Ange Postecoglou’s right hand man Peter Cklamovski lands job with rival Japanese club ending seven-year stint together
It was one week since Peter Cklamovski lifted the Japanese League title with Aussie super coach Ange Postecoglou. But Ange’s right hand won’t be by his side next season, putting an end to their seven-year stint.
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Ange Postecoglou’s chief disciple has been headhunted by a rival club, just a week after Yokohama F. Marinos secured the Japanese J1 League title.
Former Socceroos assistant coach Peter Cklamovski, 41, has joined Shimizu S-Pulse, who narrowly avoided relegation to the second tier.
Cklamovski has worked under Postecoglou for over seven years, including a virtually uninterrupted stint since they reunited at Melbourne Victory in 2012 after working together with Greek club Panachaiki in 2008.
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A mouth-watering 2020 Japanese season curtain-raiser between Postecoglou and Cklamovski looms if Shimizu wins the Emperor’s Cup final, with the Japanese champions and Cup winners traditionally kicking off the season in a Charity Shield style contest.
Shimizu plays Vissel Kobe in Saturday’s semi-final, ahead of the January 1 final. Cklamovski will not take over until January, in time for the new season, which would include an Asian Champions League berth if S-Pulse wins the Cup.
The appointment catapults Cklamovski right to the top echelon of the local coaching ranks, with Australians traditionally struggling to find jobs abroad.
It’s recognition of Yokohama’s scintillating offensive style and 2019 success, breaking a 15-year title drought. Assistant Arthur Papas and fitness coach Greg King are the other Aussies that worked with Postecoglou at Yokohama this season.
Like former Newcastle Jets coach Scott Miller, Cklamovski did not play professionally but cut his teeth as a fitness coach before formally becoming an assistant coach.
Cklamovski’s only solo stint was his five months in charge of the Australian Joeys (Under 17s) in late 2017 while he was Socceroos assistant alongside Ante Milicic, before he quit to continue with Postecoglou in Japan.
He qualified Australia for the 2018 Asian U16 Championships, after replacing Tony Vidmar, with the generation that went on to qualify for the recent FIFA Under 17 World Cup.
While Postecoglou has had many disciples, Cklamovski has been the one constant, though he leaves with the ex-Socceroos boss’s blessing.