Ex-FKF Director Spires lands China job

Former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Technical Director Andreas Spires has landed a job with Eintracht Frankfurt where he will be part of the German Bundesliga club’s football development project in China.

Spires, who left his role with the FKF after his contract elapsed in June, will start his new venture at the Asian state on October 1 with the mission being the establishment of 1000 football academies in China.

The German Cup holders last year announced a partnership with the Federation of University Sport of China (FUSC), a division of the Chinese Ministry of Education to promote football development in the country.

Spires thus joins a team of German tacticians in the 10-year project, and is already relishing the new offer.

“It will be basically what I have been doing in Kenya, of course with some few different approaches as laid down by the club (Eintracht Frankfurt). Generally, it is a German-Chinese cooperation football development project. I will be handling coaching seminars, teams training and advising among others,” Spires told Citizen Digital.

As he embarks on his latest challenge, the German emphasised he is content with his achievements in Kenya after a mutual agreement with the Kenyan federation not to extend his contract.

“FKF and I agreed on two years only, and we agreed mutually there would be no extension. I however look back at the work we did with a sense of pride. Conducting coaching courses for now 2500  new licensed coaches, initiating Youth Development National Teams for U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-20, centres of excellence among others was worth my time in Kenya.

“I’m already psyched for new duties though, because I the environment will be totally different. German football organization is number one, very professional and serious,” he said.

Although he could not disclose the terms of the new job, Spires suggested the difference in terms of remuneration is huge, adding Kenya would not have countered it had the federation desired to extend his contract.

“It is confidential, but you can speculate… In Kenya I tried to adapt with the situation as it were knowing support for the federation by the relevant authorities was not enough. It is difficult to actualise your vision without enough support,” he emphasised.

While his hiring was announced as demand by FIFA to FKF, as a way of complying fully to ensure injection football development funds by the global football governing body, his replacement has not been announced.

Besides the long-term football development projects he piloted, Spires was in charge of the boys U-17 team that among other competitions, took part in the 2016 COSAFA tournament.