Fawzi Hops In
Long-serving Farmer Bunnies head coach
Dalibor Kostadinović introduced 35 year-old United Arab Emirates veteran
Fawzi Al-Marzooqi as his understudy today, after Fawzi switched over from Portuguese Division Six club G.D.Minhocas, for S$740000. Before his season at Minhocas, Fawzi had spent a month at former Estonian Smaragdkarikas winners Jamaika Suusakoondise JK, as he sought to buff up his C.V. after leaving his boyhood club in Dubai, VIKING1897 - now rebranded as Mighty Quack.
The 53 year-old Kostadinović hoped to do for Fawzi what his own mentor Sikong Darong had done for him. "I have had six full seasons managing the club, and although I don't think Fawzi will have quite as long to get acclimated as I had, he'll have long enough." the grizzled Serb promised. "It will be a new squad, a whole new team, and there's plenty of cash in the bank awaiting his say when the time comes."
There was questioning from the fans about why the club didn't promote from within its ranks, which Kostadinović attributed to a lack of interest. "There's no lack of great players, but among them, only
Vishnu Tallapaka and
Llamil Vener have ever expressed the slightest interest in coaching. And, it's not like it takes a superb on-pitch career to make a decent coach - I mean, just look at myself!"
This was indeed a minority opinion among the fans, with most apparently just wanting the club to challenge for major honours again, as soon as possible. "He could be from Antarctica, as far as I'm concerned." ten-year fan Mohd Jumfi Sahaat declared.