Back in the late 90s when I was in Perth, my home town soccer team, Perth Glory, hired a German coach by the name of Bernd Stange.
Now Bernd could hardly speak a word of English, but the people of Perth soon developed quite a liking for him. His no-nonsense attitude was very reminiscent of Arnold Schwartznegger in the Terminator movies. That, and the team’s success, enabled Bernd to enjoy almost unprecedented levels of popularity for any coach in Western Australia. So much so, that when Glory chairman Nick Tana decided not to renew Bernd’s contract in early 2000, the public backlash forced Tana to reverse his decision, and offer Bernd a one-year extension on his contract.
After Bernd was let go, he accepted the position of coach of the Iraqi national team, where he almost immediately made an impact. Sadly, though, he was recently forced to leave, due to the security concerns in the country.
Now Bernd has expressed interest in being part of the new Australian soccer league (Hyundai A-League). However, Perth Glory fans should not get too excited:
Stange, who charmed the WA public during his time as Perth Glory coach from 1999 to 2001, threw his hat into the ring for a coaching position in the new Hyundai A-League, telling The West Australian yesterday: “I am available.”—-Stange said his family had loved their time in Perth and he would be willing to return to Australia.“I would be interested – definitely,” he said from his home town of Jena, in Germany yesterday. “My family was very happy there. I know Australian soccer. I think I have the experience to push a new club.”But Stange, whose popularity famously forced Glory chairman Nick Tana into an embarrassing backdown over his contract in February 2000, is unlikely to be offered a place with his former club – though it is currently looking to appoint a high-profile, overseas coach.
Perth readers of this blog: If you agree with me that Bernd was an asset to the team, please contact the Glory via their home page and let them know that we want Bernd!
