Football to take a backseat when Mehmet returns home to be with family

PETALING JAYA: It will be family first for Perak coach Mehmet Durakovic (pic) when he heads home to Melbourne in a few days time.

The Australian won’t be looking at any new signings for the Seladang while he’s

Down Under.

“This is not a work trip, it’s all about family this time. I want to catch up with my family, parents and siblings but at the same time, we’ll have to be careful because Covid-19 is still around,” he said.

Durakovic has been in Ipoh since January and usually, his family will visit him periodically from Melbourne but the pandemic has left them grounded in Australia.

The 55-year-old then kept himself occupied with his “on-pitch family” but with the season now having ended after the cancellation of the Malaysia Cup earlier this month, he is looking forward to returning home.

The 2021 M-League season will only kick off in February.

Durakovic admitted he was restless ahead of his trip back home. He also has to deal with the two-week quarantine period after he lands in Australia before he can get together with his family.

“For now, it’s just me, four walls and the TV in a hotel room at the moment before my trip home to Melbourne.

“I’m just looking forward to meeting up with my family ... I talk to them via video calls but interacting in person with them is something I really missed as I have not met them for nearly 10 months.

“That will be the most rewarding after I end my quarantine.”

Perak finished fourth in the 12-team Super League with 18 points from 11 matches and they are inching closer to signing young goalkeeper Azri Ghani, Singaporean defender Shakir Hamzah and defender Danish Haziq.

The team have released Cambodian international Thierry Chantha Bin and Australian centreback Anthony Golec. thing