TIRANA, May 10 - Former Germany international
Hans-Peter Briegel has ended his three-year stint as Albania
coach after rejecting a new contract offer.
Albania's soccer federation and Briegel agreed on Friday a
contract would be signed at the end of May. Media reports said
he would earn 240,000 euros ($304,000) a year.
However Briegel said he was surprised on Monday when a
contract "containing things that were never discussed" was faxed
to him by the Albanian soccer federation.
"I said that I could not accept it. I had never seen a
contract like that," Briegel told Reuters by phone from Germany.
"I was surprised because all was OK on Friday, but on Monday
this fax arrived. I wanted to prolong this contract and wanted
to go ahead," Briegel added.
Albanian soccer president Armando Duka confirmed the Briegel
era had ended and that he was looking for a new foreign coach.
Briegel declined to reveal what had been changed in the
contract but said: "That contract could end very soon."
Media reports said Albanian officials wanted him either to
resign or review the contract if Albania did not collect nine
points from their first six Euro 2008 qualifying matches.
The soccer federation also wanted Briegel to secure
qualification for the Euro 2008 finals or failing that, collect
18 points from their 12 matches.
Albania have been drawn in Group G with the Netherlands,
Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Belarus and Luxembourg.
Under Briegel the national team became a symbol of reborn
pan-Albanian national pride after beating European champions
Greece in Tirana and establishing a reputation for being very
tough to beat at home.
They have risen to 86 in the world rankings but failed to
qualify for the World Cup, finishing fifth in their qualifying
group.
"If you build a house, you cannot build the third floor
immediately," Briegel said. "We did not lose badly and played a
more attacking game."