Paul Put is the new national coach of Congo-Brazzaville. The football federation of the Central African country announced this on its website on Thursday. The 65-year-old Belgian has signed a 2-year contract. Congo-Brazzaville, neighboring country of Congo-Kinshasa, wants to return to the Africa Cup with Put. The nickname of the national team is also “Red Devils”.
Paul Put has become a real globetrotter since he was no longer allowed to work in Belgium in the mid-2000s for his part in the match-fixing case around the gambling Chinese Zheyun Ye.
The former coach of Lokeren, Lierse and Mouscron was the national coach of The Gambia (2008-2011), Burkina Faso (2012-2015), Jordan (2015-2016), Kenya (2017-2018) and Guinea (2018-2019). From clubs he had USM Alger and Saif under his wing. He left the latter club, one from Bangladesh, in February.
Congo-Brazzaville will thus be his 5th African country adventure. “I came here to write a new chapter in football history with Congo-Brazzaville,” Put explains.
“I know the qualities of the players, but in football talent alone is not enough. Only a real team spirit can lead to success. There is no place for royal children in my team.” (read on below photo)
With Burkina Faso, Put reached the final of the Africa Cup in 2013.
Africa Cup mission: “Everyone must take responsibility”
With Burkina Faso, Put surprisingly reached the final of the Africa Cup in 2013. A repeat of this is not immediately possible, because his predecessor, the Brazilian Valdo, failed to guide the “Red Devils” to the African Nations Cup. That will be played in Cameroon in January and February 2022.
It has been since the Africa Cup of 2015 that Congo-Brazzaville was there. Put wants to change that. And he immediately had a whole motivational speech ready on the site. “I am someone with a lot of ambition and I expect a lot from my players.”
“I want players who give their all, are willing to get their jerseys wet. Players who are proud to play for their country and fight for every morsel of ground. Everywhere I went, I got a nickname:” the lion “or “the gladiator. Now I want to see gladiators on the field.”
“Results are important and success starts with discipline. Discipline with myself, with my staff and with the players. It’s like a bicycle: you don’t get ahead if one part is missing. So everyone has to take their responsibility.”
“Mine is to bring together the best possible team and to keep that team motivated and disciplined. We have only one goal: to bring sporting joy to the Congolese people. Their hunger for results is great.”
