Former Kyrgyzstan national team head coach Aleksandr Krestinin has offered a cautious assessment of Robert Prosinečki’s appointment as the new manager of the national side.
Krestinin, who spent years building Kyrgyzstan’s national team and led the country through one of the most important periods in its football history, said he was not ready to judge the Croatian coach’s prospects in advance. However, he noted that coaches from the Balkans may find it easier to adapt to Kyrgyz football from a mentality perspective.
“It is difficult for me to say. Let’s hope he succeeds. After all, people from the Balkans are closer to us in terms of mentality,” Krestinin said.
At the same time, Krestinin pointed out that Prosinečki has already spoken about the need for players to meet his demands. According to the former Kyrgyzstan coach, the key question is whether the current level of the squad will allow them to implement the tactical ideas of a coach who was himself a major football star.
“He has already said that he needs the players to fulfil his requirements. But what exactly are those requirements? Does that mean asking Joel Kojo to track back defensively? Or Valery Kichin to play an accurate 50-metre pass? How will that look? He will gather the players and say: ‘You have to be able to do this.’ But the players’ level does not always allow them to carry out every tactical idea of a coach — especially one who was a star player himself,” Krestinin noted.
Krestinin was also sceptical about statements that Prosinečki could help Kyrgyz footballers move to European clubs. He said that in such cases it is important to understand which players and which clubs are being discussed. A transfer itself means little if the player does not get regular minutes.
“I would like to understand who exactly, and where. Players can now earn much more at home than in the clubs where Kyrgyz footballers would realistically be useful. Of course, young players can be sent to a European club — we know such examples. But if they are not given playing time, then such ‘transfers’ are worth very little. Just another PR move, and not a particularly convincing one,” Krestinin said.
The former Kyrgyzstan coach also stressed that working with a national team is very different from club football. In his view, a national team coach receives players largely as they are and does not have the time to develop them throughout the season.
“Let’s not compare club work and national team work. A national team coach works with players who have already been shaped at club level. He does not live at the training base for months during the season. He simply does not have enough time to prepare the players. All that preparation happens at club level. In the national team, it is about building connections and motivation,” Krestinin said.
He added that Prosinečki has every right to demand a high level from the players and will likely communicate with clubs, but warned that the process will take time.
“He has the right — and will probably demand a certain, most likely high, level from the players by default. He will communicate with clubs. Obviously, he will ask them to adapt in some way. But this is a very long process. Do not expect quick results,” Krestinin concluded.