Besart Berisha will be cheering on his former club boss Ange Postecoglou in Tuesday night’s crunch World Cup qualifier in Melbourne, and he’s very confident Ange’s Caltex Socceroos will be in Russia next year.
The Melbourne Victory and Hyundai A-League legend knows Postecoglou well and has great respect for the Aussie boss.
It was the current Socceroos head coach who signed Berisha from Europe in August 2011, selling him the dream of revitalising his stalled career on the other side of the world with his ambitious club Brisbane Roar.
The move was a masterstroke for Postecoglou, the player and the league.
After multiple championships in Queensland (the first under Postecoglou), Berisha moved to Melbourne Victory in 2014 and, under the tutelage of Postecoglou’s former assistant coach Kevin Muscat, last season he hit the magic 100 goals mark in the league.
Now, as the Kosovo international prepares with Victory for a new A-League season kicking off next month, Berisha is backing his former club boss Postecoglou to pilot the national team to Russia next year – despite the tricky situation they currently face in securing automatic qualification.
Explainer: Caltex Socceroos' task against Thailand
Caltex Socceroos: when we delivered on goals front
ANGE KEY TO BERISHA'S AUSSIE SUCCESS STORY
“Ange has been very important for me since I arrived in Australia. He’s a big part of my success,” Berisha told www.a-league.com.au
“And I’m going to the match on Tuesday, in the stadium to support and to watch him and his team and to wish him luck."
Berisha has spoken with Postecoglou “a couple of times” recently, just to wish each other the best on text.
And now the striker is hoping his presence can bring a little good fortune to the Green and Gold on Tuesday night, as they search for a win and a goal avalanche to put the pressure back on Saudi Arabia.
“I know we need goals on Tuesday night, so I hope I can bring some good luck by going to the stadium.
“But Australia is a good team," added Berisha, who played in a World Cup qualifier with Kosovo earlier this year against Iceland.
“They have everything what it takes to go to the next World Cup. I have no doubt.
“They can do it.”
MUSCAT HAS SAME MENTALITY
On the domestic front, and as a strengthened Victory prepare for a new campaign starting in October – one in which they are desperate to banish their grand final heartbreak from last campaign – Berisha sees his current coach’s style as mirroring Australia’s manager.
“Ange is the same [as Kevin Muscat], when he goes into a game he wants to win games.
“He doesn’t approach a game with a ‘we should get lucky’ mentality with a draw,”
“This is how Kevin [Muscat] is and I like that.”