Muslin pays the price for glory

By Jonathan Wilson

Despite a coaching record second to none in the Balkans, Slavoljub Muslin is a man perpetually on the look out for a new job.

Cursed by success
In the past three seasons he has won three league titles in two countries, and yet has been sacked twice. His latest dismissal last week, after 357 days in charge at PFC Levski Sofia in Bulgaria, proved that the title he won with the club last season counted for little.

Tactical questions
His predecessor at Levski, Rüdiger Abramczik, had been fired seven games into the 2001/02 season, with his side having dropped just four points. Supporter unrest about Abramczik's unambitious tactics saw Muslin and his able assistant, Ratko Dostanic, receive the call.

Risky policy
Immediately, Muslin switched from three at the back to a flat four, introducing zonal rather than man-to-man marking. The crowd were happy. "I knew there would be some problems switching from one system to another, but it was a risk I had to take," Muslin said. "After four or five games, I was sure we would win the league. After all, at Levski I had the best players in Bulgaria and it was natural that we should win the title."

Tough season
Unfortunately, this season was less of a formality. As Levski's old rivals PFC CSKA Sofia won the Sofia derby 3-0 before the winter break to extend their lead to eight points at the top of the table, Dostanic left Muslin for a second spell as coach of FK Obilic in Serbia and Montenegro and the writing was on the wall.

Killer blow
A 2-1 home defeat against PFC Slavia Sofia provided the killer blow, and on 10 March it was all over for Muslin. Sadly for the Serbian coach, the Levski experience was not the first time that a major success has been quickly followed by an ignominious departure.

French lessons
Back in 1996, FC Girondins de Bordeaux dismissed Muslin and Dostanic after the duo had led the club to the 1995/96 UEFA Cup final. The reason? A side featuring youngsters Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry was not challenging for the title.

Zvezda challenge
The duo took charge of FK Crvena Zvezda in 1999, with the club lying six points behind title rivals FK Partizan and Obilic. They promptly embarked on a run of 22 wins and one draw which brought them the double.

European progress
Another league title followed in 2000/01, and yet the following autumn, after a UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Muslin was sacked again. As his Levski experience was to prove again, for Eastern European countries, European progress is everything.

Narrow defeats
This year, Muslin, Dostanic and Levski had reason to feel hard done by as they went down to an unlucky 2-0 defeat against FC Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League and an 8-7 penalty shoot-out loss to SK Sturm Graz in the UEFA Cup.

'Good chance'
"I thought Levski had a very good chance to reach the [Champions League] groups this year, although it would have been a more realistic target in the summer of 2003," said Muslin. "That's why I signed a long-term contract with the club - but it wasn't to be."

Grand reunion
Muslin, though, will be back, and if he can persuade Obilic president Svetlana Raznatovic to release Dostanic - the man she has dubbed "my favourite coach" - to recreate one of Europe's greatest managerial double-acts, it is hard to believe there will not be more silverware on its way.