The World Game with Stefan MaukFrom the A-Leagues to the EPL, Adelaide United star Stefan Mauk brings you the latest results, news and analysis from the World Game.
This is the World Game with Stefan Mook thanks to Football Essay bringing South Australian communities together.
Great to have you with us. It's seven after six on this Thursday night and it is a very very brown day for Australian World Game supporters. Of course we remember earlier this morning it was a brilliant, brilliant display for a Tottenham, which is fantastic for their fans, but for Australia it was all about Anne Pasta Coglo and what it means for him the first Australian to ever win a European title, which was just fantastic. And not only that, he's the first coach not from Europe or Egypt Argentina to win a European trophy. So really it's very very very rare, first of its kind, and we are super proud today and we're going to go through all of that with our man, Stephan Mook here on five double A. Stephan, good evening.
To you, good evening, and yeah, you summed it up pretty nicely there. I think it's yeah, it's incredible, I hope you know. Obviously the timing of it this morning, it was hard to get on the back page of papers, but I hope there's a really big running and all the different media outlets today and yeah, I think being on the other side of the world, you kind of lose track of how big this is. But yeah, the scrutiny has been under and yeah, what he's doing for Australian football obviously was great when he was here in the local game. Then he was with the Soccer Us, then he went to Japan and in Scotland. Now in England he's flying the flag and I think, you know, he's making any young coach or even player for that matter of fact, I think believe that, you know what, why can't you? Why can't you do it?
And that's what's so incredible. We've loved the way he's sort of gone about it for so long with every club that he's been with it think about this. So everywhere he goes he wins South Melbourne. Then he went to Brisbane Raw one there soccer US won that Asian Cup, went to Yokohama in Japan, won there, went to Celtic which was just massive in itself and we thought that's the absolute top for him. Won there, and then he's gone into the EPL. He hasn't had a great time in the Premier League, but he still went through with this Europa campaign and did so well to get them to the final when we thought, gee, it's a massive, massive achievement for him to even be in this situation have a chance at winning, and then they do and then it's just that this has gone next level. Yeah. Can I ask you just quickly, is he now Australia's Well, he's clearly Australia's greatest ever coach I would think in soccer. But do you think he's the greatest sporting coaching export we've had in all sports on the back of this achievement because it is such a high profile gig.
Yeah, I think so. Like I saw someone think was that Darren Cahill, the tennis coach, Like what he did with Layton Hewitt. Obviously it's pretty remarkable. But I think to be honest that like football is the number one sport in the world by a long way. I know, you know, some people may be listening don't agree, but it is when you look at people that play, at people that want to be professionals. Everywhere in the world, everyone wants to play football. It's a religion in most countries and every single player or person that can't be a player then wants to be a coach. So it's incredible what he's done to forge the path to get over there and to have this success that he's constantly had. I think he is the most successful Australian coach and I think that, you know, it's probably time there's a big statue of him somewhere, maybe everywhere to be on let's get one in every state. But he Yeah, he's someone we I think need to wrap our arms around more because he left Australian football in a pretty bad way where he was disgruntled with how it was being led and I don't know if it's been changed too much since he's left. Sorry, So we need to kind of get our arms around him. And he's done so much for us. He's now brought in you know, Nick Montgomery, who was a coach here in the Yale, He's brought him in. Milleynak ex player brought him into coach that he's along the way. He's brought in Australians to help him but also giving them a chance. So you know, we need to make sure that we you know, we show him love, which I think this morning I saw everywhere and so so many people were. But the achievement in itself is remarkable considering you know, the pressure has been under and I don't know Man United have been struggling as well. But this was a very very sweet victory for him, that's for sure.
Certainly was for those who didn't get to live at his thirty seconds of how it all played out. So once more, I Junsted's hot first of the big nights. Now I'll never for Mattress two nineteen. What to say for Carl and help they'll.
Win the final?
How they have waited, how they have first glory, glory, shut them far, spurs have come and done it at last.
Pasta catto past delivered.
As he promised he was, and a great call there from Peter Drury just at the end, which I think was the nice touching because the story arc really was over the last twelve months. How he came out with this comment to start the season, I don't usually win things. I always win things, can you now? To be honest, that sounded like it's a very stoic position to be in. He was unwavering throughout his entire campaign, this summer, at this season really to see the team go as poorly as they were in a lot of their matches. They started strong, but they really tape it off and people thought there's no way, there's no way he can have any sort of chance at winning anything in his second year, and people were really bagging his Rory Jennings earlier in the season.
I don't think he's anywhere near as good as he needs to be. And people talk about his record all the time, like you know that. That's when I say, people talk about this record he does you know this, I always win a trophy in my second season. You might do with the wittle ce Zebra's mate, but it's very different.
It's very different. And that was just one of thousands of pundits and they were piling on end and yet he was able to back himself in and go all the way and get silverware for a club that needed it. First time since I eight in terms of silverware, and the first time in a Europa Final or a European title rather since eighty four. So really a brilliant achievement for the club and for the fans, but for En just in his own story, this season that's been quite amazing.
Yeah, and I understand, like, you know, where Australian, we're very proud and speaks about it a lot. He's proud about being Australian. He's he's flying in that flag and we're proud of him. So we're gonna be biased, you know, and we think, you know, you don't go so hard on him in certain circumstances. But I, you know, I also sit on the other side. I understand, you know, you're a Premier league coach, you're at a big club. You've got to face the criticism. But what he said in that, you know, I feel like from the get go, first he went to Scotland. In Japan, it was different because in Japan they respect you. It's very different Soccer's you know, play against Japan a lot. There's that mutual respect. So and they're way too respectful. Those people have ever seen any real negative He goes to Scotland straight away on the talk show. I can't remember who it was, but someone kind of was trying to say his last name, Posta Coglu, Posta cog Clu, and it's like, come on, like this guy he is, he's coming. He as a coach of Celtic and you can't even respect him as a person and the digs at him and saying you know where they found him from, And I think that's Australian football what we're treated at around the world by a lot of people, to be honest. So for Ange then to go to England after doing what he did in Scotland, which yes, there's only two teams that win it, but Celtic had won for quite a few years and he didn't just win it, he destroyed Rangers. So he's done that. He goes there and he cops it from the start because of who is this guy? And there's a little bit of excitement with some fans, but some fans aren't sure. Starts really well, ten games unbeaten, everyone's flying goes downhill. But you know, he said he needed to build his team second year will be stronger and then obviously the results will kind of going against him. He came out with that comment which was more around it was a fact like everywhere he's been he's won in the second season and did he set himself up one hundred percent because the pressure was going to mount after that. But I don't think that same level of scrutiny happens to a Jose Mourinho or an Antonio Conte Apochattina coaches that had been there previously the same way they attacked Agin and I think they love detaking him, and he probably didn't help himself with I don't think it. Maybe it is arrogance in the belief of himself and the way he sets his teams up and he believes he will have success, which you do need to have. That's why he's got to that level. So he didn't help himself maybe, and the results and the injuries obviously didn't help him. But you know how sweet is that that he can walk away and think, you know, whatever, they decide, whether they want to keep him on, whether they want to go in a different direction. He's the first person to win them that European trophy for what is it forty odd years and seventeen years since a trophy for that club, that that club has been an arsenal fan. I'm more than happy that they haven't won for a long time. I was very happy they won this morning for Ange. But you know they have to respect that because you know, the other coaches that were so called great couldn't do it, and now the respect has to be flipped because he actually did change his approach where they said there's no Plan B, there's no Plan blee, it's just do plan a better. And I think he did change a little bit because he understood that. You know, they had injuries and different things, and even this morning the players they were missing. It's incredible.
So you're a very astute football mind. The respect that the club should give him or the fans should give him is absolutely warrant on the back of this success, despite everything going against them. Does that mean he can still warrant a contract or his job at least for next season in your mind?
For me, yes, I think he's got them into the Champions League. Financially what that brings the club I think it was ninety one million Australian dollars he's generated from winning the Europa League and getting into Champions League. I believe it's next year and that's just getting there. I think they need to back him because now you're in a position to attract better players. So you need to actually give him the money and say, okay, we'll give you one more season because you've deserved that. You weren't that right. We'll give you X amount of dollars because you can't go crazy with it, but we'll give you x amount. We'll get the players that you think you need back you that way, and let's see how we go. I think that's a very very fair way to go about it. Who knows, maybe he walks. He's kind of said he wasn't gone this morning. He's done it before at clubs, but he said he wasn't going to He.
Said he wants to build the team six or seven years ahead.
And and I think you know what he in those other circumstances when he did it, he was leaving to go somewhere better.
Where else is to go?
You can't go better than where he's at. Almost like you're in the Premier League, you're at a top six, seventeen, you're in Champions League next year. Yeah, if he can get them, they can be one of the biggest clubs in the world. Again, they're falling away, but they can get back. So you can't go anywhere bigger. He needs to stay there and I think more than anything, he'll want to have proper success with them. So let's see what they do. But I reckon the one positive sign is the board, like what he said, hadn't spoken to him. No one's spoken to him. There's not really been any rumors about it. Yeah, and that's where I reckon. They're waiting to see what happened today, and they could have easily went to him behind closed doors and said, listen, whatever happens today, you're done. We respect you this and that they haven't gone to him, They've wanted him to focus on this game, so I think that's a positive sign.
Yeah, I like that as well. I had a tweet from someone earlier today. We'll move off of engine talks to Maleague very shortly, but I just wanted to reference this with you and maybe get your opinion. They said it would be really great for Australian soccer, for Football Australia to actually mend their relationship with j and try and get him back at some point in the future because he's not going to live in the EPL forever. I think he's probably destant to stay in Europe at some big clubs anyway over the next ten years because of what he's been able to achieve regardless around those countries. So I don't think he's coming back anytime soon. But it would just be really smart for Australian football to at some point really start to mind that relationship, wouldn't it, and try and get him back, Because if there is an opportunity to get him as the coach of the soccer rus, you'd want that, wouldn't you.
Yeah, well, well, I think he could be someone that stays at this level for so long and financially what he's earning there is astronomical compared to what the soccers could play. But I think he's the type of guy and I know maybe he doesn't have the back or the background sorry of working as a CEO, but he's the type of guy that you get in to do that role and put someone next to him that has the expense of actually running a business like that, because he can transform football in this country if you give him the power to, he'll be the one that will do it. And that's what he spoke about, and that's what he was so passionate about when he was the coach. He didn't want to just coach. He wanted to change football. In his book he speaks about it, and you know, I think they need to do something because he does care about Australian football, guaranteed, Atheroughs. He wouldn't bring any Australian coaches along for the ride. There's plenty of coaches out there that he could get from England or wherever he wants, but he wants to bring Australians in to give him a chance. So I think somehow they need to do that. I don't know what it is. Obviously the CEO, James Johnson has just stepped down recently, but someone from Football Australia and you know they need to reach out to him. And you know he's busy, He's going to be very busy this offseason after his holiday to prepare. But can you get him on as an advisor in some sort of capacity to you know, make Australian football better. Because he's also at one of the best clubs in the world, we can learn a lot from them, absolutely and use that as a network, you know, for so many more things. So let's see, let's see what happens.
All right.
I'm going to be real quick because we're going to get to a break. But I do want to talk about the A League currently it's a semi final stage or into the second leagus on Saturday, and they'll be back to back, which is great for viewers. Auckland taking on Melbourne Victory, Auckland currently leading one nil. It will be played in New Zealand. The second game, that's the early one, and then the night game is the follow up between Melbourne City who are in front three nil over Western United currently and they'll be also playing at home seven o'clock. So do you think those two go through Melbourne City in Auckland? Do you think it just stays the way it is? I do, I really do.
I think. You know, last week we spoke about it and I said, you know, Melbourne City, they don't concede goals. I thought it was going to be a one nil, three nil kind of blew me out the water a little bit. And I think I just can't see Melbourne City conceding three goals and I can't see them not scoring either. So that means that Western United technically have to score four to take it to extra time. And I could be wrong, you know, you just never known football. Stranger things have happened, But I think Melbourne City are definitely destined for the final and Auckland to win one nil away from home in Melbourne. Melbourn Victory have got the players in Azannis vlu Falaisemachuch virgos For and these players Tigue that have quality, that can score out of nothing. I just think the comments Azani made after the game as well, I was saying they're one dimensional.
Auckland blah blah blah.
It was just a bit.
I don't know.
I think Coreic has got that pinned up and is playing that to their players, saying, ah, they think we're one dimensional, they don't rate us. They think that they we just knocked the ball long and we're panel beaters. I know, you know I'd probably say the same thing to me. Who am I to say that about Azani because you know you say it after the game. But I think after seeing what their home crowd was like when we played them in that four four draw it was only eighteen thousand that day. Wow, they've increased the stadium capacity. I think it's thirty odd thirty two thirty three for this one. Wow, it was the best atmosphere I'd faced in the A League in a long time. I think that plus your one nil up and Orkan the very very good defensively I just don't. I don't see victory getting a win there away in Auckland. So it's a it's going to be a home final for Auckland against Melbourne City. And you know Auckland deserve it. They've been the best team all season. They deserve to host the grand final. So I do hope they actually do win it, because you know, that's you know, the league is the best and the most important thing in this country. The finals are, you know, like we do in the other sports. So I hope Auckland win it because they've been the most consistent and the strongest team all year.
And closer to home here in Adelaide's and farewells made this week.
Yeah, it was obviously always disappointing. You know, you have your your teammates, you had the squad and all of a sudden, you know, you just get the messages get sent through saying this is going out today. The boys have been let go, they've had their exit introduced. So Josh Cavallo, Ryan Tunacliffe and Jordan Elsie I think, you know, I'm Josh and Tonycliffe completely understand obviously haven't haven't really played it all this season. But Jordan Elsie, you know, it's it's not my decision. Obviously, I think he would have been a great one to keep around. He's just such a good guy and I think, you know, when he's whenever he's played, he trained so hard and he's the type of person you need for a change room. But also understanding with the club, you know, the financially need to make the right decision and thinking, well, you know, for what he's going to take, can we get younger players or do we want to go in a different direction. Obviously they've got to decide on the coach still, so you know, I don't want to get in trouble with the club with that one. But for me, I would have loved if he stayed. But I also understand and fingers crossed he can find something. You know, he's got a young family. Maybe it's something in Asia. I think, you know, he's only thirty thirty one, so you know, he's got a few years left in him and he's been really hard with his injury. So you know, I hope for him and his family's sake, he can get another couple of years out of himself.
Yeah, Well, the good world is apparently Craig Goodwin's coming back to Adelaide next season, so I can't get you to comment on that, but that's an exciting prospect if it comes to fruition. It's twenty three minutes after six here on the World Game on five to play and you can buy any car from Southern Cherry to go in the draw to win a year's worth of groceries. That is a deal you don't want to miss. T twenty five slash seven seven. We'll take a quick break. We'll talk with Football Essays gm A, Football Ops George Georgie because there's a lot to talk about with the National Volunteers Week.
The World Game with Stephen Mork on five double A.
Right now we are in the months plenty of local football here in this winter in Adelaide.
Yes, and we have a special guest, George. Welcome for jumping on.
Oh thank you for having me, gentlemen.
No, it's a it's a pleasure. And yeah you got you got the call up this week from my group. What's up call with the people from Football South Australia, so talk to us. The there's been a report done, an outside audit of I guess the competitions with the amount of growth that's happening with obviously not just juniors, but then that's obviously going into senior football teams now. So what has I guess, what has actually happened and what do you think will come from this report?
Yeah, that's right, thanks Stefan. It's I have been praying in the deep end this week and I just want to start off before I get onto that on a life part of the segment early stratulating and the success at Tottenham. I just want to reiterate that how fantastic that is for Australian football and the achievement that he's had there. To the report, Yes, we've had a steady growth over the past decade of participation, of participation numbers, and a lot of that's been in the junior boys space. So I guess the purpose of this review is to bring it outside in and like a consulted company, to have a look at the current structures, which are you know, the semi professional leagues, your NPL Stately one, State League two, but also the amateur division South Australian Amateur Soccer League and the Collegiate Soccer League and just make sure that the current structures in place are facilitating that growth of junior players to see them growth through to senior football and have those opportunities available to them.
Yeah. Interesting. Has there been anything I guess from the report that's kind of I guess astounded you or made you realize, Okay, we've got to change a few things.
The report's just about to start, so we've just announced it this week, so plus to be consulted shortly and we're going to consult wide on this consor it will be with your club delegates, your presidents, as well as your stakeholders like your players and match officials, to see what they really want. It's an interesting time. I guess what it's come back on the back of is over the last license sperience for the semi professional competitions. We've had large interest from clubs wanting to i just professionalize their club and aspire to go into those professional competitions. We've expanded this year with another five teams and split the state league two into a North South conference, and there's another four coming in next year, making it two leagues of ten. So it's about whether there's more clubs out there wanting to have that flexibility or that pathway to professionalize and provide a full pathway to their juniors.
Yeah, no, that makes complete sense, and that, I guess kind of goes into the next little bit that we wanted to speak about, and that's the Australia Cup and that's where obviously all of these clubs do have the potential to compete in this competition. So who are the remaining teams and then who's your pick for the ones to make the final rounds around the thirty two of the Australia Cup.
It's too hard to pick interesting last four. They've just finished up their games last week for the last night with the quarter five. So we've got Adelaide Comments, Metro Stars, Adelaide, Croastiar Raiders and FK Belgrad that have progressed through. So we'll have the draw on Monday afternoon. But there's there's a very exciting prospect of a rule strong derby between obviously Croatia Raiders and FK Belgrade.
Are some good food floating about for that one that's have.
To go down.
But one question before we let you go, how do you do the drawer? Is that the Champions League where you've got you know, gets out there and you've got the balls in there and you're kind of a live stream or do you guys literally just pick it out of a hat.
No, we do a live stream. It's it's streamed on our Facebook account and YouTube, so it is live drawn and we draw every round. After at the completion of every round, we try to bring some people in like ex coaches or players. We've had Cristiano before or Richie as a kitchen and yeah, it's always an a fun affair, but it's always interesting to see who's going to get drawn against too.
Yeah, there we go. Well, make sure I guess you tune in on was it Monday?
Did you say Monday afternoon?
On Monday afternoon, tune in and find out who's going to be playing who. But we appreciate you jumping on the show. We'll leave you now and maybe we'll get you on at the end of the season when the report's being done.
Fantastic, Thanks for having me.
George Georgiana's the GM of football Operations there at Football ESA, and of course it's National Volunteer Week as well, so we want to put a big shout out to all the volunteers out there who do an amazing job and keep our sport running at the local level. It is outstanding. We cannot do it without you. It is amazingly. Match week eleven of twenty two, we are halfway through the season in the m PLSA. I'm stunned that we're halfway through it. But how's it looking for this weekend?
Yeah, it's like you said, it feels like it just started and all of a sudden, you know, you're you're halfway through. And Metro Stars, you know, as we keep saying each week top and almost getting further and further away.
But I guess this is.
Probably the point where if you do want to kind of claw back into it, your teams like Adelaide City, Campbelltown who have been winning a few games recently, Adelaide United as well.
You know.
So this weekend we've got Tomorrow night the Calaviy Croyden Kings and then on Saturday Raiders the Adelaide City, the Adelaide United Youth team against maud Bridge Jets, Playford City against the Adelaide Comets, White City against Campbelltown and Metro Stars the Pari Hill. So a lot of games on Saturday, so you know what, you can actually jump from the three o'clock game if you want to, the five o'clock game, and then the seven thirty game. So if you're not going live, just on YouTube on that channel and there's your Saturday.
Sort it outstanding. Now, we done a whole lot of time. We got one minute left in the show before we get to the footy. But I do want to ask you about the Champions League the setup now because as we know, Tottenham Aarne winning the u Apra Cup your Open Cup rather and the EPL is just about to finish this week. So how's it all shaping up?
Well, it's pretty crazy, to be honest, how it is, because you've got obviously Liverpool and Arsenal that the guaranteed Champions League football, and then you've got Manchester City on sixty eight points, and then you've got Newcastle, Chelsea Ustin Villa on sixty six points and Nottingham Forests on sixty five. So going into this last round, the relegation's done, the titles done. But this Champions League plays, like I said, the money that you can make in this from Forest in seventh up to City, there's only three teams that can get those last three spots, and there's five of them, So that's where all the eyes are going to be. Everybody else is pretty much relaxing and enjoying themselves.
Then got a tip for who they're going to be.
You know what? The games when you look at them, you honestly, I don't know. I think I think Nottingham Forest will beat Chelsea and that will secure them Champions League Football and that would be massive because they are an old powerhouse that have kind of come up. And they've got a crazy Greek owner who stormed the field of their last game and he said he wasn't doing anything wrong, but he got in the coaches here. It's pretty funny. So I hope they make it just for something different. I think they'll make it Manchester City and then the last one. Who knows, but let's see tune into that one and now we'll find out on what is it Monday night? When the games are all done.
We will talk about it all next week. An historic day and an historic program for us to cover it all off on. Thank you so much, Stefan, great work again and we'll see you again next Thursday night.
