Former national coach Winfried Schaefer has joined Thai Premier League champions SCG Muang Thong United as interim coach, the club announced on Wednesday.
Winfried Schaefer joins SCG Muang Thong United as head coach at least until the end of the season. (File photo by Patipat Janthong)
Schaefer, who parted company with the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) on Monday, will coach the Kirins for six months, until the end of the current season.
Muang Thong, who sacked Serbian coach Slavisa Jokanovic on Tuesday, said the German could be offered a long-term contract depending on the team's performance.
The six-month contract began on Wednesday and financial terms were not disclosed. He will be officially unveiled as coach of Muang Thong at their SCG Stadium on Thursday.
The 63-year-old former Cameroon coach will begin his Muang Thong reign with a difficult away trip to Bangkok Glass in the TPL on Sunday.
Schaefer said on his Facebook page that "friends" at Muang Thong asked him to help the TPL champions.
"Some friends at Muang Thong United asked me to stay a bit longer in Thailand and help them when they are in an unpleasant situation," he wrote on his Facebook wall.
"So I decided not to leave Thailand right away and took the chance to help friends. Muang Thong supported me [when he was coach of Thailand] so I will try to give them back a bit support. I don't know how long I will stay but I know we will have a lot of fun."
Schaefer is Muang Thong's seventh coach in less than five years.
Jokanovic was fired after Muang Thong dropped to second in the TPL behind bitter rivals Buriram United, following a 1-1 home draw with Osotspa M-150 at the weekend.
Ironically, the former Partizan Belgrade coach has been inked to manage Osotspa.
Schaefer added: "As Thailand national coach, I always wished I had more time to work with the players. But unfortunately, the team's unique schedule never allowed me to do that.
"Now I will work every day with some of my boys and this will be wonderful. I am confident that we will soon see exciting football."
Meanwhile, FAT president Worawi Makudi told a press conference that the FAT had to pay Schaefer about more than eight million baht in order to see him off early on his contract.
Worawi then formally appointed SEA Games coach Kiatisak Senamuang as caretaker coach of the full national side.
Kiatisak will coach the national team which will travel to play China in a friendly on June 15.
Worawi said he wanted Kiatisak to work with the national team on a full-time basis. But the former national striker was reluctant to do two jobs.
"Actually, I want to concentrate on the SEA Games team and I am afraid that if I take charge of both teams their results may not be good," he said.
Worawi said he wanted Kiatisak to coach the full national team when the Asian Cup qualifying round resumes in October.
Kiatisak said he would decide after the China match whether he would continue as national coach.
The SEA Games, of which the football tournament is for under-23 players, will be held in Myanmar in December. As for the full national team, they only have a very slim chance of qualifying for the 2015 Asian Cup finals.