Euro 2008 Coaches

Victor Piţurcă has a mission to put history right. Piţurcă guided Romania through qualifying for Euro 2000 but missed out on the finals in the Low Countries after he was dismissed from his post in December 1999 following a dispute with some senior players. He returned in December 2004 and despite missing out on the 2006 World Cup, Piţurcă reassembled Romania, instilled a discipline in his team and built an attacking mentality which led to his side qulaifying for Euro 2008. His offensive focus comes from a career as one of the most prolific strikers in Romanian soccer history. A European and European Super Cup winner with Steaua Bucharest in the late 1980's, Piţurcă hit 165 goals in 301 league games during his club career. He moved into the international structure in 1995 and was then handed the reins of the Romania Under-21 side. In July 1998 he made the step up to the senior national team, but following his dismissal returned to Steaua whom he led to the league title in 2000/01.

The man they call "Rehhakles" performed one of modern soccer's most amazing feats by turning a group of toiling journeymen into European Champions. The success of minnows Greece at Euro 2004 must go down as one of the game's greatest surprises but for anyone interested in the man who master-minded the success, it was another example of Otto Rehhagel's miracles of turning water-carriers into vintage wine. When he took the Greece job in August 2001, Rehhagel set about employing the the tactics and discipline that had made him a legend in German soccer. A player for Hertha BSC Berlin and 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Rehhagel's coaching career took in numerous jobs around the Bundesliga's lower reaches before hitting gold with Werder Bremen. A tired and forgotten team soon won two league titles, two German Cups and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup under Rehhagel before he succumbed to the lure of Bayern Munich. After being sacked, he led Kaiserslautern to the 1997/98 German title, proving a challenge would always bring out the best in him.

France coach Raymond Domenech is known as a maverick coach and has had a love-hate relationship not only with fans of opposing clubs and nations but with fans of his own at times too. A tough full-back during his title-winning playing career with Olympique Lyonnais, RC Strasbourg and Bordeaux, Domenech tasted his first success as a coach with Lyon in 1988/89 when he captured the Ligue 2 title. After a ten-year stint as France Under-21 coach, during which France claimed second place at the 2002 European Under-21 Championship, he was appointed senior national coach in 2004. After struggling in their 2006 World Cup qualifying group, Domenech ate humble pie and recalled Zinédine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele out of retirement. The old guard helped France qualify and also reach the final of the World Cup which they lost 5-3 on penalties to Italy. Another shaky qualifying campaign for Euro 2008 eventually ended in success, giving Domenech another chance to prove his critics wrong – something he loves to do.

Luis Aragonés set off on a tour of some of Spanish soccer's greatest clubs before settling into his role as the vastly experienced coach of the national side. After learning his trade in the lower leagues, Aragonés hit the big time with Atlético Madrid. He spent a decade as a player there before taking over as coach in 1974. His no-nonsense approach, wedded to a notoriously short temper was not always popular with his players but after almost 20 years in charge, the long-blooming fruits could be seen. Atlético captured the league and cup double in 1995/96. This success set Aragonés off on his travels, taking in coaching jobs at Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia, Espanyol, Betis, Oviedo and Mallorca before taking over from Iñaki Sáez as Spain coach following Euro 2004. Uncompromising and controversial, Aragonés braved a racism storm to lead Spain to the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup after a swashbuckling campaign that earned his team many plaudits. The 3-1 to France was Spain's first defeat in 25 matches but Aragonés had done enough to earn a new two-year contract.

Fatih Terim has already been afforded hero status in Turkey by ensuring his nation did not fail to qualify for a third successive tournament. After the disappointment of overseeing Turkey’s failure to reach the 2006 World Cup, the former title-winning coach of Galatasaray, Terim reassembled his side and put his awesome leadership skills to good use to steer them to Euro 2008. The coach who took Turkey to euro 96, Turkey’s first finals appearance since the 1954 World Cup, Terim returned to the national team in 2005 after a sabbatical from coaching. His impressive playing a coaching career includes 51 caps for Turkey, 31 of them as captain, stints as coach of AC Milan and Fiorentina and a UEFA Cup win with Galatasaray. On and off the pitch, Terim is known for instilling a professional discipline and raw passion in his players and colleagues.

Karel Brueckner's name is synonymous with the Czech Republic's international infrastructure. A successful former domestic coach with hometown team SK Sigma Olomouc, Brueckner joined the Football Association of the Czech Republic in 1997. His first job was to mould the country's wealth of young talent into a competitive Under-21 team, which he did with some style. However, by the time the team Karel built had won the European Under-21 Championship in Switzerland in 2002, Brueckner had replaced Jozef Chovanec as senior national team coach. He came close to taking the senior team to a European final in 2004 but was beaten in the semi-final by eventual champions Greece. Despite a poor showing at the 2006 World Cup, Brueckner did not hesitate to sign a contrcat extension to lead the Czechs to Euro 2008.

Jakob "Kobi" Kuhn will be looking for a successful last throw of the dice with Switzerland after deciding to step down after the finals. The first homegrown coach to take charge since 1989, Kuhn has been at the helm for seven years and was the coach which took the small Alpine nation to its first major finals tournament since Euro 96 when he guided the Swiss to Euro 2004. Further success followed with qualification for the 2006 World Cup. A former midfielder with FC Zurich and national Under-21 coach, Kuhn is credited as the man who remodeled Switzerland, cutting the ageing stars from the squad and blooding new talent. The Swiss will be hoping that the stars of the Swiss team that won the 2002 European Under-17 Championship can help Switzerland shine in 2008.

Slaven Bilić has already rewarded the Croatian Football Federation for the faith they showed in him when hiring him as national team coach in July 2006 at the age of 37. Qualifying for Euro 2008, however, is far from the pinnacle of his hopes and dreams. The former law student and hardman defender began as a coach during the 2002/03 season with HNK Hajduk Split after his varied playing career ended. It was a career which had taken in Germany and England and had seen Bilić reach the quarter-finals of Euro 96 with Croatia and a third-place finish in his nation's debut appearance in a World Cup in 1998. Believing to have the best team his country has ever created under his charge, Bilić is ready to take the next step in his and Croatia's international destiny.

Former national team midfielder Roberto Donadoni inherited a huge burden of expectation when he succeeded Marcello Lippi, the man who had just led Italy to the 2006 World Cup title. After a shaky start, Donadoni has steadied the ship and has led the world champions to Euro 2008. A man with huge amounts of international experience, Donadoni served Italy with distinction on 63 occasions. He twice suffered penalty heartache at two World Cups, missing in the semi-final shoot-out defeat by Argentina in 1990 and then watching as Brazil won on spot-kicks in the final four years later. Domestically, his career highlights include five Serie A league titles and three European Cups with AC Milan. Moving into coaching in 2001, Donadoni took charge of Serie C club Calcio Lecco 1912 to learn the ropes. He then moved to Livorno and led them to a sixth place finish in Italy's top flight.

One of the most successful figures in Austrian football history, Josef Hickersberger has appeared at the World Cup finals both as a coach and a player; most dramatically in the famous 3-2 win against West Germany at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. As with many of his contemporaries, 'Hicke' started off in the national structure as coach of his country's Under-21 side, graduating to the senior team in 1988. He quickly earned Austria a place at the 1990 World Cup finals. However after a dismal Euro 92 qualifying campaign, Hickersberger was sacked. He then coached in Germany and then the Middle East. Back in Austria in 2002 with Rapid Wien, he won the 2003/04 Austrian title.

Guus Hiddink's long list of domestic and international accolades led the Russian press to dub him a coaching wizard long before he steered Russia to Euro 2008. Hired in April 2006 after winning another Dutch title with PSV Eindhoven and before taking unfancied Australia to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, the Dutchman had previously steered the Netherlands and Korea Republic to World Cup semi-finals in 1998 and 2002 respectively. After the latter achievement with the host nation, he returned to Eindhoven for the 2002/03 campaign and proved his Midas touch had not deserted him at club level either. He won the championship in his first term back at the PSV Stadion, adding a Dutch double in 2004/05 and running AC Milan all the way in an enthralling Champions League semi-final. Stints as coach of Fenerbahçe, Valencia, Real Madrid and Real Betis as well as a short spell as the Netherlands coach have given Hiddink a CV to die for. Taking Russia to Euro 2008 and maybe into the latter stages at the finals would be a fitting addition to an envious record.

In leading Sweden to Euro 2008, a record fifth successive major tournament, Lars Lagerbaeck managed his second consecutive qualifying success since he took sole charge of the national side after Tommy Soederberg, with whom he had shared the reins, stepped down after Euro 2004. Lagerbaeck had an undistinguished playing career but started to prepare early for coaching by becoming a student of the game. He coached Sweden's youth teams and the international B squad before becoming Soederberg's assistant. Lagerbaeck joined his friend and colleague on the bench as an equal in 2000. When eventually he took sole control of his nation, Lagerback employed the tactics he had quietly fed his more hands-on colleague to great success. He led Sweden to the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals where they finished second in a group featuring England, Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago. They went out in the next round to hosts Germany but despite criticism at home, Lagerbaeck was given the green light to plan for Euro 2008.

Joachim Loew took over the reins of the German national team after Juergen Klinsmann stood down after the 2006 FIFA World Cup hosts ended the tournament in third place. A former Bundesliga midfielder with VfB Stuttgart, SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, Loew returned to Stuttgart as coach after he hung up his boots in 1995, leading them to the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in the following season where they lost 1-0 to Chelsea. After winning the Austrian title with FC Tirol Innsbruck, and stints in Turkey, Loew joined the Germany set-up in 2004. Credited with the tactics and line-ups which gave added bite to Germany's attacking approach, Loew has now built a young team in his own image. Germany under Loew are hard to beat, offensively exciting and stylish in possession.

Leo Beenhakker is entering his fifth decade as a coach and has much to celebrate in an illustrious career. But the amiable Dutchman believes Poland's qualification in one of the biggest successes of his career. He has much to compare it to. As a domestic coach, he guided Ajax to the Dutch title and the European Cup semi-finals in 1980; won three successive Primera División titles and one Spanish Cup during that decade with Real Madrid before returning to Holland to win another title with Ajax in 1990. He then took charge of the Netherlands for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where the Oranje reached the second round. After a nomadic existence winning title around the world with various clubs, Beenhakker led Trinidad & Tobago on a fairytale ride to the 2006 World Cup. His contract extension to the 2010 World Cup means he will be pursuing further successes for a few more years yet.

The name of Marco van Basten used to strike fear into the heart of defenders all over the world. At his peak, the Dutch striker was probably one of the best forwards the game had ever seen. He scored 128 goals for Ajax in a four year career before he went on to become the spearhead at the top of the Dutch spine of the great AC Milan team of the late 80's. Two European Cups and countless league titles with the "rossoneri" followed, and these were joined by the 1988 European Championship title the Dutch won, courtesy of van Basten's legendary volley in the final against the Soviet Union. After retiring from a knee injury, van Basten worked with the AFC Ajax youth team before becoming the surprise replacement for Dick Advocaat as Netherlands coach after the Oranje reached the semi-finals of Euro 2004. He led the Dutch to the 2006 World Cup but their bad-tempered campaign ended in the second round.

Luiz Felipe Scolari may be the man who rescued Brazilian soccer from the doldrums by winning the 2002 World Cup in some style, but it his transformation of Portugal which could rate as his greatest achievement before his days are over. Under "Big Phil", Portugal have come within a whisker of Euro 2004 glory on home soil and made it to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals. His team's performance in Germany was the country's best showing since 1966. A successful domestic coach back home in Brazil, Scolari was not everyone’s first choice for the Brazilian job and leaving out the national hero Romario from the squad caused outrage. But victory silences many a critic and Brazil's return to the pinnacle of the game turned anger into joy. Still awaiting his first title with Portugal, the master tactician may not have to wait much longer.