Opinion

Degenek will get stronger for back-pass blunder

There is nothing that can possibly console defender Milos Degenek whose horrible blunder ended Australia's involvement in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

Degenek

Milos Degenek (L) and Mohamed Abdulrahman Source: AAP

Degenek's back-pass to goalkeeper Mat Ryan went horribly wrong and gifted the United Arab Emirates a 1-0 victory and a ticket to the semi-finals.

The uncompromising defender who had a strong tournament had no qualms about fronting the media after his costly and uncharacteristic brain fade.

"Obviously we didn't go through because of my mistake," Degenek said.

"I let the team down, I let our country down but that's life, that's football, it happens.

"I feel bad for the boys because I made the mistake that shattered all our dreams and not just ours but our country's."
Degenek's public apology drew instant sympathy from many people who understood the torment he was going through but in private he still must be hurting as he prepares to resume his club career with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal.

Degenek is seen by his teammates as mentally strong enough to bounce back from the mishap in Al Ain.

He might be heartened to remember, however, that football has this capacity to turn things around for you when you feel like you've let everyone down and wish the ground would swallow you up.

Degenek needs to look no further than Ryan.

The star goalkeeper was involved in a nightmare when he played for Valencia in a Copa del Rey match against Barcelona in February 2016.

As a young keeper trying to establish himself in Valencia, he ran into Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at their peak and the two stars shared seven goals between them in a 7-0 drubbing that would have broken any footballer.

But look at Ryan now: a Premier League regular with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Michael Theo must have been similarly devastated after he played a shocker for Norwich City against Colchester United in 2009. He conceded seven goals in a home 7-1 thrashing and never played again for the Canaries.

Theo would not let such a demoralising debacle crush his dreams of a professional career and he returned to Australia to win no fewer than five A-League championships, which is a record.
And what about David Beckham? The midfield hero was vilified and made a scapegoat for England's defeat on penalties to Argentina in the 1998 FIFA World Cup after he got sent off.
But Becks went on to forge an extraordinary career and become one of the most loved English footballers of all time, with all the adulation and hype to match.

Defender Gareth Southgate was also the subject of ridicule and disdain after his missed penalty cost England in a semi-final shootout against West Germany in the 1996 European Championships.

But Southgate would change his fortunes around and 20 years later he became such a respected manager that he was given the reins of the national team.

Which goes to show that adversity tends to lead to much better things if you are strong enough to leave it behind you and learn from it.

Degenek is a tough cookie who grew up in the Balkan war and no doubt he will come back stronger for his shocker in Al Ain.


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3 min read
Published 26 January 2019 4:36pm
By Philip Micallef

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