Football
AAP 7y

Former Socceroos boss Pim Verbeek appointed Oman head coach

Former Socceroos boss Pim Verbeek has been confirmed as the new coach of the Oman national team.

The Dutchman -- who steered Australia at the 2010 World Cup -- succeeds Spaniard Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, who quit last month, and will be officially unveiled to media later on Tuesday in Muscat.

Verbeek, 60, arrived in Oman at the weekend to finalise the deal, flying in from Sydney, where his daughter lives.

It marks a return to Asian football for Verbeek, who previously coached South Korea and was an assistant to Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat before succeeding the latter for that country's top job.

But he is best known for his three years as Socceroos coach and, in particular, his strident criticism of the A-League.

Famously, he once said that the quality of Australia's domestic league was so poor, players were better off simply training with a European club.

Under Verbeek, the Socceroos qualified for the 2010 World Cup but lost all three group-stage matches amid criticism of his tactical approach and player selections.

His last job was a four-year stint as technical director for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.

^ Back to Top ^