Kevin Muscat was branded “the most hated man in football” by an opponent during his playing days, but the Australian hopes perceptions are changing after making his mark as a coach.
England-born Muscat had a successful playing career as a tough-tackling defender with the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Millwall and Crystal Palace, and won 46 caps for Australia.
However, he was also involved in a series of controversial on-field incidents and was sent off 12 times.
Photo: AFP
In 2001, France coach Roger Lemerre described a crunching Muscat tackle that injured forward Christophe Dugarry as an “act of brutality.”
Now 48 and manager of a Yokohama F Marinos side playing attacking soccer in Japan’s J-League, Muscat said that he is keen to “be judged separately,” adding that “the perception is maybe starting to change in people.”
“I want to be involved in teams that play a certain brand of soccer and that maybe contradicts what most people perceive to my playing days,” Muscat said.
“I’m trying to forge my own way in terms of the way I coach, the way I manage and the way my teams play... That’s really all I can do,” he said.
Muscat began his managerial career at Melbourne Victory, and following a stint in Belgium, took over J-League champions Yokohama last summer after fellow Australian Ange Postecoglou left to join Scottish giants Celtic.
Muscat took Yokohama to a runner-up finish last season ahead of Vissel Kobe, and after seven games this season they are second again, having snuck four goals past champions Kawasaki Frontale and winning plaudits for their fluid attacking style.
However, more than changing impressions about himself, Muscat also hopes the same can be said about Australian coaches, and he wants to see more of his compatriots given the chance to manage overseas.
After a slow start in Scotland, Postecoglou has propelled Celtic above fierce Glasgow rivals the Rangers and taken the Bhoys to a Scottish League Cup title.
“It’s not doing any harm that Ange is at the forefront of people’s minds now, and hopefully that transcends,” Muscat said. “Hopefully, over a period of time, more Australians get opportunities not only in Europe but also in Asia.”
Muscat’s two worlds collide tomorrow when Australia play Japan in a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier in Sydney.
He said that he is “a little bit torn.”
Muscat has been mentioned as a potential future Australia manager, but he said he is enjoying the “good challenges” of managing in the J-League and believes the change in environment “adds more to your armory in the way you coach.”
“I haven’t found it difficult, because I look upon these things as a challenge,” he said of working “90 percent through translators.”
“What gets removed is the one-on-one emotion side of things with the players, but I’m working with a very good translator and I’m able to transfer as much of the emotion in the conversation as possible,” he added.
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