A special connection with T&T.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Leo Beenhakker has admitted that he feels a special connection with Trinidad and Tobago after working there for just over a year now and leading the twin-island republic to the 2006 World Cup.
Beenhakker was speaking in Graz when he relayed how it had been Carnival back in T&T ever since the team made it to the Germany Finals but even as he was being described as a miracle worker, he didn’t feel there were any unrealistic occurrences.
For him, making a nation of 1.2 million people happy was a pleasant feeling.
“Ever since we qualified it's been a carnival every day in Trinidad and Tobago. It's such a small country, more of a cricket country, so everyone is excited. Everyone is obsessed with football and participating in the World Cup. We are one of the smallest nations in the world so it means a lot to the people.
“For me, it's great to be back at the world Cup; it's the greatest stage of all. It is one of the most exciting things that can happen to you if you are involved in football. What gave me a lot of satisfaction is making 1.2million people happy. That's a good feeling, I can assure you,” Beenhakker said.
“I know people say I'm a miracle worker and I am! Didn't anyone tell you? Seriously, there's no miracle at all. Everyone is always talking about culture and that the culture of England or Scotland is totally different to the Caribbean or Japanese or South American culture. That's not the point.
The point is, over the whole world there is only one football culture and if you want to be successful, because basically that's what it's all about, you have to embrace the football culture, whatever the social culture you have been brought up with. That's it.”
Having developed a close-knit relationship with the “Soca Warriors” the Dutchman said he always felt connected to the Caribbean world and he compared the different lifestyles.
“For me, at the moment, these guys might have a totally different mentality to the European guys, not better or worse, but different, and they come into my football world, and my football culture, then it's the same job whether it's in Spain, Switzerland or Saudi Arabia.
"I was already West Indian in my outlook before I went there. I am from Holland and I have always said it was probably a little mistake by God to be born there. I feel very related to the Latin American way of life.
“Having lived seven years in Spain, they are warm people, temperamental people, honest people, I love this culture. It was the same in Mexico. For me Mexico was paradise in professional and personal life. Some how I am connected to this world, this Latin American, Caribbean world. I love to be there,” Beenhakker concluded.
