“He’s like a best friend of mine”: Mombaerts more than a mentor for former apprentice Kisnorbo

One season on from his Melbourne City departure, former head coach Erick Mombaerts is still leaving a positive impact on the club he took to the brink of glory in the 2019/20 A-League campaign.

The Frenchman’s one-season spell at the helm produced a number of firsts for City: a highest-ever points tally of 47, a best-ever finish of second on the A-League table, and a maiden Grand Final berth in the 2019/20 title decider.

Patrick Kisnorbo, who served as assistant to Mombaerts, replaced the departing manager in the aftermath of City’s cruel 1-0 defeat to Sydney FC in last season’s Grand Final. Off a solid foundation built by Mombaerts, Kisnorbo went on to lift the club to new heights in 2020/21, ending the regular season on 48 points in first spot on the table with the Premiers Plate glittering brightly in his hands.

A lack of key personnel coupled with a fixture scheduling nightmare thrown up by the ever-changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19 ensured City endured – and overcame – more than their fair share of adversity throughout the Finals Series to go on and seal the Premiership/Championship double, with Sunday night’s 3-1 Grand Final triumph over the Sky Blues capping off City’s roaring 2020/21 campaign in style.

Reflecting post-match, Kisnorbo took the time to credit Mombaerts for his enduring role in it all. Not as part of City’s coaching staff, but as his mentor, his critic and friend.

“We speak four times a week,” Kisnorbo told reporters after City’s glorious night at AAMI Park.

He’s like a best friend of mine, not just a mentor.

We speak (regularly), and it’s great to have that relationship with a guy who just wants us to do well.

“And also, he critiques a lot of stuff. He tells me if it’s not good, and how can I improve.

“As much as he helps and supports, he’s also a critic of mine but in the way to learn. That’s where i’m grateful to have someone like that in my life.

“There’s a few texts and FaceTime missed calls, so I’m sure I’ll be able to ring him and speak to him privately.”

GRAND FINAL REPORT: Champions at last: City dominate ten-man Sky Blues in 3-1 Grand Final triumph
REACTION: “It’s the proudest moment of my career” – Atkinson caps off comeback story with Joe Marston Medal

https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6261251651001

“Erick laid the foundations last season,” Kisnorbo added.

“We tried to get better in what we did (this season), and it’s the same for next season. We need to get better at what we did this year. 

“So, if we can do that individually, (and) collectively improving, that’s what we want to do, and that’s what we need to start to look towards… that’s sort of my focus, going into next season already.”

Kisnorbo replaced Mombaerts as City boss in September, 2020, just days after the Grand Final defeat to Sydney FC. One of his earliest decisions as head coach was to sign teenage creator Marco Tilio from the Sky Blues. The move paid enormous dividends for the club seeking its first piece of A-League silverware in 2020/21.

City surged to the Premiership with the lethal attacking trio of Craig Noone, Andrew Nabbout and Golden Boot winner Jamie Maclaren leading from the front. But all three big names were absent from Kisnorbo’s starting 11 in the Grand Final. Maclaren, quarantining after his stint on Socceroos duty, was not a part of the squad, whilst the injury-hampered Noone and Nabbout were named on the bench.

Tilio shone in their absence, taking four shots, creating two chances, taking 88 touches and passing at 90% accuracy in the final third. It was his creative, energetic play which helped get the 15,000-strong crowd into the contest at AAMI Park as those watching on marvelled at the teenager’s hunger to produce on the biggest stage.

Kisnorbo says Tilio’s story is one of hard work, sacrifice and the reward of displaying those crucial qualities as a young player. But the City boss says his brigade of rising stars, including Tilio, Connor Metcalfe, Nathaniel Atkinson and Stefan Colakovski, can’t treat 2020/21 success as the summit of their achievements if they plan to fulfil their potential in coming years.

“With Marco, he came to a new environment and left his family and friends from Sydney,” Kisnorbo said.

“We had to put the building blocks and work into him, because it was something new for him.

“There (were) times when he’d be on the bench, or wouldn’t even be in the squad. But credit where credit is due, he’s worked hard, he’s sacrificed a lot and he’s been rewarded for his efforts.”

WATCH: Inside Kisnorbo’s stirring speech to his Champions

Tilio put his unbounded potential on show in the 2020/21 Grand Final

“The big thing about I think young players need to understand is consistency,” he added.

“As we know, to be a good player in Australia you need to be consistent. To be a top player in the world you need to have everything.

“So the next thing they need to understand is trying to play at that level consistently for 90 minutes, and not just for one year, it’s over, you know, a two, three year period.

“I think what you need to understand, it’s not just any young player that is able to walk in this club, and in the team. We need to understand the young kids need to be patient.

“They need to learn and listen, but when you mention those sort of four (players), and there’s others, you know, they haven’t been here just for two minutes. And they’ve had to learn the reality of what professional football is.

“It’s not just ‘I’m coming to a club and I can play’. They’ve done it hard. And it’s credit to them that they’ve really worked hard to put themselves in a position to reap the rewards.”

Kisnorbo leads City's celebrations as Jamieson holds the Champions trophy aloft