It is undeniable that Jürgen Klinsmann, "the big name" that the Ecuadorian Soccer Federation had to coach the senior national team, the candidate chosen to lead "a project of change of mentality, of work philosophy" , as Francisco Egas, President of the FEF, declared on October 16. At the same time, Klinsmann reviewed the terms of the pre-agreement of the contract that would unite him with Ecuadorian soccer and the offer from Hertha, accepted on the previous Thursday. The proposal from the Berlin club could not have arrived overnight.
The certainty of the FEF board of directors - where some members say they were not informed of the negotiations and even one of them still advocates for Jorge Célico to become the head coach - regarding Klinsmann's arrival made Jaime Estrada also say, without naming him, but not negating it, that the coach of the national team "is of European origin (October 16)" and that there was "practically" a pre-agreement with the German.
We found obstacles along the way. With some (coaches) we found demands and conditions that we could not accept. Francisco Egas, President of the FEF
But at what point did the negotiation with the German go south? How complicated were his conditions to fulfill, called "obstacles along the way" by Egas? 24 days ago, according to Estrada, only "formal and commercial commitments to be fulfilled" were the reason for the delay in announcing the name of the coach.
From the optimism of having the new Tricolor coach in the stands of the Elche stadium (Spain) as a witness - which did not happen - in the friendly match against Argentina (lost 6-1, on October 13), to Monday, November 4, there was a drastic change. The certainty was different: Klinsmann was ruled out. This was revealed by a source from the FEF to this newspaper, who requested the confidentiality of their identity.
This official of the Federation revealed that on Tuesday, at the board meeting, Egas told the members: "Klinsmann is not coming". Possibly the technical conductor of Germany in the 2006 World Cup and of the United States in Brazil 2014, accustomed to living in California and with the desire to come to Ecuador only in the days leading up to the matches, never had the intention of signing with the FEF.
Report in English
However, the former forward received a pre-contract drafted in English by a group of FEF lawyers and, as the source of this newspaper recounts, on the plane that brought the National Team back from Elche, an executive from América confirmed to Célico - who led as interim coach - that after that FIFA date he would take charge. Even Célico's coaching staff planned to deliver to the German a report, also in English, of the matches in which the youth coach had been in charge of the senior team.
There were events that, after Klinsmann's linkage to Hertha as executive advisor, suggest that the German, who supposedly at some point in October was going to take the reins of the national team, would coach in the FIFA dates of November 14th and 19th, and would be officially announced "within 48 hours", did not consider Ecuador as his main work option.
Although the German newspaper Bild leaked that Klinsmann's annual salary would be $4.5 million, the first "obstacle along the way" for Egas would have been a higher demand from the 55-year-old coach. Through his representative, he reportedly clarified: "I will not move to South America or Mexico for less than $8 million (apparently a club with enormous economic power in Mexico approached him)." This version comes from the source working at the FEF.
Avoid paying taxes
But the financial matter did not unlock and by the previous Monday, Klinsmann's tax payment to the Ecuadorian treasury was decisive for the Ecuafútbol to give up. "The issue of taxes was thoroughly analyzed," said the source, because the new Hertha employee wanted him and the ten members of his coaching staff to be exempt from fulfilling their obligations to the Internal Revenue Service regarding their income. That item had to be assumed by the FEF.
According to the source, that would increase the expenses of the Federation, which was going to pay one-third of the German's salary ($1.5 million) and the rest would be covered by the private company. The "minor details" were insurmountable for the FEF. (D)