Beenhakker guides Poland to it's first European Championship

The 65-year-old Dutchman, who became the first foreigner to coach Poland when he took charge in July 2006, has rebuilt a team devastated by its lackluster performance at the 2006 World Cup and guided it to its first appearance at the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.

"The whole atmosphere around the team was horrible," Beenhakker remembered about his first days in charge.

"They were killed in the media, the fans didn't have any affection for the national team. You can imagine that at that moment not everybody is very confident or enthusiastic." So the veteran coach went about reshaping his new players' shaken self-confidence.

"What I said at the beginning to them was the question is not whether you are a good or bad player, the question is whether you are good enough to qualify," he said. "You have to believe you are good enough to do it." And with Beenhakker, they were.

Poland's successful qualifying run included a 2-1 win over Portugal at home and a gritty 2-2 draw in Lisbon.

At this year's tournament, Poland faces Croatia, Germany and co-host Austria in Group B.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Beenhakker has coached the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Trinidad and Tobago. He also won three Spanish league titles with Real Madrid from 1987-89 and two Dutch league titles with Ajax in 1980 and 1990.

The savvy veteran's presence brought a sense of confidence and calm to a Polish side that in the past often wilted against top-tier competition.

His success has led to almost cult status in Poland for the lanky, white-haired Dutchman, who enjoys a good cigar and drinks his coffee black.

The Polish weekly Wprost chose him the 2007 "Man of the Year," and President Lech Kaczynski awarded the coach with the Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland.

Beenhakker calls the accolades a "big honor," but downplays their importance.

"People see me now as a certain public figure, as a star, as I don't know what, but that's the public. That's not how I feel," he said.

"It's not my motivation to do my job. My motivation is the game. My motivation is football. My motivation is supporting the players in every way."

Poland's federation wooed the much-traveled coach from the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Similar to his stint in Poland, Beenhakker turned a struggling Soca Warriors team around and led it to its first World Cup appearance in 2006.

In a show of appreciation for his work, the Polish Soccer Federation re-signed Beenhakker to lead Poland until 2009, or the 2010 World Cup if his team qualifies.

Beenhakker, who has also coached club teams Real Zaragoza, Feyenoord, Vitesse Arnhem and America, says it was "the challenge" that attracted him to the Poland job.

"The first thing you do is try to see what possibilities players have," he said.

"You watch four or five DVDs of the last matches they've played, and then you think that in relation with what you see, the players have more possibilities then they were showing, and then the challenge is there. Then you say, `I think I can possibly do things better with these guys.' " He's found success with the current crop of players, and says there's no reason Poland can't compete with the best.

"There is a lot of young football talent (in Poland), no doubt," Beenhakker said.

"Poland has the same talent as Portugal or France, we have great talent. The main question is what are we doing with it? Not enough." Under Beenhakker, that's changing.

Sapa-AP