Verbeek says his job is tough
10:59 AEST Fri May 28 2010

It's an exhaustive task keeping tabs on Australia's foreign legion as coach Pim Verbeek can vouch.

The Dutchman reckons he has clocked up almost one million kilometres of travel in his 30-month contract as he monitors his players, who ply their trade in overseas leagues.

Australia will be in the unique situation at the World Cup in South Africa with their likely first choice team comprising virtually all overseas-based players.

Verbeek, who is stepping down as Australia's head coach after the World Cup, rates the Socceroos job as one of the most demanding in world football.

Australia's best players have for decades pursued their football outside of their home country and it makes the task of the national coach extremely challenging to seek their releases from foreign clubs and keep local fans happy at the same time.

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, midfielders Tim Cahill, Brett Emerton and Vince Grella play in the English Premier League, defender Scott Chipperfield in Switzerland, utility Luke Wilkshire in Russia, captain Lucas Neill and Harry Kewell in Turkey, midfielder Mark Bresciano in Italy and striker Josh Kennedy in Japan.

Only midfielder Jason Culina plays in the domestic A-League while veteran defender Craig Moore recently returned home from an aborted short-term deal in Greece.

Most of Verbeek's other squad members play overseas and it is not uncommon for the Dutchman to conduct his press conferences with the Australian media by telephone from somewhere in the world.

Despite the logistical difficulties Australia qualified top of their Asian group, five points clear of Japan, and are 20th on the FIFA world rankings after climbing to a high of 14 in September 2009.

"Being Socceroos coach is one of the hardest jobs in the world, without a doubt," Verbeek wrote in a recent newspaper column.

"Why? Try clocking up almost one million kilometres of travel in two-and-a-half years. That's what my staff say my itinerary has been, and I believe it."

Verbeek said nothing could prepare him for the sheer quantity of travel and the broad focus of the job.

"When I took the job I quite rightly committed to spending a certain amount of time in Australia to get to know the A-League and its players and immerse myself in the Australian culture," he said.

"But when you also have to consider those who are playing everywhere from the United Kingdom to Japan, it can become hard to know where you are at the start of each day.

"One time recently I was in Europe for nine days and then the following week I was in Japan. Then the whole thing started all over again."

The blunt-talking Verbeek raised the hackles of the local media when he opined early in his tenure that despite all the personal travelling involved he preferred the bulk of his national squad to play overseas rather than in the A-League.

"If you train for three weeks with Nuremberg or with Karlsruhe, I have to be very honest - that's better than playing A-League games," was Verbeek's brutal assessment.

"When (Jason Culina) signed for Gold Coast, I told him that leaving a (Dutch) team playing in the Champions League and joining a team just starting in the A-league in a season that finished in February gave me concerns.

"Maybe I should sometimes be a little bit more diplomatic."

But the bottom line is that Verbeek has honoured his part of the deal and qualified Australia for their second straight World Cup, despite all the geographical obstacles.

© AFP 2010