Robert Baan appointed FFA Technical Director
Football Federation Australia took a significant step towards ensuring long-term success of its national teams with the appointment of experienced Dutchman Robert Baan to the position of Technical Director.
Football Federation Australia took a significant step towards ensuring long-term success of its national teams with the appointment of experienced Dutchman Robert Baan to the position of Technical Director.
Baan, who has had a 40-year career in football, has held Technical Directorships with the Dutch FA, Feyenoord Rotterdam, ADO Den Haag and in the UAE. He will start in the FFA role in early January 2007.
FFA Chairman, Frank Lowy, finalised the appointment after meeting with Baan in Europe yesterday.
The Australian-based position will provide strategic, tactical, and technical direction to FFA and its representative teams and the elite player development pathway. Critically, the Technical Director will have an important role in progressing the outcomes of the current national Talent Identification and Development Review initiative.
This will mean, in close consultation with the National Men-s and National Women-s Coaches and other senior Australian coaches, that the Technical Director will drive the development of a philosophy and style of playing for Australian teams, and will work to import that philosophy and direction into the pathway for players leading into the Senior National Teams.
Another important feature of the position will be to identify talented players for future national teams, and to monitor their development.
Baan will act as Coach for the Men-s Olympic Team from January 2007 before taking up the Technical Director position full time in July. This appointment will allow Graham Arnold to concentrate on his role as Coach of the Socceroos as the team prepares for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.
“We are delighted to have been able to secure the services of such a capable and highly respected Football Technical Director as Robert Baan,” said FFA Chairman Frank Lowy.
“Robert-s appointment fills a key piece of our coaching and development jigsaw puzzle, because he will drive the implementation of the Talent Identification and Development Review outcomes from top to bottom through our development pathway. At the same time, acting in the Olympic Team coaching role will provide him with hands-on exposure to our up and coming players from the moment he hits the ground here.”
Robert Baan was equally enthusiastic, saying “I am thrilled to be able to join Football Australia at such a significant time in the game-s development here. I believe that the role that the FFA has created, together with the timing of this appointment, will really give me an opportunity to have a positive impact on the future success of Australian players and teams.”
The list of names that have been guided during Baan-s career include some of the biggest in World football including Ronaldo, Marco van Basten, Johan Neeskens, Ronald de Boer and more recently Premier League stars Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt.
Baan has had a significant interest in football in Australia having been involved in the recruiting of Socceroos Brett Emerton and Brett Holman to Dutch club Feyenoord during his tenure there.
ROBERT BAAN COACHING PROFILE
2006 - Technical Director, ADO Den Haag 2005-2006 - Technical Adviser under 21s to under 14s, Dutch FA 2004-2005 - Technical Director, Al Jazira-Abu Dhabi-Emirates 1998-2004 - Technical Director, Feyenoord Rotterdam 1995-1998 - Assistant Coach, PSV Eindhoven 1994-1995 - Coach, Excelsior Rotterdam 1992-1994 - Coach, FC Twente Enschede 1990-1992 - Coach, Cambuur Leeuwarden 1998-1990 - Coach, Sparta Rotterdam 1986-1988 - Coach, Roda JC Kerkrade 1983-1986 - Coach, FC Den Haag 1978-1983 - Senior Team Assistant Coach & Coach National B-Team and under 21 team, Dutch National Team (included matches as interim coach) 1972 - 1978 - Coach, FC VVV-Venlo 1966-1972 - Youth Team and Assistant Senior Team coach, ADO Den Haag 1965-1966 - Youth and Assistant Senior Team Coach, Sparta Rotterdam