PETALING JAYA: For new Immigration coach Mehmet Durakovic, building a successful football team starts with creating a strong family atmosphere.
The 60-year-old Australian wants his players to embrace togetherness before anything else as he begins his latest stint in Malaysian football.
“I want the whole team to be a family. A lot of the players who are going to come in, they have to get used to that,” he said.
Durakovic returns to Malaysian football after stepping away following his stint with Perak, which he left in 2021.
Born in Montenegro and then moving to Australia at a young age, he first arrived as an import player for Selangor in the 1990s, winning the Malaysia Cup in 1995, 1996 and 1997.
He went on to coach Selangor between 2014 and 2015, delivering the last major trophy the Red Giants have won domestically, before a spell at Perak yielded another Malaysia Cup triumph in 2018.
“A few of my friends called me and said, ‘This is on offer — have a look, a new team and you can do something with them. They look like an up-and-coming side. It was very exciting.”
He takes over from Yusri Che Lah, who guided Immigration to a sixth-place finish in their debut Super League season.
Durakovic is realistic about the landscape, acknowledging Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) remain in a class of their own while sides like Selangor and Kuching City represent formidable competition.
“JDT are above everybody, a different league altogether. You’ve got Selangor, Kuching. It is a challenge I’m relishing,” he said.
Durakovic will join the team around the middle of next month and is expected to finalise his team.
