Former French international and team-mate of UEFA president Michel Platini, Jean Tigana is said to be a clear favourite among the T&T Football Federation (TTFF) top officials to replace Soca Warriors' coach Russell Latapy. The decision on the coaching role is set to be made after a meeting among T&TFF president, Oliver Camps, his executive committee inclusive of General Secretary Richard Groden, Special Advisor and Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, Technical Advisor Keith Look Loy and Technical Director Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips on Saturday. While the meeting is still two days away it is rumoured the 55-year-old Tigana is the clear favourite ahead of Holland's Ruud Gullit, two other un-named Dutch coaches and Yugoslav-born Bora Mulitinovic, who is considered an outsider for the job. The current coach of China, Mulitinovic has coached four different World Cup teams (Mexico - 1986, Costa Rica - 1990, USA -1994 and Nigeria - 1998) and is no stranger to Concacaf football.
Speculation over the sacking of Latapy also increased following statements by Warner on Tuesday that in international football, results were the main factor in determining the future of coaches.
The 55-year-old Tigana, who won a European Championship in 1984 with France is currently the coach of French League 1 club, Girondins Bordeaux and will warrant a huge salary should the T&TFF manage to acquire his services from the French club. Tigana, a World Cup semifinalist in 1982 and 1986 also won a French League title with Bordeaux as a player in 1984 followed by two other triumphs with Olympique Marseille, in 1990 and 1991. He has also coached at two other French League winners', Lyon and Monaco as well as English Premiership club, Fulham.
His salary at Bordeaux is rumoured to be around, US$50,000 per month and according to sources the T&TFF with the support of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Sport Company of T&T the TTFF will be willing to match that figure or even go a bit higher. Gullit, meanwhile is a former European (1987) and World (1989) "Player of the Year" winner and starred for Italian giants, AC Milan during the height of his playing career and is currently without a coaching job.
Gullit, who was in T&T earlier this year as part of a joint Belgium/Holland World Cup bid team also played at Italy's Sampdoria and coached at Chelsea and LA Galaxy. Tigana was rumoured to be a target for the T&TFF after the resigning of Colombian Francisco Maturana in April following the Soca Warriors dismal start to the 2010 Fifa World Cup Concacaf Final Round campaign.
But in the end Latapy was hired on a short-term basis to complete the qualifying soon after before he was given a two-year deal a month later.
Some of the goals set out by the T&TFF in the contract was qualification for the Concacaf Gold Cup in the USA next year.
But following the team's early Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals exit and failure to qualify for the Gold Cup it seems the end is near for Latapy. In Martinique, the Soca Warriors were beaten in their first two matches at the DCC Finals by Cuba (2-0) and Grenada (1-0) before ending group play with a 1-0 win over the hosts. Overall, Latapy's record since taking over from Colombia Francisco Maturana during the second round of the Concacaf Final World Cup Qualifiers for South Africa 2010 World Cup has seen the former Porto start and national captain win nine of 23 matches, with 11 defeats and three draws.
Prior to the Digicel Caribbean Cup Second Round matches and Finals, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Anil Roberts stated that should T&T fail to at least reach the semifinal and qualify for the Gold Cup Latapy's position as coach should be reviewed.
Roberts' views were supported by Camps, but last week after the win over Martinique the T&TFF boss softened his stance and said it maybe too premature to call for the sacking of the coach before having discussions with the staff and players. Roberts, meanwhile did not make any further comments, only adding on Tuesday that he had spoken his view already. Meanwhile Latapy, who has a good rapport with his players contrary to media reports has stated his desire to stay on as coach. But having failed to achieve immediate goals set out by the T&TFF its more than likely his stint as Soca Warriors coach may well be over on Saturday. It has also been felt in many circles that even before Latapy and his staff left for Martinique his position as coach of the team was already determined by the T&TFF after a run of mixed results against Caribbean and Central American opponents.