Peter Zois

[melbfootball]

Zois Hungry for More

By Yessar Daou - 19 July 2012

EXCLUSIVE: Although Australia can sometimes be criticised for not producing enough quality footballers, the standard of goalkeepers has always been an exception.

In a generation of ‘keepers yielding the likes of Mark Bosnich, Mark Schwarzer and Zeljko Kalac, one can almost be forgiven for scratching their heads when asked about Peter Zois.

Despite being five to six years their junior, he similarly enjoyed a well-established 10 year career oversees, even playing against some of modern football’s best players.

But ask the down-to-earth Zois about the green and gold shirt, and he’ll tell you that it never even crossed his mind.

“I never really thought about it (playing for Australia), there have been other keepers who were and are more established than myself that haven’t won a cap, so I mean you can’t feel hard done by when there are people who are more developed and advanced that deserved to get a cap before you,” he said.

He continued by saying: “We might be at times struggling to produce world class players, but over the past 20 years or so we’ve produced 3 or 4 top quality goal keepers, we’ve been quite fortunate in doing that”.”

From humble beginnings at East Richmond Jaguars and the VIS, Zois went on to play for Dutch Eredivisie sides NAC Breda and Willem II, before returning to Victoria to play for South Melbourne, Richmond and Oakleigh Cannons in the Victorian Premier League.

Though as he explains, he never signed for Cardiff City, contrary to what the ever credible Wikipedia says.

“Cardiff is quite interesting; I have seen that on Wikipedia. I don’t even know how it got up there; Cardiff came about when I was in the UK for about six months when I was trialling at West Ham.

“I was struggling financially, I didn’t have a lot on me, and the pound to Aussie dollar was a 1 to 3 difference.

“I needed the extra money, and the goalkeeping coach Les Sealy at the time organised for me to go to Cardiff to play in a friendly match. Because the reserve team coach from West Ham had gone there to be the senior coach, I had the connection through him.”

“Their first team ‘keeper was injured, and their reserve team’ keeper was suspended, they needed a keeper ASAP, so I went up there and trained for 3 or 4 days to play in one friendly match”.

His spell in Wales may have been short-lived, but his time in Holland certainly wasn’t. The highlight of his decade abroad coming in the 2005 Dutch Cup final with Willem.

“It was a great experience, it was fantastic, what made it even more fantastic was that we knew win, draw or loss we would make the UEFA Cup next season, it was almost as though we won the final before we even played it.”

Although they lost the game 4-0 to PSV, with former Man United star Park Ji-Sung and Dutch great Phillip Cocu getting on the scoresheet, Willem and Zois had earned themselves a knockout stage fixture against Champions League runners up AS Monaco the next year.

He explains the match in Monaco as an experience “you can’t buy”.

“Even leading up the Dutch Cup final, seeing how happy your fans are, and how proud they are. We weren’t the best team in the league, we were a mid-table team and we somehow managed our way, and that was credit to our manager Robert Maaskant.”

Despite coming up against the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Park Ji-Sung, Rafael Van Der Vaart, and other stars that made their way through the Dutch football ranks, Zois has one fond memory during his time in the game.

“Not making it sound cliché, but my best memory was under 12’s at East Richmond. People look at me and say what? Are you serious?” Explained Zois as a smile on his face began to show.

“Rocking up to games pretty much with my keeper gear on, and a jacket over the top, getting out of the car and just running out on the ground without a proper warm up.

“There is no care in the world, you just play, you get muddy and there is no fear and no worry in the world, that’s my fondest memory in football.”

Zois was thankful that he played out his career with no qualms.

“I don’t have regrets, from a very young age I learned not to regret things, there isn’t enough time in life to sit back and think what could have been, should have been.

“Obviously you want things to be better and better, that’s our make up as humans. I try to be a lot more humble in the way I approach things.

“There could have been things I could have done better, but in hindsight at the time you make a decision based on what you think is best, then you wait to see if there are any consequences”.”

His saddest moment as a footballer came in 2001, when NAC Breda teammate Ferry Van Vliet passed away in a car accident at the tender age of 20. It was an experience he says “he still has trouble dealing with”.

As he recalled his time at Breda, he stated that Alfred Schreuder was the best player he had played with. Although his name might not sound familiar, the best player Zois has played against will be more conversant.

“I will never forget the imposing figure of Ibrahimovic playing against Ajax, he was incredibly good. Just seeing him move, he’s so strong, the touch the vision, you just sit in goals and hope you don’t have to deal with him, and then he’ll put two goals past you,” he explained jovially.

Although not officially retired, the 34-year old has already taken the appropriate steps into the next phase of his life.

“I haven’t officially said I’m not going to do it, just at this stage things come up and you have to prioritise certain things. I’m not a spring chicken; I’ll be 35 in April.

“You just have to be thinking that that kind of retirement is nearer rather than further away, so I guess it’s hard in a way, but I had a good career overseas, and coming back home to coach, that’s the avenue for me now.”

Currently, Zois is working as an interim co-manager of Oakleigh Cannons with former assistant Bill Theodoropoulos until the end of the 2012 season, and also as a full-time goalkeeping coach at Melbourne Heart.

Having played under great managers such as Henk Ten Cate, I asked him what he took from his coaching style and implemented into his own.

“His attention to detail, and his tactics and discipline. He found that discipline amongst a team spirit could take you 5-10% further and (under Ten Cate) it was sewn into our DNA.”

He describes his coaching style as “firm and relaxed”, but emphasised the need for man management and discipline.

“One thing my players know is that I’m passionate, I find it hard to let my daughter win in a game of UNO, and that’s something I want to pass on to my players.”

Zois has enjoyed his coaching career so far, and as even won three of his first four matches in charge.

He cited communication as the key ingredient to being successful as co-coaches.

“We like to play the same style, and before each game we talk about how to set up against the opposition and we agree on it there. So when we get on the park the chances of there ever being a miscommunication or difference of idea will be minimized.”

His time at Melbourne Heart has not been hindered by his new role at Oakleigh; he still remains a presence at every Heart session and Oakleigh training, without his two roles interfering.

In the future, Zois sees his role as mainly a goalkeeping coach, although admittedly he has ambitions to coach at the highest level.

“At the moment, because I’m doing quite well as a goalkeeping coach that seems the logical progression.

“But I still very much enjoy being in charge of a team, that’s something I’m looking into. I always wanted to play at the highest level I could and coaching, I want to coach at the highest level I can, but I realise you have to keep evolving and developing your craft.”

When you ask him what he misses most about being away from home for a lengthy period of time, he’ll smile, laugh and give you the simple answer.

“I miss the family cooked dinners at the night; I have to have a cold dinner four or five times a week.”

So although he may come home starved, his hunger for football has never left him. This is an attribute that has been a mainstay throughout his playing career, and will no doubt flourish into his coaching.

For the time being, the ambitious young manager is keen on mending broken Oakleigh hearts after last year’s loss to Green Gully in the final. Yet in the future, we may certainly see him coaching for A-League titles and even more.

http://www.mfootball.com.au/zois-hungry-for-more/

[marteaux]

Melbourne Heart's inuagaral fans player of the year...(y) on ya Zoisy.

Edited July 19, 2012 by marteaux

[Tesla]

Melbourne Heart's inugaral fans player of the year...(y) on ya Zoisy.

His done well in terms of picking up undeserved awards in recent times, the 2010 VPL GK of the year award comes to mind.

Edited July 19, 2012 by Tesla

[cadete]

His done well in terms of picking up undeserved awards in recent times, the 2010 VPL GK of the year award comes to mind.

The guys a good bloke, probably helps I reckon.

[Herman Cain]

Good article.

[NuggetsMcGreggor]