'Silent planner' Cklamovski ready to roar with Harimau Malaya
KUALA LUMPUR: Peter Cklamovski quietly worked for over a decade in uplifting Asian football. Today, the man from Down Under no longer plans from behind the scenes, he is now the one setting the scene as head coach of Harimau Malaya.
From his early days working with Ange Postecoglou (in Australia's national team) to now leading Malaysia's national team, Cklamovski's path has been defined by clarity, vision, and relentless conviction.
As the Australian sets his template for Malaysian football, it's not so much about the Postecoglou way, but evolving from a system that began two decades ago.
"No, it's different, because I guess with Postecoglou, I developed in every role under him," said Cklamovski in a special interview with Timesport.
"My relationship or connection with Postecoglou on and off the field is something that I don't think can ever be replaced."
Postecoglou, who is now with English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, has had a glittering spell as Australia's national coach.
He led the Socceroos from 2013 to 2017 — Australia qualified for the 2014 World Cup and won the 2015 Asian Cup.
For Cklamovski, the connection with Postecoglou goes far beyond results.
"He's someone I look up to in every way as a coach. He's a super coach. I learned everything from him.
"Fifteen years with him, I evolved with him. And I think 2004 was my first time with Postecoglou, and if I look at what we did in 2004 and what we finished with in 2019, winning the J-League together, it's totally different work."
Cklamovski was not just a sidekick on Postecoglou's journey, he was a co-architect.
"We evolved together. We evolved our process, our way of working together. He evolved, I evolved. I ensured I kept pushing him every day, because in that sense, I know that I'm pushing myself every day. After all, he's ahead of me," he said.
That foundation now serves Malaysia, where Cklamovski wants to craft a football culture rooted in process, not pressure.
"Everything I've been through in my career has brought me to this point.
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