Orange Sports Forum supported appointment of Rob Baan in India

Yesterday, October 10, 2011  PSV Eindhoven, the AIFF and the Orange Sports Forum concluded a deal to appoint Rob Baan as the technical director of the AIFF for the upcoming two years. 

Almost two years ago Ronald Kramer, Twynstra Gudde/The Bridge business Innovators and Sportbizz took the initiative to start the Orange Sport Forum to bring sport expertise to emerging markets. India was from day one our main target markets.

Since then, we have established a number of useful contacts in India.  The appointment of Mr Baan is for us an important milestone in our route to India. We hope this will significantly contribute to the development  of the soccer sport in India. Mr Baan will be entrusted with drafting a masterplan for youth development and the creation of soccer talent centers. The talents we develop in these centres will be the core of the future Indian national team, that must be able to compete with the best on international level. We have a strong believe this step will lead to new opportunities for Indo-Dutch cooperation.

 The embassy in New Delhi has played an important and very constructive role in making this deal possible.  Thank you for your support!

All India Football Federation goes Dutch with Baan

Published: Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011, 5:05 IST
By DNA Correspondent | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) officially appointed Dutchman Robert Baan as the Technical Director (TD) for a period of two years, it was announced on Tuesday.

Baan, 68, has a 46-year experience in football management and was involved in a similar capacity with the Australia Football Federation. Baan is one of the most high profile coaches to have worked in India having been an assistant coach at PSV Eindhoven from 1995-98 and also the TD at Feynoord Rotterdam from 1998-2004.

He has also been the TD of the Netherlands youth team. He was briefly appointed a caretaker manager of the senior Dutch team for a match against Cyprus back in 1981. He performed a similar duty during Socceroos’ 1-0 win over Nigeria in 2007.

The TD will also drive the development of a philosophy and style of playing. He will also be the main link between the newly-planned academies, the age-group and senior national teams. Baan will be taking charge from November 1 and is expected to have a major say in appointment of India’s next coach.

“With its dazzling 1.2 billion people, rich history and culture India is a sleeping giant. In the next two years I will work hard together with PSV and AIFF to lay the groundwork for the future of Indian football. I see it as my job to create the right conditions based on the Dutch school but with a strong Indian signature,” Baan said.

The players whose careers have been guided by Baan include Ronaldo, Marco van Basten, Johan Neeskens, Ronald de Boer and more recently, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt.