Brisbane Roar head coach Ruben Zadkovich explained his vision for the three-time champions as he tries to bring glory back to the Isuzu UTE A-League club’s fanbase.
Only two other teams – Sydney FC (five) and Melbourne Victory (four) – in the history of the Isuzu UTE A-League have more Championships than the Roar, who have not conquered the A-Leagues since 2014.
Brisbane have not featured in the Finals Series since 2020-21, while their last Grand Final appearance came when the Roar claimed their third Championship under Mike Mulvey 10 years ago.
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Zadkovich is preparing for his first full season at the helm at Suncorp Stadium, where he initially took charge on an interim basis in February last term.
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“For those who dive deep enough into it, it’s quite clear,” Zadkovich told reporters when asked what fans can expect from the team and their style in 2024-25.
“When I walked in the door first day, I think we had one training session before we played Wellington and I think we had 60% possession at home.
“For me, I want to be an on-the-ball team. I want us to be a team that looks to try to take the game to the opposition and we were able to do that in numerous games.
“Every game we’re going to get the ball down and look to be front-foot, pro-active. They’re all buzzwords for most coaches, especially in interviews. But I’m a big believer in that’s the way the game should be played.
“I’ve worked under some top managers who have made that a success and I want to do the same for this club.
“It’s a fantastic club. A great fanbase, a really loyal fanbase who have gone through some difficult times and I want to bring back that resilience and fighting spirit to the way we do things.”
Zadkovich’s Roar will kick-off their Isuzu UTE A-League campaign against new club Auckland FC at Go Media Stadium on October 19.
Brisbane head into that Round 1 fixture following a pre-season that featured a life-changing pre-season trip to India.
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“Interesting,” Zadkovich reflected. “A great experience.
“We really got a taste of what it’s like in a different country. Let’s just say it’s nice to be home. We’re certainly very lucky here in Australia.
“But we found the Indian people very welcoming and very warm.
“It was one of those trips where the boys were ears wide open, eyes wide open. A lot of learning moments for us, and a lot of togetherness.
“We come back with players and staff really united.”
