Imagine Besart Berisha coaching in the Hyundai A-League? Well, it could happen one day according to the the charismatic and talismanic striker from Melbourne Victory.
On the eve of the new season and as his club Melbourne Victory prepare to host a Grand Final rematch with Sydney FC on Saturday, the 32-year-old legendary striker opened up about his ideas after his playing career is over.
Speaking exclusively with www.a-league.com.au in the new “Extra Time” interview series, the Hyundai A-League great, who reached the magical 100 goals in the league last season after stints in Brisbane and now with Victory, said coaches like Kevin Muscat, Ange Postecoglou and Diego Simeone are inspiring him.
And the forward revealed he may move back to Germany after his playing days are over.
“I like Atletico Madrid. Their coach Diego Simeone. I kind of like this type of manager to have.
“He is very driven. Driven to win games and be successful. I’m more liking this type of coach.
“So if I could choose one [as his coaching inspiration], it’d be Simeone.
“As a striker I’m this type myself. I love winning games. And I will never accept losing games.
“And that’s what Kevin [Muscat, the Victory coach] is. I feel like Simeone and Kevin are the same. And Ange is the same too.
“When Ange goes to the games, he wants to win games.
“He doesn’t approach things with a ‘we should get lucky” mentality with a draw or something. And so this is how Kevin is and also Simeone, so I like that.”
Berisha added that after his playing career is over, he may move back to Germany – where he began his senior career in Berlin – and he may consider coaching youth teams.
“I’m only good at sport so I always wanted to do something in sport. Maybe coaching a youth team or a senior team perhaps,” said the Kosovo international.
“I’ve been through a lot of things in my career when I’ve seen the bad and the good. You have to go through that yourself.
“So as a coach it’s important to know what is good and bad in football.
“I’d never say no,” he added if he was asked to coach in the A-League in years to come.
“I definitely love challenges. And it’s definitely a part of my thinking [coaching] and if I had one day an A-League team as a coach, it would be amazing.”
He added: “And who knows maybe my son will play against me!”
