Sansiri property tycoon Srettha Thavisin has quit as national footballsquad assistant manager, hard on the heels of boss Kittiratt na Ranong, following the 10 defeat to Oman. He speaks to Sunday Xpress about football and life.

Why did you quit after such a short stint as assistant?

I couldn't stay on after Kittiratt left. We came in together. When one leaves, the other follows. I wanted to continue, but Kittiratt made up his mind. I had no choice.

Don't you think it was premature? Qualifying has a long way to go.

I'm afraid it wasn't, considering how well our preparation has gone, plus all the effort we put in. We were unable to get past Oman, who are not the strongest in the group. Huge crowds came, and we let them down. Managers should take responsibility.

Will you continue in football?

Yes. Kittiratt and I hold weekend football clinics. I embrace the idea that football development starts young. If we dream of getting into the World Cup, we should encourage kids to play football early, so they have plenty of time to develop skills.

Any chance of working with the national team again?

Let's see what happens. I would love to work for the team, and I don't have any problem with the Football Association of Thailand.

Why leave big business for football?

Actually, I have been around football for almost 10 years. Kittiratt and I started working for the national organisation at youth level.

Kittiratt and I are close friends. We played football together. When he invited me to oversee the team, I jumped at it.

Business and football ... are they similar?

Business and a football team are alike in humanresource management. Both require good understanding of individuals. You have to ensure employees or players are in the best possible condition so they can perform to capacity.

People knew Tawatchai Sajjakul as national team manager. Did you take the post to raise your profile?

It never crossed my mind. My decision to take up a role in the team came from my passion for football. I want to see people turn up at the stadium and support the team at every match.

The sight of the fans makes me proud. It says we've restored faith in the team.

By Kitinan Sanguansak

SUNDAY XPRESS