Ruben Zadkovich edging closer to cementing his Brisbane Roar coaching future

Interim Brisbane coach Ruben Zadkovich is impressing Roar officials in his bid to secure the job beyond this season.

Roar coach Ruben Zadkovich directs proceedings from the sidelines. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Brisbane Roar are close to offering interim coach Ruben Zadkovich a permanent deal as they ramp up plans for next season.

Former Glory coach Zadkovich joined the club in January as an assistant to then coach Ben Cahn.

However, after only one week at Roar, Zadkovich was elevated to the top job in an interim capacity when Cahn was placed on “indefinite medical leave”.

At the time, Brisbane had lost seven of its previous eight A-League matches.

Under Zadkovich – Brisbane’s fourth different coach this season – the Roar have steadied, losing just one of their next four matches and thrashing Melbourne City 5-1.

Roar officials have been impressed with the energy and fighting spirit the squad has displayed with Zadkovich – who wants the job on a long-term basis – at the helm.

Brisbane’s chief operations officer Zac Anderson said talks were ongoing with the 37-year-old former Socceroos midfielder and that a decision on who would coach the Roar next season would be made by the end of the month.

Zadkovich has already added his former Glory assistant, Brisbane-born ex-Socceroos defender Chris Coyne, to his coaching staff, with the assembling of next season’s playing squad high on the agenda of the coaching pair and Anderson.

Ruben Zadkovich has impressed during his time as Brisbane Roar coach. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

A player clean-out is expected, with several members of the squad off contract at the end of the season.

The future of 35-year-old defender Scott Neville is also in doubt after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in a training mishap this week.

The veteran centre-back, who is contracted until the end of next season, is set to be sidelined for at least nine months in his latest fitness battle after struggling with injuries this season.

New Zealand star Marco Rojas, who joined Brisbane in January, is expected to leave at the end of the current campaign to link with the new Auckland franchise entering the competition next season.

The Roar, who remain an outside chance to finish in the top six, host Rojas’ former club Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

“They’re a star-studded line-up that’s for sure,” Zadkovich said of the Tony Popovic-coached Victory side.

“They’ve got a lot of depth in their squad … so we expect a stiff contest for sure. Tony Popovic’s teams are always well organised and set up.

“I expect us to be on the front foot and I expect them to be very dangerous in some key areas.

“We need to nullify their key threats, and we need to be at our best to get the points.”

Meanwhile, the Roar’s home match against Macarthur FC on March 16 will be played at Ballymore due to Suncorp Stadium being prepared for a Pink concert.

Originally published as Ruben Zadkovich edging closer to cementing his Brisbane Roar coaching future