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Melbourne Victory have their “Iraqi” moment of truth

25th November, 2011
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Australian soccer player Harry Kewell and Melbourne Victory coach Mehmet Durakovic. AAP Image/Julian Smith
Roar Guru
25th November, 2011
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1626 Reads

Over the course of two hours on Sunday evening, one man will have a better idea on his destiny. Besieged Melbourne Victory manager, Mehmet Durakovic, will be put under the spotlight as his misfiring team takes on Gold Coast United at AAMI Park.

He met the press at training yesterday and gave what many in the fourth estate considered his finest media performance.

He fixed his gaze and stated with grim determination: “At the end of the day, I am the boss. The buck stops with me.”

As I was watching Durakovic, I suddenly had a flashback. I was taken back to the year 2003. I was watching the Iraqi Information Minister, Mohammed Saïd al-Sahaf, all over again.

“They are not near Baghdad, don’t believe them. They are nowhere.”

You all know the story. The closer U.S forces marched in on Baghdad, the more bullish the Minister sounded to world’s press. Well, if you’re going to go out, you might as well sound like a winner.

Mehmet is not the first manager to find himself in this position and he certainly won’t be the last. But, his situation is different. He’s become a character in Melbourne Victory’s Theatre of the Absurd.

As Michael Lynch in “The Age” reported yesterday, former Argentine striker, Abel Balbo, was offered the job of football director only weeks after Francis Awaritefe’s appointment.

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“The job offer to Balbo, who is also managed by Bernie Mandic, appears to have been an initiative to allay any concerns Kewell might have had about the coaching standards at Victory. The deal had been sanctioned by Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro and board member Harry Stamoulis.”

This week Francis Awaritefe was shown the door and the spectre of Abel Balbo returned to haunt Mehmet Durakovic.

When asked about Balbo, Durakovic defiantly responded.

“As far as I know, I’m the boss and everyone takes directions from me. As for Balbo, that’s Harry Kewell prerogative. But he has nothing to do with the club whatsoever.”

With Durakovic’s position seemingly being undermined, and the board intractably split on his future at the club, this is how Melbourne Victory’s Managing Director, Richard Wilson, described Balbo’s link up with Harry Kewell and his potential role at the club.

“As for him taking over from Awaritefe a few things are being looked at but nothing decided yet.”

“Abel will not be employed by the club at this stage. It would be a matter between himself and Harry. A few things are being talked about. But a technical director’s role for Abel is certainly not being discussed.”

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He finished by saying.

“We are confident we will beat Gold Coast on Sunday and rediscover our form – and if we do then heaven help the competition.”

The former Iraqi Information Minister is still kicking around somewhere in the Middle East. He would not feel out of place at Melbourne Victory.

Athas Zafiris is on Twitter @ArtSapphire

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