Simoes

René Simoes, who wore the 'Jesus Saves' insignia on the back of his shirt as he guided the Reggae Boyz's on the Road to France campaign in 1998, will return for his second tour of duty as technical director of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) on January 5 next year.

Captain Horace Burrell, president of the JFF, ended weeks of speculation by officially announcing yesterday that the Brazilian will direct the nation's football programmes under a three-year contract, which also entails qualification to the 2010 World Cup Finals - dubbed the Road to Africa - among its major goals.

Simoes, who will be paid US$600,000 per annum (J$42.6 million), replaces Serbian Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, whose contract was terminated for breaches just days after Burrell and his new executive assumed office on Sunday, November 4.

"The JFF board of directors unanimously decided on the termination of the previous technical director, Bora Milutinovic," announced Burrell at an afternoon press conference in the JFF's St. Lucia Crescent headquarters yesterday.

"The board also gave its unanimous approval for the hiring of the new technical director, Brazilian, René Simoes."

He added: "Simoes will take along with him three assistants from Brazil. They are assistant coach Glydston Ananias, Alfredo Montesso, trainer and goalkeeper coach Chico Santos."

Previous experience in Jamaica

All three Brazilians had worked here previously with Simoes and they will each be paid US$15,000 (J$1.06 million) monthly and their housing and local transportation will be taken care of by the federation.

Additionally, Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, the former Reggae Boyz captain who netted that famous double that gave Jamaica its only victory - a 2-1 success over Japan - in their first and only senior World Cup Finals appearance in France, has been retained as a coach in the national programme.

Simoes began his first stint as technical director in 1994 and worked through to 2001, when he was replaced by another Brazilian, Clovis de Oliviera.