Miron Muslic has only been at Plymouth Argyle since January, but he has already made quite the impression.
From an arrival speech to his squad that went viral, to beating Liverpool in the FA Cup, it has been a hectic few weeks for him, alongside trying to keep Argyle – who once looked down and out – in the Championship this season.
Just 42 years old, Muslic has had quite a life already, which began with having to flee Bosnia in the early 1990s due to war.
He sat down with Juliette Ferrington on the Sky Sports One on One podcast, to discuss how football ‘set him free’ as a refugee, his style of management and his hero – Muhammad Ali.
‘He was the greatest of all time’
My all-time hero is Muhammad Ali.
As a sportsman I think he was the greatest of all time. But he was even greater as a human being because he had values and he fought for his values.
This is the only guy in the history of the United States that could actually win against the United States government.
He had values and he was ready to sacrifice and to give it all for his beliefs, and that’s why the people loved him. Not because he was able to beat Joe Fraser or George Foreman, because he had some values in life and he used his status as a superstar.
He was the most popular man on earth and he used it to make this world a better place.
Not only with his sporting success. With his charisma, with his aura, with his ability to connect people regardless of nationality, religion or ethnicity. That was Muhammad Ali.
‘It’s my first memory and it’s pure’
My past defines my present and my future.
That’s why I’m very humble when I speak about football because I’m so privileged to be a head coach.
So why all the pressure and getting mad and freaking out? Because there is so much to enjoy.
I know about real life, and it’s way more difficult than being a manager or a player. So I try and deliver that message towards the team.
It’s a game we love and enjoy. When I was a kid, the first thing I’d do when I got back from school is throw my backpack down, grab a sandwich and then go outside and play football until my mother would scream out of the window for me to get inside.
I’d be dirty, and in trouble, but it’s my first memory and it’s pure. It’s love, that’s something we’d do from our heart.
It shouldn’t be any different from that to doing it at Home Park, or Manchester City. It’s a huge, huge privilege, but sometimes we forget this because we are in this bubble.
My destiny was not any different to that of over 300,000 refugees who had to leave Bosnia. Football was just a connecting point for us, because it’s easy. It’s not about language, or your name, it’s just about playing football.
When I was on the pitch I always felt fulfilled. That’s when I was free.
The most difficult part was when I left the street or the training pitch.
But life is a struggle with beautiful surprises, and in the end I fell in love with football, I grew up with football, and luckily I had the opportunity to continue working in football.
‘We just found a good way to deliver a clear message’
It’s difficult for me to be another coach when I’m in front of the players. I still try to be the same human being and represent values that are important to get the job done.
I want to create a working culture where everybody is ready to give it all, but still enjoying it, and that’s the huge responsibility for us as the staff. We have to set the bar in how we want to work with each other and set the tone.
It’s clear in our situation we need simplicity and clarity, and I think we just found a good way to deliver a clear message.
It was similar in my last job at Cercle [Brugge]. The connection was just there immediately with the fans, the staff and of course, most importantly, the players. It’s just the way I am and how I work.
‘We are not done yet’
That’s a huge challenge [trying to keep Plymouth in the Championship], but it’s also the challenge we want to face.
Nothing was easy at the start. It was actually very, very difficult and very, very stressful arriving here, facing the situation we are in.
If you look purely at the last couple of games and the last performances, that’s the best possible confirmation. We are not done yet, we are still alive and we are moving forward.