Thomas Brdaric, more than a coach

CHENNAI: When Thomas Brdaric wrote a goodbye note on social media after parting ways with Albanian top-division outfit KF Vllaznia in March last year, the club’s supporters bombarded the ‘comments’ section with positive messages.

Having brought back the glory days – under the German manager, Vllaznia clinched the Albanian Cup in 2020-21 and finished runner-up in the Albanian Championship the same season – Brdaric was a fan favourite during his stay at Shkoder. It was not just his on-field success that bowled the supporters over.

Besides staying true to his words “I love my work. I live my work”, the 48-year-old went out of his way to help those employed at the club off the field. At a time when Vllaznia was in financial crisis, Brdaric invited his players over for food and accommodation.

In such difficult phases, Brdaric, who was primarily tasked with bagging silverware, showed time and again that he has a heart of gold. “It is known that the payments in Albania are late sometimes. I do not want to criticise [my previous club] for what happened. In general, I try to support all my players. I want to know how they are... if they are lacking something... if they need some- thing,” Brdaric, the current head coach of two-time Indian Super League champion Chennaiyin FC, told DT Next in a recent chat.

“We (Vllaznia) did not have players who were highly paid. I tried to support them all the time, does not matter whether it was on or off the field. For me, privacy is very important. With my players, I need to have good relations and collaborations. If I am in a position to help someone, I will do that,” said Brdaric, who is at Chennaiyin on a one-year deal.

“Whether the payments were delayed or not... it did not matter to me. I wanted to help the players. I provided them food, lunch or dinner. For me, it is common to invite the players for food,” added the former German international.

Brdaric revealed that building relationships with players, fellow staff and management members is part of his coaching philosophy.

“I have a social vein in my body. To give the players a good feeling...to have a good collaboration together. Then, you can extract the best out of them. But, at the same time, I tell my players that I am not their friend. There must be good balance,” said Brdaric.

“The most important thing is that the players and people at the club know they can rely on me at all times. This is how I work. You cannot destroy me as a person. Sometimes, I need rest. But, I think about the club [I work at] all the time. I like the organisation [at Chennaiyin] and how we are dealing [with situations]. I have an important responsibility and I try my best all the time,” Brdaric went on to add.

Although the CFC manager is yet to fully adapt to India and its culture – he is here since July last year – Brdaric, as a person, has been doing what he usually does. “First of all, I like to build friendships with people. I like to love people, I like to communicate. I like sport. I have been here for about half-a-year now; it takes time to understand the lifestyle here. It is little different to what is there in Europe. I want to give something back,” said Brdaric.

Chennaiyin has had an up-and-down ISL season so far, but possesses a priceless gem in Brdaric.