Socceroos assistant coach Ante Milicic to be based in Zagreb as World Cup preparations intensify

SOCCEROOS assistant coach Ante Milicic will be based in Europe from July, as Ange Postecoglou and his staff continue their meticulous 2018 World Cup preparations.

Socceroos assistant coach Ante Milicic will be based in Zagreb from July.

THE Socceroos will leave no stone unturned in their quest to make an impact at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with a key staffer to be deployed in Europe after the Confederations Cup.

Assistant coach Ante Milicic will be based in Zagreb from July where he will continue the Socceroos coaching staff’s meticulous planning, as operation Russia 2018 intensifies.

With 160 of 200 Aussies abroad based in Europe, Milicic hoped to unearth some rough diamonds as he prepares to watch hundreds of live games featuring Socceroos regulars and hopefuls.

The immediate focus will be scouting in the first few weeks of the next European season ahead of the crucial double-header against Japan (away) and Thailand (home) that will decide Australia’s qualifying fate.

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Milicic’s deployment underlines Ange Postecoglou’s preference for Euro-based players as jostling for spots intensifies.

Socceroos assistant coach Ante Milicic will be based in Zagreb from July.

“It’s World Cup year, you want to be best prepared and most of our players are based in Europe,’’ Milicic said.

“To keep evolving, we need a large player pool of talent and we need to regularly be monitoring them in all sorts of conditions.

“It’s good for the players to know that they have support staff within an hour or two for situations that arise. There’s a lot more scope to see these players and be notified about them — when you’re in that region a lot more information can come to hand.

“What you’re really doing by being so close is seeing more players and more games.

“Over the years when the budget has allowed, when we’ve had a friendly in Europe then FFA has allowed us to stay back for a week to monitor players and build relationships with clubs.

“I think we’re in a good position (to qualify), we’ve put ourselves in a place where everything is in our hands.’’

Ante Milicic will be keeping an eye on the likes of Socceroos striker Jamie Maclaren (left) who will be playing for German side Darmstadt.

The move echoes Guus Hiddink’s preparations when Socceroos physio Les Gelis and conditioning guru Anthony Crea were deployed to London for the six months leading into Germany 2006.

Milicic, who will also scout for Josep Gombau’s Olyroos, said there was an eye on Australia’s future.

Postecoglou’s right-hand man cited the German second division, which includes the likes of Ben Halloran (Heidenheim), Jamie Maclaren (Darmstadt), Brandon Borrello, Jake Brimmer (both Kaiserslautern) as an area that can be closely tracked.

“It’s not just about building for the Russia World Cup but beyond,’’ he said.

“When you look at how many young players are in the squad, that’s building this generation and giving them more game-time under difficult conditions against good opposition and that makes the Socceroos stronger for the future.’’

Originally published as Socceroos assistant coach Ante Milicic to be based in Zagreb as World Cup preparations intensify