Holger Osieck Named Qantas Socceroos Coach
Football Federation Australia (FFA) today named Holger Osieck as the new Head Coach of the Qantas Socceroos.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) today named Holger Osieck as the new Head Coach of the Qantas Socceroos.
Osieck joins FFA at a time where the Qantas Socceroos are going through a period of rejuvenation and transition and his blend of working with elite youth teams in Europe, coaching winning teams at Championship level, including being part of a FIFA World Cup™ winning coaching team and his work at the forefront of technical development for FIFA means he is an ideal choice to take the reins at this point in time.
Osieck has demonstrated his ability to win major tournaments. He was assistant coach to Franz Beckenbauer with the German team that won the FIFA World Cup™ in 1990, head coach of the Canadian national team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000 and the head coach of the Urawa Red Diamonds, the largest club in Asian football, when they won the AFC Champions League only three years ago.
Osieck has worked at the coal face of youth development as a youth coach of the German Football Federation (DFB) and has worked at the forefront of technical development as the Director of the FIFA Technical Department.
FFA Chairman, Frank Lowy, AC, said: “Our coaching selection committee set out a number of very clear objectives from the outset to measure the prospective coaches against.
They must :
- have demonstrated the capacity to rebuild teams and to work with young footballers and develop them into internationally competitive players
- be prepared to work with the national technical director and his department to enhance the elite player pathway program
- have proven experience at international level and success in Asia
- commit to be based in Australia and work with Australian staff to develop our own leaders of the future
“Holger clearly meets these criteria and comes highly recommended as he has worked at all levels of the game and will combine his coaching expertise and experience with an ability to contribute to the future development of young players and in particular will act as mentor to Australian coaches as we develop our own national coaches for the future.
“This is a legacy that we believe Holger will leave for football in Australia.To that end we will be appointing a second Australian assistant coach who can work alongside Holger and Aurelio Vidmar.”
Lowy also added that: “Holger has extensive knowledge of Asian Football having won the AFC Champions League with Urawa Red Diamonds. He has experienced what it takes to traverse Asia and win tournaments and this will be invaluable experience as he leads our team into the AFC Asian Cup in January 2011 and as we prepare for another challenging campaign to qualify for the FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil in 2014.
“Holger has also worked in a nation where football is not the number one sport and proved that he can win a major Championship against nations who have football in their veins when he won the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Canada.”
In welcoming Holger to Australia, Lowy said: “Holger has had a lifelong passion for developing football not only as a coach but as an educator and he will impart a winning philosophy to players and coaches alike.”
Osieck said he was looking forward to working with the national team and on the development of football in Australia in general alongside FFA Technical Director Han Berger. “I am excited about working with the Qantas Socceroos and building on the team-s impressive results in Asia and around the world,” Osieck said. “Taking over at a stage of natural transition as we start our preparations for 2014 is an ideal opportunity to influence the future direction of the young players and coaches from Australia.”
Playing Career:
1965-1970: Eintracht Gelsenkirchen 1970-1972: SSV Hagen 1972-1976: 1. FC Mülheim 1976: 1. FC Bocholt 1977: Vancouver Whitecaps 1978: Rot-Weiss Oberhausen
Coaching Career:
1977: Assistant coach of the Canadian national team 1979-1987: Youth coach at the German Football Federation 1987-1990: Assistant coach of the German national team (and national youth coach) - Winners of the FIFA World Cup™ 1990-1991: Assistant coach of Olympique Marseille (French Ligue 1 Winners) 1991-1992: VfL Bochum 1993-1994: Fenerbahçe Istanbul 1995-1996: Urawa Red Diamonds 1997-1998: Kocaelispor (Turkish Cup Winner) 1998-2003: Canada National team Head Coach and Technical Director (2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup Winners) 2004-2006: Director of the FIFA Technical Department 2007-2008: Urawa Red Diamonds (AFC Champions League 2007 Winners) 2008-2010: FIFA Technical Department