By Martin Petty
BANGKOK, July 13 (Reuters) - When Jorvan Vieira agreed to coach the Iraqi national soccer team, most people thought he was a madman.
The Brazilian walked into chaos, given little support and charged with steering a team divided by sectarian infighting to their fourth successive Asian Cup quarter-finals.
After only two months in the job, he has achieved what many Iraqis thought was impossible.
"In their country, it is Iraqis fighting Iraqis, but I told them we are not at war," Vieira told Reuters.
"I tried to unify them. Now they are together, they kiss each other, they shake each others' hands. They are not fighting or talking politics.
"They accepted my way. I am not a magician, but I know football can change people," added Vieira, whose team are in Group A with Thailand, Oman and Australia.
The last eight weeks have been an uphill struggle for the wiry 54-year-old, with preparations hampered by political strife, poor training facilities, and clubs refusing to release players.
Soccer has not escaped the daily violence in Iraq, where federation officials have been killed and referees and players kidnapped since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Vieira's predecessor Akram Ahmed Salman tried to quit after he and his family received death threats, but Iraq's soccer chiefs rejected his resignation.
After an unsuccessful Gulf Cup in January, Salman and three players were sacked without any real explanation, prompting speculation that their dismissals were due to rifts between Shi'tes and minority Sunni Arabs in the soccer federation.
TOUGHEST EXPERIENCE
Vieira said coaching Iraq has been the toughest experience of his life.
"Everyone was fighting with each other, it was like a bad joke," he said.
"You cannot imagine what I walked into. So many Iraqi coaches were against me and former players criticising me on TV.
"I don't know these people, forget about them. My CV speaks for me."
Few will disagree. Vieira has been in charge of 26 professional clubs and five national teams in a coaching career spanning 15 years.
His highlight came as assistant coach of Morocco when they finished top of their group ahead of England, Portugal and Poland in the 1986 World Cup.
He speaks seven languages, including Arabic, and earned his Bachelor's degree in Brazil before graduating with a Masters from Germany and a doctorate from France, all in the field of fitness and soccer.
Six weeks ago Vieira cobbled together enough players to make a training session. He now believes his team can win the Asian Cup.
"I never had such a short time to prepare people, so I have prepared them mentally to be only winners. The winners' way, with winners' thinking," he said.
"I have to be confident about winning. I can't talk about my problems, and say we'll do nothing, because I am not a loser. I've lost very few times in my life."
MENTALLY SCARRED
Vieira is aware that many of his players have been mentally scarred by the kidnappings, car bombings and brutal sectarian killings during the conflict in Iraq.
Family and friends of his players have been kidnapped or killed, and one of his coaching staff was driven out of Baghdad by gangs who threatened to kill him and rape his daughters.
"They've been through so much. The players are so strong, but sometimes too strong.
"They have so much pain that I have to be not only a coach, but a psychologist, a father, and a friend to them.
"They are a very good example of unity to the Iraqi people."
Vieira will quit soccer in 2009 to retire in Portugal with his Moroccan wife, raising his four-year-old son and looking after chickens.
He hopes to leave a lasting impression on Iraqi soccer.
"When I see everyone working together, it touches my heart, I cannot explain this feeling," he said.
"But if the results don't come, maybe the problem will come back. I hope I can make a difference."