A-Leagues great Besart Berisha has revealed that he would love to return to his ‘second home’ to resume his football journey.
However the Isuzu UTE A-League’s record goalscorer declared he was determined to coach, confirming he was permanently retired as a player, despite still receiving approaches to pull the boots back on.
Berisha has been busy completing his UEFA coaching badges after departing Western United in 2021 and a brief stint with Pristina in his native Kosovo.
Speaking exclusively to KEEPUP, Berisha also revealed his most influential coach and what style of coach he will be and whether his firebrand on-field persona will translate to the dugout.
“I am definitely retired, I did everything I could as a player. I always tried my best. My full focus is something I am really passionate about and I really love to do it and it’s coaching. All my focus is on coaching,” Berisha said.
“I’m working really hard to one day become a good coach. I will never say no to Australia. I would love to come back. Especially seeing my old teams in that position where they are at the moment (Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, Western United) I (don’t) like it.
“Australia is my second home. I love this place. That’s what I call (it) and that’s what I feel and I always respect Australia, the (A-League), the people, the fans.
“But you know, it is really important for me now, especially as a young coach, to have the right club and the right project where I feel connected and the way I think as a coach and it has to be the same way also (for) the club.
“As a player even now as a coach I love challenges and I’m ready for the tough challenges. So I will never say no. I love Australia. At the moment I am talking to clubs here in Europe and try to get a club in Europe, so we’ll see what happens there.
“I’ve been long enough in this league and I know the clubs and the way they play the football there, so why not?
“Honestly, my family are missing Australia more than me. I love Australia, but they are asking me every month, when we go back to Australia? Because they (Isra and Amar) still have contact with some school friends and obviously they really love it and they will definitely not have a problem to go back, that’s for sure.
Berisha, who won two A-League titles apiece with Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory and two Golden Boot gongs, has been busy educating himself since returning to Europe, preparing himself for his maiden coaching role.
“I’m very grateful since I came to Europe. I was a bit worried that nobody will recognise me and will not know me anymore. It’s been a really a long time I (hadn’t) been in Europe, but it was really good and learned a lot and met people, coaches,” he said.
“I had maybe two weeks of holiday (after returning to Europe) and started my (coaching) badges. I’ve used all this two-and-a-half years traveling, seeing clubs. They opened doors for me to (learn), and it’s been an amazing time.
“To be really honest… I didn’t expect it to be so intense, so much work. I’m very passionate. I really want to do it this way and I want to be, hopefully a good coach.
“I did my B license in Germany. I’m doing currently my A license in Albania. It’s pretty tough in Europe to get a spot. So I’m very lucky to do it in in Albania the UEFA A License. So I am soon finished with that and ready to go.
Berisha predicts he may follow a similar path to his former coach Kevin Muscat in transforming his on-field persona. Asked whether he’ll be as animated on the sidelines as he was on the pitch, Berisha said: “Not like I was as a player, definitely not. I mean, you cannot be.”
“You have to be totally different. One thing that will never change is my winning mentality. Even as a coach, that’s always going to be there.
“But obviously, as a coach, there’s a different way of approaching the game. I can tell you, I cannot I will not be like I was as a player, that’s for sure.
Berisha, whose coaches have included Muscat, Ange Postecoglou and Marko Rudan, declared that his former Victory boss was his most influential.
“That’s a good question (who was the biggest influence). I mean, I had after a 17-year career a lot of coaches – I had in one team in Germany in one year four coaches. So I had a lot of coaches. I cannot go away from a coach I had so much success (with),” Berisha said.
“Kevin (Muscat) has been absolutely amazing, the way he dealt with players, this is what I’m looking for as a coach the most. I put a lot of time, especially the last two-and-a-half years, (focusing) on player management. As a coach, this is for me, number one.
“And Kevin was really good on it. The way he handled all the mentalities in the team was absolutely amazing. Kevin I had the most in my career, I had coaches always for one year, I couldn’t really get connected. But with Kevin I did.
“I’m trying to do the same because for me, it’s very important, player management. I want to try to get the best out of the players. I’ve been around 17 years as a player, saw many coaches many times also failed to do that. In the end it’s so important to get the best so every player every day, and this is the result you get on the weekends.
“Kevin did an amazing job and he handled me obviously, so he did a pretty good job there. I was probably the worst.”
Having kept a close eye on European leagues and having a brief stint in Japan with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the former Hamburg, Burnley, Rosenborg and Arminia Bielfeld striker heaped praise for Muscat and Postecoglou’s overseas feats.
“This is incredible. This should be for Australia the goal, the way Ange is doing in Celtic. I visit the two games actually I was in Leipzig, the Champions League game, and Madrid. And for me, the way he is doing is something very special, which every coach should look up to them,” he said.
“Kevin is doing an unbelievable job in Yokohama, and I’m really happy for them. As a player, I had them and I learned so much from them. I pay respect to them because it’s not easy at all.
“Watching now as a young coach, seeing how tough this world this as a coach, it is not easy to achieve such a success with Ange did in Celtic and play winning the title in Scotland and playing a Champions League and being unlucky in Champions League.
“This is a dream. This is what the goal for every young coach and you know I cannot (have more) praise (for) both of them and the way they do it. And I know them really well, I know why they have this success, it’s no surprise for me.”
