Winger Mile Sterjovski, the Socceroos' quiet achiever, believes that Australia had nobody else but themselves to blame for their devastating 2006 FIFA World Cup defeat against Italy.
Sterjovski was in Guus Hiddink's team that were edged 1-0 by the eventual World Cup winners in a match that will be remembered for a controversial late Francesco Totti penalty after defender Lucas Neill was judged to have fouled Fabio Grosso.
Sterjovski said the whole squad felt bitter about the injury-time incident that decided the match in the round of 16 but he admitted that it was not the main reason the Socceroos lost.
"I think we lacked the necessary know-how to beat Italy," Sterjovski said.
"A lot of people talk about the late penalty and how we were hard done by but if you look at what happened during the 90 minutes we had an extra player for almost half of the game and we could not break them down so credit should be given to the Italians who had the experience to block us out and get through.
"We needed to do more in attack to reach the quarter-finals but we were not able to do that.
"Neill perhaps should have stayed on his feet so as not to give Grosso the chance to earn the penalty. Whether it was a penalty or not is any one's opinion but I believe that we did not create enough chances to put Italy away because they were too strong defensively for us. We really had only ourselves to blame for that defeat."
Sterjovski, who retired in 2014, spoke candidly about his career that started in Wollongong and took him all the way to the World Cup.
What are you doing now?
"I now live in West Pennant Hills in Sydney, where I own a football academy. It's been going for about five years and doing really well."
The Illawarra region per capita has produced many players of high quality. It's a shame that it is not represented at the highest level of club football, isn't it?
"That's true and it's disappointing because many players from the region have gone on to forge top careers and play for the Socceroos. I think the Illawarra has to start again and everyone needs to get behind a team. Hopefully the A-League will have a team from the region sooner rather than later."
What do you remember most from your days at the AIS?
"The AIS prepared me for professional football. When you get the best players in Australia training and living together for a couple of years, and learning what it means to be a pro, this is the best foundation for anyone to have a successful career abroad."
After a stint with Sydney United and Parramatta Power you moved to Lille, which must have been an eye-opening experience for you.
"I had to get used to a new way of life and a new language, let alone the pace of the game which was a lot quicker than what I was used to in Australia.
"It was difficult at first but thankfully I went to France with my girlfriend Sharon, who is now my wife. She made things easier for me and helped me focus on my football. This helped a lot because it was nice to go home after training and have someone to share your experience. The football education I got was second to none."
You worked under Vahid Halilhodzic and Claude Puel: what did you take from working with them?
"Halilhodzic was my first coach and he taught me all aspects of discipline on and off the field. He was a good tactician and very tough to work for, but away from the football he was very kind to me and always made sure I was being looked after.
"I initially had a rocky relationship with Puel, who came in later. He tried to get rid of the players who had done well with his predecessor Halilhodzic and to be honest, I did not play much in the first six months of his tenure. I slowly changed my approach towards him and his training methods and got to play more but after four years in France it was time for me to move on and I signed for Basel."
Switzerland must have been your most rewarding experience in Europe. You won one championship and nearly a second.
"In terms of winning trophies it was my most successful period, yes. Basel are the biggest club in Switzerland with great supporters. Their budget is probably double that of the next best club so they can attract good players which is why they are always very strong."
Did you play much alongside fellow Socceroo Scott Chipperfield?
"Of course, we were there together for a full three years. Chippers and I were roommates for most of that time. He achieved legendary status at the club."
Tell us about the 2005-06 UEFA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough who had in their ranks Mark Schwarzer and Mark Viduka.
"That was a big disappointment for us because we were very close to reaching the semi-finals. Nobody expected us to go that far and after winning the first leg 2-0, we went into the return confident of finishing the job. The big difference between the two teams was Dukes, who scored twice. He was incredible, just unplayable. We lost 4-1 on the night so it was not to be."
After a brief stint with Genclerbirligi in Turkey you joined Derby County in February 2008 and in 2008-09 you faced Manchester United in the English League Cup semi-finals. That must be another story to tell your grandchildren.
"I enjoyed playing in Turkey but it was difficult for the family so I took up the opportunity of playing in the Premier League for a few months but unfortunately we got relegated.
"In the next season, as a Championship club, we went all the way to the semi-finals of the League Cup. A lot of my family support Man U so it was a dream come true for me to face them and beat them at Pride Park. We won the first leg 1-0 and I provided the assist but I was not involved in the return leg at Old Trafford when we lost 4-2."
Socceroos coach Hiddink picked you for three of Australia's four matches in the 2006 World Cup. What did he require from you?
"I had no specific job. I think we had general instructions on how he wanted to play. I was quick in attack and disciplined defensively so that is probably what Guus saw in me and the reason I started against Brazil, Croatia and Italy.
"Playing in the World Cup was the highlight of my career and what made it so special was the fact that I had played no part in the qualifying campaign. I was not even involved in the play-off with Uruguay, so after that I made it my goal to play as much football as possible and get picked for Germany."
Would you agree that the Socceroos played their best football in Germany in the 2-0 loss to world champions Brazil?
"Yes. Even though we lost I felt we played really well. We had quite a few scoring chances but we did not put them away. Okay we lost but we earned a lot of respect that day, not only from the Brazilians but from many people who watched the game. We certainly turned a lot of heads during that game in Munich."
Was there any moment in your career that made you hate football?
"Not really. In football you have your ups and downs. I don't remember any time when I wanted to stop. I always believed that if people told me I was not good enough or not needed, I tried to turn things round and prove them wrong."
You were nominally a striker but in reality you often looked more like a wingback. Would that be right?
"I grew up as a striker and played that way at the AIS and in the NSL. Lille actually bought me as a striker but when one of our wingers got injured I slotted into that role and stayed there for most of my career. You know what, everything happens for a reason because had I remained as a striker, I probably would not have played in the World Cup because Australia had many great strikers at the time like Viduka, Harry Kewell and John Aloisi."
You retired in 2014 after playing two seasons for Central Coast, helping them win the A-League in 2013. Are you surprised by the Mariners' sad decline?
"Yes and no. For me, the biggest thing is that the Mariners have lost their identity. When Graham Arnold was coach he regularly brought in young players and gave them a chance to show what they could do. Since Arnie, Phil Moss and some of the senior players left, something went missing. This year has been a bit better than others but still it was not enough. I also think that owner Mike Charlesworth needs to invest more in the club because it is very difficult to attract good players on a small budget."
Is Australian football strong enough to survive the coronavirus crisis?
"Let's hope so because there are plenty of promising male and female players who would be devastated if there was no league football.
"I'm probably not the right person to talk about what it takes for a club to survive."
If all goes well and regular football eventually resumes in the not-too-distant future, are the Socceroos well placed for a final tilt at World Cup qualification?
"The Socceroos have proven in the last three or four qualifying campaigns that even when things become difficult, they manage to prevail. I think we'll be fine this time too.
"At the moment we have players with quality but there are not enough playing consistently at the highest level in Europe, which is our weakness."
Finally, who are the best players you have played with and against from a club and national team perspective?
"At national level my best teammates were Kewell and Viduka. When H was in the team, everybody's confidence grew. He was incredibly exciting. And when you played alongside Dukes, your job became easier because he was physically so strong and technically so good that he drew two or three defenders towards him and freed up space for you. The whole Brazilian team we faced in Munich (in 2006) would be the best. That team had too many great players to single out anyone.
"At club level, my best teammate was Argentine striker Matias Delgado who scored many goals for us at Basel from free kicks and long-distance shots. And being a right winger, my toughest opponent was Frenchman Patrice Evra - who was very fit, aggressive and difficult to play against."
MILE STERJOVSKI FACTFILE
Club career
1995-1996: Wollongong Wolves
1995-1996: Wollongong Wolves
1997-1999: Sydney United
1999-2000: Parramatta Power
2000-2004: Lille
2004-2007: Basel, Genclerbirligi
2007-2009: Derby County
2009-2012: Perth Glory, Dalian Aerbin
2012-2014: Central Coast Mariners
International career
2000-2010: Australia (43 matches)
2000-2010: Australia (43 matches)
Honours
Australia: OFC Nations Cup 2004; Basel: Swiss Super League 2005, Swiss Cup 2007; Central Coast: A-League 2013.
