KUALA LUMPUR – Former Tajikistan head coach Petar Segrt revealed that he received two major club offers from the Malaysia Super League right after he stepped down from his position in February this year.
The 57-year-old Croatian, who has almost three decades of coaching experience working across Europe and Asia – from the Bundesliga to the Indonesian Premier League – was in charge of 24 games for the Crowns since he took charge in 2022.
Under Segrt’s guidance, Tajikistan recorded 11 wins and seven draws. They also lifted the 2022 King’s Cup in Thailand and the 2023 Merdeka Cup in Malaysia.
Before Segrt came on board, Tajikistan had failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup in five previous attempts but made it to their maiden major tournament last year after topping a qualifying group comprising Singapore, Myanmar, and neighbours Kyrgyzstan.
Their Asian Cup exploits, which saw them qualify for the quarterfinals, also saw their world ranking rise to a historic-best 99th.
Speaking to Scoop from Germany, Segrt said he rejected both the Super League club offers, citing that he needed a break after his tenure with Tajikistan.
“I did receive several offers recently from two giant Malaysian clubs to lead the side in the Super League, but I rejected them because I needed a break after years of working hard with Tajikistan.
“I can’t reveal the names of the clubs as I need to respect their privacy. Who knows? I might one day manage a Super League club – but not now.
“Besides Malaysia, I also received several offers from European clubs and a few national teams in Europe,” said Segrt when contacted.
At the same time, Segrt said that he prefers to coach a national team instead of clubs and will be deciding on his future in the next few weeks.
“I will be deciding my future in the next three to four weeks, but my preference for now is to manage a national team.
“Managing national teams is more challenging for me as I like to lead a team for prestigious tournaments – it gives me a kick,” Segrt added.
Aside from Tajikistan, Segrt was also the head coach for Afghanistan, Georgia, and the Maldives.
He won the South Asian Football Federation Championship with the Maldives in 2018 by defeating India 2-1. – April 30, 2024