Aurelio Vidmar is the man behind the Socceroos’ set-piece magic at the Asain Cup

AURELIO Vidmar is a reluctant hero but the Socceroos’ eight goals from set pieces at the Asian Cup had his rubber stamp all over it.

Ange Postecoglou, r, Coach of Australia, during the National Anthems at the Socceroos v Oman Asian Cup game at ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park. pic Mark Evans

AURELIO Vidmar is a reluctant hero but the Socceroos eight goals from set pieces at the Asian Cup had his rubber stamp all over it.

The assistant Socceroos boss was handed the task of ensuring Australia delivered set pieces which would blow away its opposition — and it did.

Australia was a menace throughout the tournament in throw-ins, corners and simple free kicks well away from the opposition penalty box which led to goals and that’s a tribute to Vidmar’s hard work.

“I take the body of the training sessions with (assistant) Ante Milicic and Peter Cklamovski (national teams football analyst),’’ Vidmar said.

“I look after all the set pieces, we scored a few goals in the Asian Cup and we conceded one in a set piece against Kuwait which I wasn’t happy about.”

Vidmar worked astutely with coach Ange Postecoglou during an intense 15 months where the Socceroos had more than 40 players feature in friendly matches and at the FIFA World Cup before settling on a 23-man squad which won silverware in Australia.

“Ange is his own person,’’ Vidmar said.

“I never worked with him before that and at the first meetings he talked about regeneration and his philosophy was very clear. He always had our full support and we gave it to him.”

Vidmar had no doubt Postecoglou was on the road to success when he took the job after Holger Osieck was sacked in 2013.

Osieck was criticised for 6-0 losses to Brazil and France, and his perceived reluctance to rejuvenate the ageing side.

Vidmar did not have a bad word to say about Osieck, who won the 1990 FIFA World Cup with West Germany as an assistant to Franz Beckenbauer, before playing an important role in FIFA’s technical football analysis.

“Holger is genuine, excellent to work with and really calm,’’ Vidmar said.

“He hardly ever blew up and he came at the right time, his job was to qualify for the World Cup and he did that.

“He was unlucky because we should have won the Asian Cup in 2011 (loss to Japan 1-0 in the final).

“He was unbelievably loyal to that (2011 Asian Cup) core group and he needed our help in understanding the Australia culture. He only really wanted to give opportunities to young players when he thought they were ready.

“Where now Ange is not afraid to chuck in a young kid, he’ll throw them in and bang.

“That’s the biggest difference where Holger would wait and monitor players.

“I caught up with Holger a few months ago in Zurich, he was hurt deeply when he was sacked, he really loved the team and the job.”

Vidmar won the Socceroos assistant job after the 2010 FIFA World Cup when Dutchman Pim Verbeek was in charge.

Vidmar was invited to Verbeek’s World Cup camp before the end of Adelaide United’s 2010 season. “The first three or four months was difficult, I was in a cocoon at club level,’’ Vidmar said.

“I didn’t realise how deeply I was involved and I thought ‘wow this is what it’s like on the outside’, life and football, I was totally consumed by the club.

“When I stepped out and took the national team job the weight of the world was off.

“It took time to adjust to the rhythm — the work is intense for a big period then you have lulls and we also get involved in NTC (development) we help out it’s not part of our job description but I like to get involved.”

But Vidmar never thought he’d be a coach 30 years ago.

He started cutting a pathway for fellow South Australians after making his debut in the NSL for Adelaide City as an 18-year-old in 1985.

After winning the NSL championship with Adelaide City in 1986 it was evident Vidmar was a class above. He headed to Belgium in a courageous move when he was a 24 with a dozen Socceroos caps.

His sacrifices along with a small group of other Socceroos has opened doors for the generations of Australians wanting to play in Europe.

“People laughed at us (in Europe), Eddie Krncevic was there, Frank Farina was starting there prior to me and Graham Arnold was there too,’’ Vidmar said.

“When I got there in 1991 they said to me ‘you guys play rugby not football’, they were taking the mickey.

“When I had a trial at Kortrijk no one spoke to me except for one guy — an Italian who had come from a second division club.

“The minute I signed everyone came and put their arms around me but back then I was seen as a threat and I was taking one of their own spots.

“That’s how it was but now the Aussies have a reputation in Europe.

“They’re strong willed the have a great mentality they’re welcomed now with open arms.”

Vidmar made his way to the coaching bench after becoming assistant to John Kosmina when Adelaide United started up in 2003.

Four years later Vidmar was the Reds boss, taking the club to the AFC Champions League final, the FIFA Club World Cup (2008) and the 2009 A-League grand final.

In 2010 when Adelaide was in the hands of Football Federation Australia Vidmar got the call from the chiefs asking whether he’d be interested in becoming an assistant national team coach which later led to being boss of the Olyroos.

But with soccer threatening to consume his entire life, Vidmar said his family has given him much-needed balance.

When he first started the coaching caper he would be up at all hours watching the latest soccer matches from Europe on TV and he would answer the phone at all hours of the day and night.

“As time went on I’d shut my phone off at 5pm,’’ Vidmar said.

“My girls (Gabriella and Jordana) play netball and basketball and Sarah (wife) is the SASI coach for netball so I can think about other things,’’ Vidmar said.

“I also learn from their sports like in basketball you pick up their moves from the side in set plays and I talk to the coaches a little bit.”

Originally published as Aurelio Vidmar is the man behind the Socceroos’ set-piece magic at the Asain Cup