A move to Europe for Muscat
The move to Europe to coach for Kevin Muscat is a big one as he becomes the first Australian manager to manage a club on the continent well other than Tony Popovic very short time in Turkey.
Ange Postecoglou, of course, showed East Asian football fans what an Aussie can do outside of the A-League as he guided Yokohama F. Marinos to the J League title. This though is an all-new experience for any coach from Australia despite the many players from the country that have played in Europe.
This week was when after all the COVID testing, Kevin Muscat will get to meet his players as training resumes in Belgium football. This move comes six months late too as European football did not acknowledge his Asian version of the Pro-Licence coaching qualification.
He told the Australian Daily Telegraph he could not wait to start as he said;
It’s been a funny old time, ever since we shook hands and negotiated a deal, and then suddenly they were telling me I couldn’t sit on the bench. Then I was rushing to get on to a Pro-Licence course in Wales because once you’ve started it that’s fine, but then UEFA said I couldn’t because I hadn’t done their A Licence.
Lots of talent from East Asia on show
It will be interesting to see how he will get on as his new side finished 12th in the 16 team league last season after it was stopped due to COVID 19. A new start date for the season has not been confirmed but if all goes to plan it is expected this will be in August.
A player who many people in Korea feel can have a big future in the game is Lee Seung-Woo but at 22-years-old his playing time has been limited. Although this did pick up as he played three times in 2020 before the season stopped.
There is also Daniel Schmidt in goals who has appeared a handful of times for the Japan national side. Although because of injury he has not played since the end of 2019 despite being the sides number one.
In defence, they have Ko Matsubara too who singed from Shimizu S-Pulse but he is another player that's not had time to make an impact yet.
Then up front, they have their main man in Yuma Suzuki who finished last season as the sides top goal scorer after signing from Kashima Antlers, then not forgetting his countryman Tatsuya Ito who is yet to score for the club after the attacker signed from Hamburger in Germany.