One of the most elegant and skilled foreign footballers to have landed in Malta during the first years of the '90's was none other than Croatian Davor Filipovic.
Having a resemblance in some way to his nation's own football hero, Luka Modric, the modest, down-to-earth 48-year-old Filipovic, was recently again in Malta watching his favourite Maltese club Sliema Wanderers and Maltese football in general.
The Malta Independent caught up with the Croatian to talk about his playing days and his future objectives.
Davor Filipovic was born in Croatia and made his football debut in 1987 at only 17 years of age with Lucki-Radnik, a former Yugoslavia League C outfit. He soon made the grade to top club Rijeka in Croatia in 1990 from where he landed in Malta for the first time, joining Sliema Wanderers under the leadership of the late Dr. Herbert Messina Ferrante as President.
He moved on to a host of Italian Serie C sides before re-joining the Wanderers during the 1998-99 season. His stay on the island only lasted a season as he soon departed to play with Vigor Lamezia in the Italian Serie C before hanging up his boots in 2004 playing in the Croatian B League with Orijent.
Regarded as one of the most elegant and skilled midfielders to have landed on the island during those years, the Croatian soon dived into coaching at nursery level in Italy coaching the Under-18's and Under 12's.
Top UAE club Al-Ahli Dubai was his next destination, where he stayed for three years between 2005 and 2008. Another three years followed with Brescia Calcio, before moving on with Lumezzane, Montorfano and his actual Serie C club Feralpi Salo in Italy.
Q: Can you tell us something about your coaching career to date and what your job really entails?
"I do thank you first and foremost. As you know as a footballer, besides a number of clubs in my country and Italy, I also played for Sliema Wanderers, a club which I still love very much and which I follow on a regular basis.
"After a long career as a professional footballer, I decided to opt for a nursery football coach role. Having entered this sphere of football I have now reached my 17th year, something which I am really proud of as I enjoy what I do. At the moment I am involved very much in the nursery sector of coaching. Helping young kids aspiring to make it to professional football gives me big satisfaction. I work with them a lot in different aspects, not only to improve their football skills but also educate them with good morals and prepare them to become real men for their future adult life out there. So, as you can see my job with these young kids is not about football only. Combining those two things makes me feel good."
Q: Would you like to coach here in Malta as a professional coach?
"Sure, this is why I come often to Malta. Malta is my second home. I love Malta and I am really willing to do a good job if I do get the chance to lead a top Maltese club here in Malta. Despite some critics, I still see positive things about Maltese football in general. So yes, after all these years in the nursery coaching sector, I think it is about time that I move on to coach a senior club, hopefully in the very near future and in Malta. As you know I am Croatian, and I coach in Italy but again I would love to choose Malta because I love the country and I would like to choose Malta as the country where I could start my new coaching career with a good club. I do think it is the perfect country for me. I am sure I can do a good job and I am very willing to prove this.
"I am doing well, and I am very much respected within my professional Serie C Club Feralpi Salo in Italy. Still I can see my future as a coach here in Malta. I can contribute a lot to football in Malta in general, give advice to aspiring footballers. I want to risk and try, otherwise I would not be coming and going. I can see Maltese football improve here in Malta, both at club and national levels. I sure hope I will be given this opportunity to prove myself at this limit.
"I see positive things happening in football in Malta. Take for example, Ray Farrugia who is doing a great job with the Malta senior team. The national team has taken a new dimension. I do believe that Malta have good coaches. Farrugia and even Silvio Vella and others are doing very well within the MFA technical team. I have a very positive outlook for Maltese football in general.
"I would also do my best as well to give more playing time to local players. I do believe that there are foreign players that can do the job, but I also believe that local players have got to be nurtured well and given their due chance and be give more playing time for Maltese football to survive."
Before parting ways, I thanked Davor for the cordial friendly meeting and for being bang on time four our appointment!
"I grew up in a family with real morals. My grandfather Davor (I was named after him) used to tell me 'son never be late for your commitments'."
Davor seems to have made his point that he also would like to be in time to coach in Malta.
Filipovic holds both UEFA A & B Coaching Licences.
Copyright © Domenic Aquilina/The Malta Independent