Hans Backe is ready to revive the fortunes of Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls and is only too aware of the size of the task he faces.
The 57-year-old Swede, who has most recently worked under Sven-Goran Eriksson at Manchester City and Notts County in England and with Mexico’s national side, has become the club’s 12th coach in 15 years.
And he told reporters when he was introduced to the media at the club’s new $200 million home, the Red Bull Arena: “After so many years, I have my philosophy and I know how to build a team. It’s a massive challenge to build a team, but with this breathtaking stadium, the future looks bright for this club.”
| New York Red Bulls name Hans Backe new head coach |
The Red Bulls, who will kick off the 2010 season at home to Chicago on March 27, managed just five wins in the Eastern Standings last season, the worst in the MLS.
And Erik Soler, who was appointed the club’s general manager and sporting director at the end of last year, is certain Backe has the attributes to boost the Bulls despite his lack of MLS experience.
Soler said: “This is not about bringing in a European or not bringing in a European. It’s about building the best team, the best staff you can get to run this club forward.
“I would be much more scared bringing in a coach that had worked for 10 years in the (English) Premiership or worked for a big Spanish club because there are differences. I have a very limited amount of money for buying players, for instance. That’s very comparable to Scandanavia.”
With the help of assistant coach Richie Williams and goalkeeping coach Des McAleenan, Backe, who led FC Copenhagen to four Danish league titles before being sacked by Greek outfit Panathinaikos in September 2006, will now, like Soler, have to get used to MLS's rules and salary cap.
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