Miron Bleiberg never wanted to be anything other than just a football coach.
Miron Bleiberg never wanted to be anything other than just a football coach.
But as the Gold Coast United boss prepares for his 100th Hyundai A-League game this Friday night, he is now widely regarded as one of the most outspoken and colourful characters in Australian football.
In fact, the former Israeli navy captain could well face sanctions for his candid manner from FFA in the wake of his post-match comments about referee Peter Green last Sunday.
Bleiberg insisted he wasn’t an attention seeker but rather a product of his upbringing.
“Where I come from, we speak straight from the hip and say what you think,” he said ahead of Gold Coast’s clash with Adelaide at Hindmarsh Stadium.
“It took me a while to get used to this British culture in Australia. Before you tell someone what you want to tell them, you say ‘It’s a nice day isn’t it? How are you, would you like a cup of tea?'”
“My culture is straight to the point. The other thing is that it took me a while to get a grasp of the English language. Maybe due to this, when I try to express myself I create my own English.”
His own English is usually guaranteed to make the news and get people talking about a sport that is often starved of mainstream interest.
But beneath Bleiberg’s extroverted, jokey exterior beats the heart of a coach who, if he could, would trade away all the headlines and laughs for just one win.
Bleiberg’s football smarts are often – and unfairly – overlooked for his cheeky one-liners and unique insights into football and life.
It’s not for nothing that he will become just the fourth coach to join the 100 club – the others are Ernie Merrick, Lawrie McKinna and Ricki Herbert.
“It didn’t (mean anything to me), but now it does. I probably should be proud of it,” he said of the milestone.
But whether Bleiberg celebrates on the sidelines or up in the stands at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday night remains to be seen.
FFA are expected to hand down a decision by close of business Thursday on whether or not the United coach will be reprimanded, fined, suspended or let off the hook for his tirade about Green.
“I don’t like to get fined and I don’t like to get into trouble with the establishment. I’m trying to get into line as much as I can,” Bleiberg said.
“Hence, the last incident – everyone (in the media) tried to get the best out of me about the referee, but the first paragraph in each paper was ‘what is FFA going to do to Miron Bleiberg?'”
“A lot of the time I felt betrayed – I know that’s a strong word – by the media.”
“I’m not here to entertain the media and make friends. We all have a part to play, but I never planned to be the outspoken entertainer.”
