Chennaiyin FC (CFC) head coach Thomas Brdaric is witty.
As he's signing an autograph, he says, “You can buy a car with this; or, a tuk-tuk.” When talking about his CFC assistant-coach/analyst friend Matko Djarmati, he says, “He likes to watch videos. I hope only soccer videos.”
"You can't sleep in the bed and just dream," he tongue-in-cheeks while responding to the query if he will bring the Indian Super League (ISL) trophy Chennai.
He's philosophical. "You need luck."
Yet, he's very practical and, given his track record, gets the job done. “The best quality needed to win titles is to be patient, to be humble, to understand how football works. I mean, I'm not here to waste time. We need to progress in a very professional way.”
Chennaiyin FC finished eighth overall and last in terms of the goals scored last season. Precisely what Brdaric seeks - working with the bottom-placed teams and making them “suitable” for his successor. “To create or build a successful team, that is always my challenge.”
He's looking forward to working with Anirudh Thapa. "I assume he’s really physically fit, because I haven’t seen him in real life, but only in the videos, and I know him from what the Indian National coach has been telling me. I have big expectations for him."
He's played a big part in signing Petar Sliskovic and Fullao Diagne, experienced players he knows way too well. His assistant-coach friend is also from his previous stint with the Albanian club Vllaznia which they transformed into a successful one.
"It's up to me," he says when asked about the agenda, if any, the management has set or discussed with him.
Given a seemingly free hand over the team, can he deliver? “Never knows (sic).”
