It’s official: Leo Beenhakker has defected to Poland. In his capacity as “Warrior Chief”, Beenhakker coached Trinidad and Tobago to their first ever World Cup final this year. Now, the Dutchman will be taking his experience, wit and cigar habit to Poland, where he will take charge of a squad with aspirations of qualifying for the 2008 European Championships.
Over in the islands, Beenhakker’s former assistant Wim Rijsbergen has been named head coach of the T&T Soca Warriors. His appointment sparked intense debate amongst concerned Soca Warriors fans: would Wim be able to build upon the foundations that Beenie built? Will he be more or less attacking-minded than his predecessor? What’s a good nickname for a man named Wim Rijsbergen?
Rijsbergen’s first outing with the Caribbean side will be against Japan on August 9th. The Warriors will travel to Tokyo for the friendly, in what will be the first match for both sides since their first-round exits from the World Cup.