Former Myanmar and Singapore head coach Radojko Avramović has offered to guide Kelantan for the rest of the season, after the Pamoga Qu Puteh The Red Warriors (PQPTRW) squad have been underperforming under current coach, K. Devan.
According to the Radojko’s agent, the documents have been sent to Kelantan Football Association (KAFA) honorary advisor, Datuk Seri Dr. Hasmiza to apply for the position.
Avramović, 66, who is known as Raddy, coached the Singapore national team for nine years from 2003 to 2012 and won the AFF Suzuki Cup three times in 2004, 2007 and 2012. He parted ways with the Myanmar national team last year and is now looking for a job.
Datuk Seri Vida (DSV) is only focused on her trip to Spain and England next week.
“There may be an application but I have not seen it yet. We have to wait because I will be going to Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United on March 14 to learn a few things for the sake of the Kelantan football team,” she said as quoted by Utusan Malaysia.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
The ex-Yugoslavian goalkeeper knows the ins and outs of Asian football. He has spent the last 25 years committing himself to learn what he can about football in Eastern world. Despite over 300 games in his playing career, Radojko Avramović has managed the likes of Oman, Kuwait, Singapore and Myanmar. He came to Singapore in 2003 and restructured the entire squad as it was in bad shape, and then went on to win 3 AFF Suzuki Cups in nine years for them. That is what he can do with Kelantan. PQPTRW have only won two games this season, both a 1-0 scoreline against PDRM and FAM League side UKM FC. Baže Ilijoski, Dramane Traoré and Indra Putra have scored in the M-League for Kelantan this season and what do all of them have in common?
They are over the age of 30. The average age of Kelantan’s starting XI against Kedah in their FA Cup encounter on Friday was almost 30. Raddy has always been a fan of a team with a balance of both youth and senior players. He will implement this change from day one and the youth players will be given more freedom, whereas the senior players will have to step up their games. He will be given the confidence of DSV to splurge on quality signings when the mid-season transfer window opens. Kelantan have the players to be title contenders, but they don’t seem to have the confidence under the guidance of K. Devan. Will Raddy be able to? Most probably.
Other posts by Prashant Kharbanda
