Oskar Zawada revealed the Wellington Phoenix squad are preparing for a new coach to be in charge next season amid ongoing speculation regarding the future of Ufuk Talay.
Talay has been tipped to leave the Phoenix after four Isuzu UTE A-League seasons at the helm, with the 47-year-old out of contract and considering the next step in his career.
An A-Leagues champion with Sydney FC as a player, Talay – who was overlooked for the All Whites job by New Zealand Football – has been linked to Melbourne Victory.
The club are yet to announce anything regarding Talay but as stuttering fifth-placed Phoenix prepare for Sunday’s visit of Brisbane Roar in a nail-biting race to the finals, Wellington’s leading goalscorer Zawada was asked about the coaching situation and whether it was a distraction.
“I had four coaches in one season so I had many experiences in my football life so it’s a normal thing in football,” Zawada – who was lured to Wellington by Talay at the start of 2022-23 – told reporters on Thursday amid the club’s three-game losing streak.
“If someone wants to do something maybe better or different and everyone should have their own chances to do something… [if] he decides not to sign the contract this is fully normal for me.
“There’s [been] weirder situations than that and this is a normal situation if someone wants to do something bigger. That’s pretty normal.”
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When pushed further on the topic and whether ‘Nix players were expecting a new coach to be at the helm next season, the Polish striker replied: “Yeah of course [there will be a new coach].
“I don’t know when they’re going to announce the new coach right now of course you have something in your head of what’s going to happen next season, but also it’s not good individually to think about that.
“We still have three games left and we are here as the same group now and we have to finish as the same group and we’re going to do it.
“So the topic of new coach [and] new players – we should just leave it to the journalists.”
Talay was the key to bringing Zawada to the Isuzu UTE A-League, and the former Wolfsburg striker has repaid the faith with 13 goals this season – a tally only behind Golden Boot leader Jamie Maclaren (20) and Jason Cummings (16).
With the trust of Talay, the 27-year-old has enjoyed his best goalscoring return since finding the back of the net on 16 occasions for Wolfsburg’s Under-19 team in 2014-15.
“I have good experience with him. I’m very thankful for him and to the club and the opportunity they’ve given me and also you have to use this opportunity,” he said.
“I think it was a good year and I’m very happy with what he brought me this year and I wish him all the best and will remember him very good and maybe we’re going to see each other in the future against or in one team.”
Where would Talay be best suited post-Wellington? The former Twente striker earmarked Europe and highlighted one country.
“I think as a coach he has big potential, I think he has a chance to do something good in Europe,” Zawada said.
“The way he plays football I would say he would be a very good coach in the Netherlands because he likes to play on the ground. He has his own tactics and sticks to it.
“I think he has good potential to achieve something and that’s for me really normal that he
wants to prove something to himself and try something different so I wish him all the best.”
The Netherlands and Eredivisie is what he compares the A-Leagues to.
Zawada spent time in the Netherlands with Eredivisie outfit FC Twente, where he teamed up with a young and emerging Hakim Ziyech, who has since gone to play for Ajax, Chelsea and Morocco, who reached the semi-finals at the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
“This is a good league – I have much respect for this league. I see a lot of good players in my
team and in my opponent’s team,” Zawada added.
“I see a lot of good offensive players and maybe in the defence, the Polish league is much
better. I would compare Poland to Italy. Maybe the game is not so nice [from a defensive
view] to watch because it’s a close game… and here is a more attacking game.
“I compare this league to Holland and it’s very offensive way the teams try to play and I really like it. I really enjoy it, it makes it more fun for me to play games like this for the fans to watch it and this is just a different style.
“I see very good players from Europe come here and this league is going to be more
attractive year by year.”
