Ex-Socceroos star Patrick Kisnorbo prepares for history-making debut with French club: ‘Who would’ve thought a kid from Melbourne would coach against Messi?’
- Kisnorbo is preparing for his coaching debut with Ligue 1 side ES Troyes AC
- He will become the first Australian to coach in the top-flight French league
- The former Socceroo and Melbourne City mentor is ‘excited for the challenge’
Ex-Socceroo Patrick Kisnorbo is ready to make history.
The former Melbourne City coach will become the first Australian to coach in Ligue 1 when he leads ES Troyes AC against Nantes in their return to league action.
Kisnorbo’s debut kicks off at home on Thursday at 1am (AEDT).
It’s a game he’s been preparing for since joining the French club in late November.
Patrick Kisnorbo (centre) lead Melbourne City to an A-League premiership last year and is now preparing to make his coaching debut in top-flight French football
‘I started my first day to do tactical against Nantes, our first day of training,’ he told AAP.
‘It’s something that you need to prepare and I don’t want to leave any stone unturned.
‘We need to work and we need to get better and we need to start with the opposition which is Nantes.’
Troyes, who sit 13th, one point and two places above Nantes, will play a couple of top-three teams, Marseilles and Lens, in January.
Kisnorbo also can’t help but look forward to a May match-up with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s Paris Saint-Germain.
‘A kid from Melbourne that watches it on beIN sports, who would ever think that you’re coaching against them?’ he told AAP.
‘So it’s great. It’s a great challenge and one that I’m excited for.’
The 41-year-old is determined to embed his playing style at Troyes and admitted in his pre-match press conference that could take some time.
Patrick Kisnorbo, pictured coaching during Melbourne City’s round one A-League match this season, is pumped to make his Ligue 1 debut
‘The players have really tried to play this way and you have to remember, they’ve been used to playing a certain way for a long time,’ Kisnorbo told reporters.
‘So with change, it will be sometimes maybe not perfect but we will keep trying because this will take some time.
‘We’re not going to click our fingers and everything be perfect – I know this – but they’ve really tried to improve and they have.
‘It will be exciting tomorrow but it’s good to see where the players are at.’
The January transfer window opens on New Year’s Day.
Kisnorbo could yet prove a link for Australian players eyeing a move to France but indicated to AAP he wanted to fully assess his squad before hitting the transfer market.
He was adamant his countrymen could make it in Ligue 1.
Patrick Kisnorbo played for Leeds (pictured), Hearts, Leicester City and Melbourne City, as well as representing the Socceroos, before moving into coaching with City
‘We definitely have talented players in Australia who were just born in the wrong country,’ he said.
‘I can only judge what I see and I definitely think so (Australians can make it). I think there’s certain players that could play in this team here.
‘It’s hard for Australian players because we’re so far away and the opportunity is so difficult.
‘But I hope even after the World Cup that players get a chance to come abroad because now we do have good players.
‘We’ve just got to keep trying to push our players back home and the next generations.’
