NATIONAL head coach Winfried Schafer, who was slated to return to the island last night, has declared that he was busy in Europe over the past month attending to football matters which could benefit Jamaica.

The 64-year-old German, who succeeded Theodore Whitmore on a four-month contract last August, outlined his activities over the past month to the Jamaica Observer on Monday afternoon.

“I’m on my way back to Jamaica and think this might be the right moment to tell you a bit more about my last month in Europe.

“We are standing at the beginning of a new era for the Jamaican football and it is important to prepare this start (to be) as good as possible. We want to build up the foundation for a brighter, more successful future, not only for the national team, but for the Jamaican football in general,” said Schafer via email.

It was on the same day that president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell confirmed that both parties had agreed to terms for a contract which runs through to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia.

Schafer added: “I already explained that I don’t see my work as a national coach limited to train the national team. What we — the Football Federation of Jamaica and I — want to do is a complex and not so easy, but necessary and challenging task,” he noted.

The man who led Cameroon to the 2002 African Cup of Nations title and led them to the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2003, said he has a number of plans to take football forward.

“This includes observing the Jamaican players all around the world and support the local players far better than before.”

He also plans to negotiate high-level friendly international matches while making new friends and partners for Jamaica.

“To develop the football in Jamaica it is necessary to find partners who are willing to support us on a financial and a public relations basis. We need international attention and we need sponsorship to build up our projects,” he said.

“Jamaica is popular far beyond the borders of the Caribbean for many different reasons. I realised that again when I was in Europe and so many people came to me to tell me about their sympathy for Jamaica. Jamaica is a synonym for a designated positive lifestyle. A cheerful spirit of freedom and the ability to handle even difficult situations with dignity and courage,” noted Schafer.

The new head coach reasoned that there is great sympathy for Jamaica all over the world and this, together with courageous and passionate football, should be the foundation for greater success.

“On this basis I negotiated with different companies to become part of our football family. That’s what I tried to start, and that’s what we will do in the future.

“Within the next few weeks, we should be able to present you a whole new base to build up from the future of Jamaican football,” he stressed.

The Reggae Boyz are scheduled to face 1998 FIFA World Cup Champions France in a friendly international at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, France on June 8, but could be in action earlier as the JFF continues negotiations for other games, which could be finalised before long.

The Boyz will also contest the Caribbean Cup, a qualifying tournament for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, later in the year at a venue yet to be decided.