Maziya Sports and Recreation head coach Dragan Dukanovic from Serbia stated that, despite the current challenges in Maldivian football, he views the situation as a significant task and believes he has the chance to accomplish something remarkable.
At 54, Dragan is the sixth foreign coach in Maziya's history and the third Serbian to take charge of the Green Boys.
The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) is currently under the administration of a FIFA-appointed Normalization Committee, a decision made due to FAM's troubling financial situation.
As a result, there is very little chance that the domestic season will commence anytime soon.
Dragan highlighted the situation and addressed key questions from the media as follows:
Q: What was your initial reaction when you received the offer from Maziya?
Ans: When i get this offer from Maziya, the management of the club, im thinking about this, I know something problems about National League championship here, we will start here with the AFC Cup. (AFC Challenge League) I'm thinking about this is one challenge for me, i know, Maziya never passed to second round of AFC Competition, this is the first reason why i come.
I work a long time in Asia, i have experience from this competition in Asia Cups, it was an impact for me to try to do something, a great and may be to something of history of this club and this country.
Q: How do you assess the current situation here, and how significant of a challenge do you see it as?
Ans: Ofcourse the situation is not very good. The situation is very hard and very difficult for us. Because when you don't have competition, the team has a problem infront of them. Becouse we don't have competition games. It will be very hard to prepare the team for the Challenge we accept in the Asia Cup (AFC Challenge League). The group teams already play a lot of games in the leagues, they have many games in the legs.
But management is doing a lot to get us some friendly games, to prepare the team for this competition. It is important for us. Maziya is a one big club for Maldives. Biggest and best. Show the management gives bigger effort, to prepare the team for the competition. We will do hard work to do something great.
I hope everyone, government and football federation gives effort to find solutions for the problems we have. Its very important for the football here to start the competition here.
Q: How confident are you in your ability to succeed with Maziya given the current challenging circumstances?
Ans: This country has talent, Maziya is big club in Maldives, and every body in Asia heard about this club, it's one good chance for Federation and good chance for government to make something great for this country and sports here. As you know, Football is most important second thing in world. Football is big business and one big chance for all people who love football here, to improve and things much matter. Becouse without league it's not good for the players.
I have an opinion about everything around the club.
My experience is really big, i work long time in Europe and long time in Asia. I was in in Bangladesh in one big club. In Indonesia i work 5 years in 2 very big clubs, like Borneo and Semarang, so i know about this mentality to work here. this situation is little strange for me. each one a big challenge, when the things is not good, its hard. One big challenge in my career. i can say in my life first time i meet a situation like here. i hope i have strength in myself and i believe in myself. I believe in this people in management because i see how much love this club, and how much effort they give to make something. So this give me effort also to make something good.
Q: Do you view this job as a pressure or an opportunity, and which do you prefer more?
Ans: In football when you work as head coach, you always get the pressure, im from my 17 years as professional football player and continue to work in football, more than 30 years im in professional football on high level. So i know the pressure and i live the pressure every day. So, its very hard to work in this situation but if you don't trust the strength and confidence you have in yourself, you can do nothing in life. I get this chance to come in one big club, who everyone in Asia knows.
It's one challenge for me, actually, and honestly i don't have to loose nothing, if i make something great, everybody will say good job. If i not, its not first time Maziya didn't pass the first round, It's not huge challenge for my career but i came here to do something great and i take that challenge.
