do now.

"But we have the potential, the quality. The strength of the Jamaican people moves me to believe we can do it again ... and this time we need to get everybody together," he said.

In that light, he noted there must be significant input by the private sector, government and the nation's people and warned that all national representatives will be required to be a part of what he calls 'the Reggae Boyz family'.

"Don't believe that because you are a good player you will be a part of my team. You have to be part of the family," Simoes warned. "If the players are not in the family, or for these objectives, they will be out. You cannot qualify a team with only the best players. They must be role models to help people to understand in the society, the players must have responsibility."

He continued: "I think 25 games a year for the Reggae Boyz is a good number. You cannot be afraid to lose games. Without losing you cannot identify who is great and who is not. We cannot improve our football if we don't raise the local players again.

Ready to roll

"Let's discover more Ricardo Gardners," he added of the English Premiership star for Bolton Wanderers, whom he drafted into the Jamaican team as a 16-year-old Wolmer's schoolboy.

Simoes begins working immediately as he is scheduled to watch parts of two Cash Plus Premier League matches today - Waterhouse vs Sporting Central Academy at Drewsland and Harbour View vs August Town game at Compound. Both are slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Tomorrow he is scheduled for a briefing with JFF general secretary Horace Reid, then with other JFF staffers on Tuesday, sponsors and potential sponsors on Wednesday. On Thursday, he will be at Jamaica House where he will meet Prime Minister Bruce Golding and on Friday he will meet with the JFF's board of directors.

"I want to make a diagnosis of what's going on," Simoes noted. "After that I'll devise my strategy."