Belgium dismisses Wilmots as Ukraine turns to ‘Sheva’
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BELGIUM fired national coach Marc Wilmots yesterday after its highly fancied team of talents failed to advance beyond the quarterfinals at the recently-concluded Euro 2016, Belgian FA president Francois De Keersmaecker said.
“The objectives set for the Euros were not achieved. We need a new momentum,” he told a news conference in Brussels.
A search was under way for a coach with international experience to take over before a friendly against Spain on September 1, ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
He thanked Wilmots for his achievements over the past four years and said an understanding had been reached over Wilmots’ contract, which had a compensation clause if he were sacked.
The former Schalke midfielder, 47, took the Red Devils to the quarterfinals of the last World Cup in Brazil and top of FIFA’s world ranking chart with a team built around Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester City pair Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne.
But a clueless and disjointed 1-3 defeat to Wales in the Euro 2016 quarters left critics calling for Wilmots’ head and Belgian fans wondering what happened to the team that many had hoped would deliver the country’s first major trophy.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s former striker Andriy Shevchenko was appointed national team manager yesterday, replacing Mykhailo Fomenko who quit after Euro 2016, the country’s soccer federation said.
Record goalscorer
The 39-year-old, Ukraine’s record goalscorer who also played for Dynamo Kiev, AC Milan and Chelsea, was officially presented by federation president Andriy Pavelko at a news conference in Kiev.
Fomenko resigned after Ukraine finished bottom of Group C without a point at the European Championship, having failed to score a goal in its three matches in France.
It lost 0-2 to Germany in its opening game and was beaten by the same scoreline by unfancied Northern Ireland before its campaign ended with a 0-1 defeat to Poland.
Shevchenko, who scored 48 goals in 111 games for Ukraine, joined the national team coaching staff ahead of Euro 2016, replacing assistant coach Olexandr Zavarov.
He retired after Euro 2012, which Ukraine co-hosted with Poland, having had a successful club career in which he won the Ballon d’Or in 2004 at Milan.
Also, the Czech Republic soccer association said Karel Jarolim will take over as national team coach.
The association said Jarolim, 59, will get a two-year-contract, starting on August 1, with an option for another two years.
Yesterday’s announcement comes after a week of talks between the association and Mlada Boleslav, the Czech club where Jarolim is under contract.
Jarolim replaces Pavel Vrba, who ended his contract after the Czechs were eliminated in the first round at Euro 2016.
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