logo
Miron Muslic: ‘We became refugees overnight. It was just devastating'

Miron Muslic: ‘We became refugees overnight. It was just devastating'

The Guardian08-02-2025
As the waves crash against the harbour walls of West Hoe Pier, a Grade II-listed structure beneath Plymouth's Grand Parade, Miron Muslic's mind turns to the sights and sounds of spring 1992 in Bihac, Bosnia. He was a typical nine-year-old boy, happiest having a kickabout or watching He-Man, still on a high from getting a BMX for his birthday months earlier. 'We became refugees overnight,' he says. 'We faced a genocide in the heart of Europe. You fear for your life, you're scared. It was just devastating. We had to grab everything we could put in a bag and move 700km [435 miles]. I don't think I was really aware of what was going on. How could I be?'
Muslic, his younger sister, Marinela, and their parents, Camil and Mersada, fled to Austria via Hungary, eventually arriving in the scenic Pertisau am Achensee after a few days on the road via various modes of transport. 'And from there, Austria became our second home,' he says.
He enjoyed an amateur playing career and pursued management, born from intrigue in Jürgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund. 'It always felt like they were playing with 13 players. 'How is this possible?'' First there were the baby steps coaching under‑10s in Gmunden, a town an hour east of Salzburg, and last season big strides with Cercle Brugge, whom he led to the Europa League qualifying third round in August.
Ralf Rangnick, Roger Schmidt, Diego Simeone and Oliver Glasner have also influenced Muslic. Glasner started his career at Ried, where Muslic also had his first taste of frontline management. This Sunday Muslic's Plymouth side host Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round. Arne Slot is another major inspiration. 'Growing up, this scenario felt so far away it was almost untouchable. From time to time I might tell my players something from my experience to support and help them. But when they hear my story they don't have to stand there and start crying or feel sorry for me.'
Muslic's father worked as a waiter in resort hotels in Tirol, his mother as a cleaner. He recalls the sacrifice his parents made and the struggles they faced to pay electric bills, monthly rent and education fees. The reason he could not go skiing with the rest of his class or attend Wienwoche, an annual festival in Vienna, dawned on him only as he grew older.
'But I had a happy childhood, I never had the feeling I missed out. We moved 13 or 14 times, Marinela and I changed schools 10 or 11 times; we had the life of a nomad family because my parents' work was seasonal. I'm just glad I can recognise real life, because football is a bubble. I always try to relay this message to young players. Most of them only know about this bubble. It is a game we love and a privilege. So don't waste it, don't throw away your talent. Real life is a lot more difficult than playing a football game.'
Muslic and his family had to start from scratch. They shared a poky room in Innsbruck, in a block with other refugees from Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Turkey. 'I guess it was the cheapest solution for us to have a roof over our heads,' he says, describing an arrangement with one bed, a wardrobe and a sink. 'My father slept on the floor so Marinela, my mother and I could sleep [on the bed]. We shared the toilet and shower with strangers. There was no kitchen to prepare food; I was used to my mother's cooking: stews, soup, pitta. I was used to singing in the shower, just enjoying it. But you couldn't.'
They moved into a one-bedroom flat. Muslic and his sister slept on a sofa bed in the living room. 'For us, it was like we had a mansion, having gone from one room to a little apartment. But the first day I woke up – I've always been an early bird, up at 6am, 7am – I saw a cockroach in the kitchen … I'll never forget the smell. And we thought we were moving somewhere really nice.'
It explains Muslic's interest in geopolitics and religion; he estimates he has read 150 books on everything from the former Yugoslavia and the collapse of the Soviet Union to the uprising in China and the history of the United States. He reels off a long list of former US presidents and is so engaging he could probably moonlight as a political leader. He has just finished reading Tariq Ali's Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree. 'It's about the Spanish inquisition,' he says. Other favourites are Ildefonso Falcones' Cathedral of the Sea and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, a story about two young boys from Afghanistan. 'I like to understand why the world is thinking like it is, why the situations are like they are in Europe, America, Asia, the Middle East, to connect things a little bit.'
Muslic's primary task after succeeding Wayne Rooney is to revive Plymouth, bottom of the Championship and four points from safety. This weekend, however, provides a different opportunity, with Slot and Liverpool in town. 'When I was working in Belgium [at Cercle] I travelled twice to Rotterdam to watch Slot's Feyenoord. I went on my days off to watch them live because I think he is unbelievable, the complete coach.
'At Feyenoord, his team was very dominant in possession but very intense out of it. It is the same at Liverpool. They don't give you a second to breathe. At one point under pressure everything breaks and that is the moment they intercept, steal the ball and then find one of their forwards capable of doing something special.'
He giggles in excitement. The 42-year-old was in the stands for Plymouth's win at Brentford in the previous round – when Kevin Nancekivell, the popular first-team coach awarded the freedom of the city last month, led the team – before heading to Devon for the first time. 'I think the idea of the people in charge of Argyle was to protect me by putting me on a train with 2,500 of the Green Army,' he says, smiling. 'They offered me wine, vodka, beer, cola, water, doughnuts … I only accepted a doughnut.' By that point Muslic was well versed on his new club. He had analysed 10 games in full, dived into the data and wowed the Plymouth hierarchy with a detailed presentation during talks in London.
Sign up to Football Daily
Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football
after newsletter promotion
Neither party could dress up the numbers: no team have conceded more goals across the top four divisions this season and Plymouth have taken 51 points from their past 51 league matches. But victory against West Brom last weekend ended a 15-game run without a league win and Muslic is determined to avoid dropping into League One. 'It is a hell of a task but it's not impossible,' he says. 'All of my life I have been chasing challenges, never running away from things.'
How, then, do Plymouth prepare to host arguably the best team in the world? 'With bravery,' Muslic says, citing his players' reaction to earn a point at promotion-chasing Sunderland three days after a 5-0 defeat at home to Burnley. 'Otherwise you cannot compete. I'm not saying with courage and being brave we're going to close the gap between Argyle and Liverpool, but you can get closer and make it more competitive. There is nothing to be afraid of.'
Muslic, whose wife, Ensada, and three children, Benjamin, Lejla and Hamza, are in Austria, does not want to waste a moment. His handshake is firm, his words convincing. Even the dead air plays a part; a clip of Muslic's stirring address to Plymouth's squad on his first day went viral. He insists it was not rehearsed but from the heart. 'I think my past defines the person who I am today. I am the same coach as I am a person. I cannot be one coach and also another person. I'm not thinking about it [my past] every single day but is this my drive? Yeah, I have this inside my soul,' he says, tapping his chest. 'I will never forget it.'
Another message sticks. 'My father always told me to never go through life with a closed hand,' he says, clenching his left fist. 'Maybe that way you can protect everything but nothing new will come in. If your hand is open, you will lose some things but new things will always enter. That is the mentality for the Liverpool game. I dreamed about watching Liverpool at Anfield but to be in the dugout managing against one of them, that's fantasy. And I don't read fantasy.'
There is a flash of lightning outside. 'My first days here were sunny but as soon as I signed my contract, it started raining and everything,' he says, laughing. It will not stop Muslic immersing himself in his new surroundings, aided by the '30 Walks in Devon' cards given to him by the club secretary, Zac Newton, after he shared his love of the outdoors. 'I try to escape, hide, breathe,' he says. 'There are other things in life than preparing a gameplan for the next opponent.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How much Son Heung-min's 'K Factor' is really worth to Tottenham: The enormous value of South Korean fandom, what Spurs lose if he completes Los Angeles switch - and the US jackpot they can finally seize
How much Son Heung-min's 'K Factor' is really worth to Tottenham: The enormous value of South Korean fandom, what Spurs lose if he completes Los Angeles switch - and the US jackpot they can finally seize

Daily Mail​

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

How much Son Heung-min's 'K Factor' is really worth to Tottenham: The enormous value of South Korean fandom, what Spurs lose if he completes Los Angeles switch - and the US jackpot they can finally seize

On Easter Monday came a glimpse for Tottenham into something they haven't had for a decade: a future without . Nottingham Forest were visiting and Spurs had by this stage of the campaign surrendered hope in all but the Europa League, but there was another reason for an unusual number of empty seats and it was not lost on those in the boardroom.

Cross or shot? Hibs Euro goal hero reveals all about wonder strike
Cross or shot? Hibs Euro goal hero reveals all about wonder strike

Scotsman

time6 hours ago

  • Scotsman

Cross or shot? Hibs Euro goal hero reveals all about wonder strike

Second qualifying round tie finely balanced at 1-1 ahead of Easter Road return leg Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs Europa League goal hero Jamie McGrath insists he was DEFINITELY aiming for goal with his wonder free-kick that earned David Gray's men a battling 1-1 draw away to Midtjylland. And the Irishman has warned his team-mates that their European fates can turn in the blink of an eye, as they prepare to welcome the dangerous Danes to Easter Road for the second leg next week. McGrath's early opener caught Midtjylland keeper Jonas Lossl napping, the veteran goalie left out of position and unable to prevent the attacking midfielder's delivery – from way, way out on the left wing – swinging in and over the line at the near post. The home side at the MCH Arena equalised with a late free-kick of their own, with the help of a minor deflection. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Keeper caught out by audacious effort McGrath, part of the Aberdeen team who saw a 2-2 away draw with BK Hacken blown away by a 3-1 home loss to the Swedes at precisely this stage of Europa League qualifying two seasons ago, laughed in response to gaffer Gray joking that his strike on goal had been intended as a cross, saying: 'Me and Jordan Obita stood over the ball, and we just had a brief chat. We kind of spotted the keeper cheating a little bit. 'I was like: 'Yes, I'll whip it in to the near post.' Worst case scenario, keeper catches it, but best case, we obviously scored.' David Gray's men seek improvement in return leg Insisting that Hibs will have to up their performance levels to progress to the third qualifying round at Midtjylland's expense with a home win next Thursday night, McGrath said: 'Yes, of course. It's only halfway, both teams feeling each other out as well. 'It's going to be a completely different game next week as well. We know that. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We can't get too high or too low. We have to address it the same way as we addressed it this week. 'But we have that little edge with the home fans on our side next week. A quick mention to the travelling fans, they were unbelievable. 'We sensed it on the drive to the stadium; you see them all outside the window. They got here early, and that buzz in the warm-up kind of spurred us on as well. 'We know they spent a lot of money and time coming over here. It was nice to give them a bit of a result to go back to Scotland next week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Early alarm call from travelling Hibs fans 'Yeah, there were a few in the hotel waking us up! You could hear them outside the window all day. 'I don't know if there's much to do around here, but they've been brilliant. Hopefully they'll have a good night tonight and get back safe tomorrow. 'Like I said, Easter Road will be jammed next week. I'm really looking forward to it now.' Aberdeen experience shows danger of Euro foes Referencing his own experience with the Dons against Hacken, McGrath cautioned: 'That's the thing, Europe can change in the flick of a switch. We know we have to address it like we have done this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We know in Europe if you switch off for a minute you get punished. We're going to have to be on our A game next week to give ourselves a chance to get through. 'But I think overall we defended the box really well. We kind of limited them to a moment of magic that obviously equalised the game. 'I think if we were a little bit tidier on transitions, we could have maybe capitalised on that a bit better, especially in the second half. Martin Boyle was very close to being onside as well. I didn't see it back, but he obviously was offside if VAR gave it. 'But, of course there's positives to be taken from the first leg. We're going back to a home game next week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think that's what we aim to do, is bring it back there. But it's only halfway, we can't get too excited.' As a dead-ball expert himself, you might imagine McGrath to have recognised a fellow connoisseur in Midtjylland scorer Amil Simir. Maybe in time, he'll find something to admire about the opponent's equaliser … 'No, I never admire it,' he said with a grin. 'You're just thinking: 'Oh no!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There wasn't much we could have done about it. Maybe foul the player a bit earlier in that attack. It's always when you look back, you can change different things. 'The pleasing thing was how we defended the box. From the front, I thought we defended really well. The two boys up top worked their socks off and the boys that came in as well carried on the trend. 'I think probably a draw was a fair result. But yeah, they're used to being in the Champions League - so we probably would take a draw going into next week.' McGrath, whose last European goal was a free-kick against PAOK for Aberdeen just under two years ago, had joked on the eve of the Midtjylland game that he needed to contribute something in Denmark – if only to counter the good-natured stick he's taken from team-mates since joining Hibs. Having signed a pre-contract agreement midway through last season, McGrath was then part of the Dons squad who pulled off a shock Scottish Cup win over Celtic – 'stealing' the guaranteed European group stage football prize that would otherwise have gone to Hibs, as third-placed finishers in the Scottish Premiership. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I had to make it up to them some way!' said the former St Mirren star. 'It was obviously a nice start, nice to get my first competitive goal.' 'Yes, my last goal in Europe was a free kick as well. It is a nice trend. Hopefully we get a free kick next week! 'It's obviously nice to help the boys out. Like I said, we started the game brilliantly. 'From the kick-off, we looked threatening. I think they took over a bit towards the end of the first half, but we defended our box brilliantly. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The boys at the back were immense. Smudger (Jordan Smith) in goal as well, he was brilliant all night coming for crosses. 'He tie is still alive. We'll bring it back next week and give ourselves a chance.'

Ruben Amroim warns Chelsea over Alejandro Garnacho transfer
Ruben Amroim warns Chelsea over Alejandro Garnacho transfer

Metro

time10 hours ago

  • Metro

Ruben Amroim warns Chelsea over Alejandro Garnacho transfer

Ruben Amroim has told Alejandro Garnacho that he will remain at Old Trafford if Chelsea do not meet Manchester United's asking price this summer. Amorim made it clear to Garnacho that he has no future at United after he was left out of the squad for their final Premier League game last season and benched for the Europa League final against Spurs in May. Garnacho hit out at Amorim after he was dropped for the Europa League final defeat to Spurs in Bilbao and indicated that his future at United is in doubt. The Argentina international had attracted interest from both Chelsea and Napoli in the January transfer window but were unwilling to meet United's £70 million asking price. Chelsea have retained their interest this summer and reports this week have claimed that United have now dropped Garnacho's valuation to £40m. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Garnacho, who is keen to remain in the Premier League and join a Champions League club, has been omitted from United's pre-season tour squad this month. However, Amorim is adamant that Garnacho will be reintegrated back into United's first team if he fails to secure a move away before the end of the summer transfer window. Asked if United are concerned by the possibility of reducing the value of their unwanted players such as Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony by leaving them out of their pre-season tour of the United States, Amorim said on Friday: 'I think that is not the case. 'There are different reasons for the players. Some players have to find a new place to have more space in the team, other players clearly show that they want a new challenge and they want new teams. 'So we are just allowing these players time to think and to decide. 'If they reach a point where they have to join the team they will join the team because they are our players. More Trending 'I know for a fact Omar [Berrada] and Jason [Wilcox] and the club have a number for these players. If they don't reach that they will be Manchester United players, no doubts about that. 'I understand the club are maybe waiting for the last minute but they can have a surprise and I am ready, I am ready to receive the players. 'They have more competition, if they want to play in the World Cup they need to play so I'm really happy with that because I will have more options. 'If they have to fight each other to play for me that is perfect.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Cole Palmer tipped for sensational transfer to Man Utd from Chelsea by former coach MORE: Chelsea agree deal for Crystal Palace star after beating eight clubs in transfer race MORE: Bayern Munich make approach sign Man Utd star as Luis Diaz alternative

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store