Shake-up in Under-20 team’s technical staff.
WITH ONLY three months to go before the start of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt, there has been a shake-up in the coaching staff.
The only survivors are coach Zoran Vranes, assistant coach Hutson Charles and manager Chris De Silva.
Those booted out are physiotherapist Otis Hislop, assistant manager Carl Joseph, equipment manager Irvin Thomas, goalkeeper coach Jefferson George and trainer Ashton Mills.
And Anton Corneal has been drafted in as assistant coach.
They all received letters from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) on Tuesday informing them that their services were no longer needed.
One of the fired officials who requested anonymity explained that no reason was given for their dismissals.
He described the situation as “extremely bad” as it comes so close to the start of the World Cup. The Trinidad and Tobago Under-20s have been drawn in Group “A” with hosts Egypt, Paraguay and Italy.
They will open their campaign against Egypt on September 24 before taking on the Italians on September 28.
The Young Soca Warriors will, on October 1, complete the preliminary rounds of matches with an encounter with South Americans Paraguay.
Yesterday Oliver Camps, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) said that adjustments were required by coach Vranes hence the shake-up in the Under-20 staff.
The Yugoslavian born coach is currently in the sister-isle of Tobago, as an assistant coach with the senior national team preparing to face Costa Rica in a crucial World Cup Qualifier tomorrow at the Dwight Yorke Stadium.
Newsday learnt that the Under-20 team now trains without the intensity it should exhibit because there is no trainer and physiotherapist.
It was also revealed that Vranes, a former Joe Public coach allegedly had a fall-out with goalkeeper coach George while the team was on a recent tour of Nigeria.
Newsday was also reliably informed that Vranes attempted to intervene during a training session conducted by George but was rebuffed.
Some members of the technical staff are also confused about the appointment of Anton Corneal, coach of the recent unsuccessful Under- 17 football team in Mexico, to the technical staff as assistant coach.
The team trains five times a week at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva and is expected to leave on another overseas international warm-up tournament soon.
Another affected official expressed disappointment at the decision by the football federation. “This is not good at all, at least at this point in time.”
Camps could not give details on who will be replacing the sacked members but issued the assurance that it will be done when he and other members of the football federation return from the current FIFA Congress in the Bahamas.