Kalac wants coaching overhaul

The 37-year-old, back home after a 12-year career in Europe, which reached its pinnacle at AC Milan, believes the likes of former front-line professionals with stellar track records like Paul Okon, Tony Popovic, Craig Moore, Adelaide United's Aurelio Vidmar, Steve Corica and himself are better equipped to take the game forward than men he claims just care about 'having a job'.

"A lot of the current A-League coaches just want to collect their $100,000 a year and stay in work until they get sacked and move on to the next job," he told The World Game. "It's just about their own self preservation. They are not good for the game.

"The people who are best equipped to develop the game are those who have played it at a good level and have the experience and know-how to bring something to the A-League.

"’Look at Ange Postecoglou at Roar. What experience has he had as a player? He was a failure with the national teams as a coach and now he has a job that would be better suited to somebody else.

"What we need is more of the boys who have played overseas getting a look-in at clubs. At Sydney you have a good foreign coach in Vitezslav Lavicka, who gave 'Poppa' his chance because he's not paranoid about his job and is willing to listen to some advice.

"That's not the case with the other A-League coaches. They are all scared of bringing somebody in who might threaten their position one day.

"What Sydney achieved in winning the title with a very average squad was excellent. I know how bad they are because I watched them train and play, and believe me they were bad.

"The players there are pretty brain dead, so the coaching staff kept it simple and got the best out of players."

Kalac called on the governing body to help shift the culture in the coaching ranks.

"The FFA have to look at encouraging more of the former national team boys to take the step up. They are doing that with Paul Okon at present and I want to see more of that," he added.

Kalac contends that coaches of the ilk of Postecoglou and David Mitchell at Perth simply lack the cachet to succeed.

"Mitchell has been around a while and the truth is he hasn't achieved very much. It's time for a change," Kalac said.

"Ange is also out of his depth I believe. He had seven years with the junior teams of Australia and there is nothing coming through. As a reward he lands a job at Roar, who are now also going to struggle in my view."

Kalac insists the current A-League crop of players are dying for a new direction and would respond to the urgings of players they have looked up to rather than the status quo of older coaches.

"Some of them have personally approached me and asked whether I would get into coaching," he explained. "They would respond to people they have respect for as players.

"I would like to get into it at some stage. I know players would respond to me because they respect me."

Kalac, who also played top flight football with Dutch side Roda JC and Italy's Perugia, believes he and Craig Moore would be the answer to North Queensland Fury's search for new leadership.

"Myself and Craig Moore for instance could work wonders at somewhere like the Fury. The players would kill for us and we'd also be able to attract decent players to a club," he declared.

"Branko Culina at the Newcastle Jets half-asked me to get involved but the fact is he too is a bit paranoid and I can't work with that. I need to work as a team.

"It's all very well for these A-League coaches to get all their AFC badges but if you have no idea, you have no idea."