One of the few American coaches in Europe, the 57-year-old hopes to take Le Havre into Ligue 1.
You were so close to taking Egypt to the 2014 World Cup. Do you still think about what might have been?
Well, the experience in Egypt was still incredible in all ways. The idea that we could win seven out of eight World Cup qualifiers and not get there...the disappointment of getting so close. The terrible loss in Kumasi [a 6-1 defeat away to Ghana]. These are things that stick with you forever.
Do you still speak to the Egyptian players?
The experience with those players during that historic period; the idea that we came together and all tried to find a way to find something special for the country during that time. When you share this, no one can take that away. I still stay in touch with Aboutrika, Hossam Ghaly, Mohamed Salah, El Neny, Hegazi. And my friends. I love Egypt, I love the people and I am proud of what we did there. I’ll forever be disappointed we didn’t make it to Brazil.
Your next job was very different, taking over at Norwegian club Stabaek...
It is a small club. I said it a million times: it is a small club with a big heart. There were a group of people who had an idea to take the club from the third or fourth league and they did it. But the club hit hard days financially, hit rock bottom. When I went to visit, what I loved was that most of the original group was there. They stayed strong.
It is probably as far away from the pressure-cooker atmosphere of revolution and African football that you could possibly get…
This story is from the March 2016 edition of World Soccer.
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This story is from the March 2016 edition of World Soccer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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