UEFA Pro Coach Amir Alagic Looking for a New Home
Bosnian-born Australian Coach Amir Alagic had made rounds in the world of football when he accepted the work as Head Coach and Technical Director of the National Football team of Sri Lanka, a country not known for having a solid football program. Starting in February 2020, the UEFA-Certified coach, started building the team from the ground up.
In his short two-year stint as head coach, he made tremendous progress with the team. The Sri Lankan team, which never had a strong showing in any internationally recognized football tournament, has become fairly competitive in its 2021 season.
That season saw them putting up a strong fight against Lebanon 3-2, holding the mighty Indian team scoreless with a 0-0 draw, and finally winning against Bangladesh 2-1 in the 2021 Four Nations Tournament. The tournament is their first runner-up finish since 2009.
Despite the success of the team, the football federation of Sri Lanka and Coach Alagic parted ways in 2022 due to the economic difficulties being experienced by the country. Nonetheless, he was able to put back interest in football among Sri Lankans.
“Sri Lankan football is not hopeless,” said Alagic in his interview with Sunday Observer.
“We introduced young players. Bringing European standards here is not easy. There is a sense of professional football after so many years of nothing. There is a clear structure and a clear way forward. Despite the pandemic, some disputes with previous management, and a limited budget, I have to be happy with what I have achieved in a short time with all these obstacles.”
As Alagic is now free from any contracts, he is now exploring new options. With many countries eyeing his expertise, his services in the world of football will be felt again in a new country. Having worked in a total of 17 countries across 5 different continents, Alagic’s experience will prove invaluable to any team that will take him.
Yakubu Oma Abdulrazak, player’s Intermediary and CEO of Yakoma Sports Concept Vietnam, believed that Amir Alagic’s addition to Vietnam’s National Team will surely get a great boost should they hire him. With his track record of 27 years, he can uplift the state of football in the country.
“I highly recommend Mr. Alagic as a football head coach and director. He is a winner. He is very knowledgeable about various football methodologies, and he has a lot of experience coaching top players in Europe, Asia, and the US. All of these can catapult Vietnam into the international scene.” Mr. Abdulrazak said.
The time is now ticking on who will hire this highly educated, experienced, and passionate football coach first. Will it be Vietnam, only time will tell.
