Besart Berisha declares his latest A-Leagues ambition

A-League great Besart Berisha has revealed he would love to return to his ‘second home’ to continue his football journey.

However, the Isuzu UTE A-League record goalscorer stated that he is determined to become a coach and confirmed he has finally retired as a player, although he is still receiving requests to put the boots back on.

Berisha has been busy completing his UEFA coaching badges after leaving Western United in 2021 and spending a brief stint with Pristina in his native Kosovo.

In an exclusive chat with KEEPUP, Berisha also revealed his most influential coach, what kind of coach he will be and whether his fiery personality on the pitch translates to the dugout.

“I’m definitely retired, I did everything I could as a player. I’ve always tried my best. My full focus is something I’m really passionate about and I really love doing it and it’s coaching. My focus is entirely on the coaching,” said Berisha.

“I’m working really hard to be a good coach one day. I will never say no to Australia. I will gladly come again. Especially when I see my old teams in the position they are in (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 how I feel and I always respect Australia, the (A-League), the people, the fans.

“But you know, it’s really important for me now, especially as a young coach, to have the right club and the right project where I feel connected and how I think as a coach and it has to be like that (for) the Association.

“As a player, even now as a coach, I love a challenge and I’m up for the tough ones. So I’ll never say no i love australia At the moment I’m talking to clubs here in Europe and I’m trying to get a club in Europe, so we’ll see what happens there.

“I’ve been in this league long enough and know the clubs and the way they play football there, so why not?

“Honestly, my family misses Australia more than I do. I love Australia but they ask me every month when are we going back to Australia? Because they (Isra and Amar) still keep in touch with some school friends and obviously they really love it and they definitely won’t have any problem going back, that’s for sure.

Berisha, who won two A-League titles and two Golden Boot gongs each with Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory, has been busy educating himself and preparing for his first coaching role since returning to Europe.

“I am very grateful since I came to Europe. I was a bit worried that no one would recognize me and not know me anymore. It’s been a really long time since I was (not) in Europe, but it was really good and I learned a lot and met people, coaches,” he said.

“I had maybe two weeks off (after my return to Europe) and started my (coaching) badges. I’ve spent all those two and a half years traveling and seeing clubs. They opened doors for me to (learn) and it was an amazing time.

“Honestly… I didn’t expect it to be so intense, so much work. I’m very passionate. I really want to do it that way and hopefully I want to be a good coach.

“I got my B driver’s license in Germany. I am currently doing my A driving license in Albania. It’s quite difficult to get a place in Europe. So I’m very lucky to get the UEFA A license in Albania. So I’m almost done with that and ready to go.

Berisha predicts he will follow a similar path to his former coach Kevin Muscat in transforming his personality on the pitch. Asked if he will be as lively on the touchline as he is on the pitch, Berisha said: “Not like me as a player, definitely not. I mean it can’t be you.”

“You have to be very different. One thing that will never change is my winning mentality. As a coach, that will always be there.

“But as a coach you approach the game differently, of course. I can tell you I can’t, I won’t be what I was as a player, that’s for sure.

Berisha, whose coaches included Muscat, Ange Postecoglou and Marko Rudan, stated that his former Victory boss was his most influential.

“That’s a good question (who was the biggest influence). I mean, after a 17-year career, I had a lot of coaches – I had four coaches in a team in Germany in one year. So I had a lot of coaches. I can’t part with a coach I’ve had so much success with,” said Berisha.

“Kevin (Muscat) was absolutely amazing the way he handled players, that’s what I’m looking for the most as a coach. I’ve spent a lot of time, especially in the last two and a half years, (focused) on player management. As a coach, that’s number one for me.

“And Kevin was really good at it. The way he handled all the mentalities in the team was absolutely amazing. I had Kevin the most in my career, I always had coaches for a year, I couldn’t really connect. But I did it with Kevin.

“I try to do the same because player management is very important to me. I want to try to get the best out of the players. I’ve been a player for around 17 years and I’ve often seen many coaches fail because of it. At the end of the day it’s so important to get the most out of every day and that’s the result you get on the weekends.

“Kevin did a great job and he obviously treated me so he did a pretty good job there. I was probably the worst.”

The former Hamburg, Burnley, Rosenborg and Arminia Bielfeld striker, who has kept a close eye on the European leagues and briefly played in Japan with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, praised the overseas successes of Muscat and Postecoglou.

“It’s incredible. That should be the goal for Australia, like Ange is doing at Celtic. I’m going to the two games I’ve actually been to, Leipzig, the Champions League game, and Madrid. And for me, his style , the way he does it, something very special that every coach should look up to,” he said.

“Kevin is doing an amazing job in Yokohama and I’m really happy for them. As a player I had them and I learned so much from them. I give them respect because it’s not easy at all.

“Now as a young manager you see how tough this world is to coach, it’s not easy to achieve such success with Ange at Celtic and win the title in Scotland and play a Champions League and be unlucky in the Champions League to have .

“It’s a dream. It’s the goal of every young coach and you know I can’t praise them (anymore) and their way. And I know them really well, I know why they have this success, it’s not surprise for me.”