"Sweden's Marika Domanski-Lyfors is set to become the next coach of the Chinese national women's soccer squad if imminent talks in Beijing go well, a state press report said Saturday. "There is no concrete time set but I will definitely soon be in Beijing for face-to-face negotiations," the Beijing Morning Post quoted Domanski-Lyfors as saying. "So far my discussions with the China Football Association have been really good and everything up until now has gone really smoothly." The FIFA Women's World Cup starts in six months and whoever is the women's coach will be under huge pressure after Chinese sport officials set the squad a minimum target of a semi-final finish. "I was under a lot of pressure when I coached Sweden to the finals of the last World Cup, so I know I can clearly face it all," Domanski-Lyfors said." http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/index/0,2442,134274,00.html?comp=WF&year=2007&articleid=134274
It is official: http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/index/0,2442,134603,00.html?comp=WF&year=2007&articleid=134603 "Former Sweden coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors left China on Wednesday morning with a signed contract in her suitcase, after she agreed to become the first-ever foreign coach of China's women's team. On Tuesday, Domanski accepted the position in Wuhan, one of the five host venues for September's FIFA Women's World Cup....."
Swedish media now reports that Pia Sundhage has got an offer to be the assisting coach for China WNT, and she is considering it.
I'd be curious to know what sort of financial compensation she has been offered. It woud take a minor miracle for the squad that China just sent to Portugal to make the World Cup semi-finals. A much more realistic goal would be to just advance past group play to the quarterfinals. In any event, there probably should be some bonus clause in her contract that would triple her salary if Domanski-Lyfors is somehow able to take China to the WC semis.
The sum that has been mentioned in Swedish media converts to something like US$ 350,000 a year for Domanski. Sundhage said her wage is "good" and when asked if she could be more precise, she said "very good".
Oh. My. God. I don't know if anyone else finds this news a little stunning, but I do. It's got to be an enoyable challenge, coaching an entirely new team, but it has to also be a little weird to coach against your old team? Does anyone know what she made when she coached the Swedish team? I am assuming nothing as high as $350,000!
Perhaps a little the first time, but not really. Don't know what she earned but I would be suprised if any coach (even on the men side) working in Sweden made even half of that. NB! Sven-Göran Eriksson hasn't been working in Sweden for quite a while now. By the way, I get it to 5 of 16 WWC team having Scandinavian coaches now (China, Canada and of course Sweden, Norway & Denmark)
I don't agree. China may very well be meeting Canada in the Quarterfinal and that's practically a free pass into the semi-final. Domanski's team just beat Canada twice in less than a week.