Soccer: Melbourne Victory target Greek legend Traianos Dellas as their new coach

Melbourne Victory are close to confirming Greek legend Traianos Dellas as their new coach.

Greece's Traianos Dellas in action against the Socceroos during his playing career.

Melbourne Victory are close to confirming Greek legend Traianos Dellas as their new coach.

A club spokesman said on Friday the “process” of bringing Dellas to the Victory was ongoing but nearing its completion.

Dellas, 44, made 55 appearances for Greece and helped them to 2004 European Championships glory.

Dubbed the “Colossus of Rhodes”, defender Dellas played for a host of clubs, including Sheffield United, Roma, Perugia and AEK Athens.

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After retiring, he was appointed coach of AEK Athens in 2013, and has since also guided the fortunes of two other Greek clubs, Atromitos and Panetolikos.

Wellington coach Ufuk Talay has also been linked to the Victory coach, but the Phoenix have reportedly insisted he honour his three-year deal.

Under interim coach Grant Brebner, the Victory finally restart their 2019-20 A-League season on Saturday night against Victorian rivals Western United at Bankwest Stadium.

Brebner, appointed after the departure of Spanish mentor Carlos Salvachua, said “what will be, will be” in the Victory’s remaining five matches in what has been a disappointing campaign for the four-time A-League champions.

“It feels like we’ve been preparing for this game and only this game for about six weeks which we have,” said former Victory midfielder Brebner, who along with his squad end their two-week quarantine period in NSW on Saturday.

“From a personal viewpoint, I’ve really enjoyed it. If I’m being truthful, this is the hardest part for me, the media side of it, talking to you guys.

“When I’m on the grass I feel at home, and I think the players have responded to it. It’s not about me.”

Brebner said he was disappointed to be without Socceroos attacker Robbie Kruse, who will miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee at training.

“I was looking forward to seeing Robbie play for the club again,” he said.

But Brebner said Kruse’s absence, and the departures of foreign pair Ola Toivonen and Tim Hoogland, who both returned to Europe, presented opportunities to the Victory’s emerging talent.

“I’ve come up here with a lot of young players who are going to feature at all points of this five-game period,” he said.

Brebner found it amusing that Western United counterpart had been studying videos of the Victory’s W-League team — coached by Brebner’s assistant Jeff Hopkins — in an effort to have every base covered in terms of potential tactics.

“It’s great that ‘Rudes’ (Western United coach Mark Rudan) went to that in-depth knowledge on doing some scouting on us, but if it’s been the W-League he’s been watching, then he might get a little shock,” the former Scotland under-21 international said.

“They (United) are a decent side and they seem to be getting better and better as they go along. What we expect is what we know. We don’t envisage any surprises.

“If we’re worrying about Western United more than we want to do, we’re in a bit of trouble.

We cannot go out there and worry too much about them.”