bid to retain soccer's triple crown.

John Rebello, awarded the Queen's certificate and Badge of Honour in last weekend's Queen's Birthday Honours list, said he could be persuaded to play a role if the club cannot find a suitable replacement.

Rebello announced his retirement shortly after helping the team to a second First Division title, the FA Cup, the Friendship Trophy -- collectively Bermuda's triple crown -- and success in the Dudley Eve last season.

It was his seventh season in charge of a club he had already led to two FA Cup successes and a first league title in 1996.

But he told The Royal Gazette the club were having difficulty in their search for a new coach and he could be talked in to helping out if nobody could be found.

"A number of people have asked why I'm not staying to defend the triple crown and whether I'm running away from it. But I actually made the decision to quit a month before the season ended,'' said Rebello.

"However, the more people continue to talk to you the more you become soft in your stance.

"And I don't know if they can find anyone suitable.

"They've looked at a number of candidates, some of the senior players have made their comments and a couple have been taken out of the running.

"That may be because they are people who've been at the club before -- and they don't want to take a step back -- or because they don't fit the the appearance or image of the club.

"Nowadays it depends a lot on who the players feel comfortable with. They are so fussy and finnicky. That's not to say they're ruling football, but if they're content they'll give it 100 percent.

"At the end of the day Vasco are still my club and I don't want anything to hurt them.'' But he added: "If I was to continue it would have to be in a set-up that's okay for me. That might mean me being in a technical or advisory role, overseeing how we should play or defend and maybe with two or three assistants. Then when things have been put in place, three quarters of the way through the season I could quietly slip away.'' Whatever is decided, Rebello expects Vasco to have named their man by the end of the month with pre-season training starting in early July.

That means that just one vacancy has been filled so far in the summer's managerial merry-go-round -- at PHC where Vasco striker Sammy Swan has taken over as head coach of the relegated Zebras.

Somerset Trojans, the other side relegated from the First Division, have yet to name the successor to Randy Horton, while Hotels, who just hung on to their top league status, are still looking for a replacement for Robert Calderon, who is heavily involved with the national squad.