The rise of Sasa Ognenovski

Credit: Sydney Morning Herald / Getty Images

During the week The Football Sack had the opportunity to speak with Socceroos defender Sasa Ognenovski. A footballer who waited a long time to get his opportunity at an elite level, grinding it out for many years in the Victorian Premier League, Saso always left his best on the pitch. Once his chance arrived he certainly made the most of it. After consistently playing at his best for Hyundai A-League sides Brisbane Roar (then Queensland Roar) and Adelaide United he then made a move to Asia where he captained Seongnam Ilhwa to Asian Champions League glory.

Continuously overlooked for Socceroos selection by former head coach Pim Verbeek, Ognenovski was handed a fresh start and his first Socceroos cap under new national team coach Holger Osieck. Since that friendly against Egypt in Cairo he hasn’t looked back. Sasa Ognenovski's recent success is a real life fairytale.

You’ve shown tremendous strength of character being so patient and now your career is really reaching great heights, it must be immensely satisfying.
It definitely is, I’ve been waiting to get an opportunity like this for a long time and I want to make sure I continue doing everything right in order to make full use of it.

Being the age that you are (32), did you expect to get called up to the Socceroos squad, or had you let that dream go?
I sort of gave up a little hope, however when new coach Holger Osieck said that he will be looking at everybody that is in form that hope came back. At the time I was playing good football, I was in form and the coach gave me the opportunity which I am very proud of.

The Asian Cup final loss must have been disappointing for the players, however it is an improvement from the last campaign, do you believe the Socceroos will be more prepared and stronger for both the World Cup in 2014 and the Asian Cup in 2015 (which will Australia will host)?
Most definitely, good young players are coming through the system; they are playing well in Europe and in Asia. So I believe the squad will be super competitive and much stronger. For the Asian Cup we will be extra motivated knowing that we will be playing at home and if injuries can be avoided there is a strong chance Australia will be crowned Asian Champions.

You were there from near the beginning of the Hyundai A-league, seeing it now do you believe it has improved?
I have been able to watch a few games and it has improved, I think it will only get better and better. Everyone has been looking at the MLS, J-League and K-League, saying they are great leagues, but they are forgetting that the A-league has only been around for a few years, and there is no doubt it will become even an better league in the years to come.

When the bid came from Seongnam Ilhwa, were you expecting it?
Well we had great success with Adelaide by reaching the ACL final, and later when the rule came in that Australian players will be able to be signed as Asian players, the Asian teams started to take great notice of us. A couple of teams showed interest in me, however Seongnam showed ambition and I was really impressed which made my choice easier.

Were you hesitant on a move to a new country and different culture?
I wasn’t really hesitant on the move. Korea is a nice country and Seoul is a beautiful city to live, it’s also a very safe and great place to raise a family. This made it easier for me as I have a young family and it did not take long for them to settle down. The culture is different from what I am used to, but I’m not here on a holiday, I’m here to do a job which is to play football and help my team win matches. This is all part of the process of a footballer, so I have to adapt to the culture.

You had the opportunity to captain, score and win the Asian Champions League. The moment you held up that trophy must have been surreal?
Obviously making the final with Adelaide United and losing it was disappointing, so having the chance to feel the opposite and win was something special. Being the captain and also winning the MVP was quite amazing, a great feeling.

A couple of months later you were named AFC Asian Footballer of the Year - is that your greatest achievement on an individual level?
Of course. To be named the best player in Asia is incredible, especially to do it as a defender. In Asia they really love their strikers and the defenders don’t really get much notice, so getting the accolade is really something amazing.

You had the opportunity to play against Inter Milan in the World Club Championships, what was it like playing against Eto'o and Sneijder, players of the highest calibre?
It was good I must say, an exciting moment to get to contest myself against some of the greatest players in the world. Unfortunately we lost the match however we played well against an Italian team which had no Italian players, while we had eight Korean players in a Korean team. So overall it was a great performance by the boys and also a great experience.

What does the future hold for you? Any interest from Europe? Or a return to the A-league?
At the moment a return to the A-League is not something that I am looking at. I’m hoping in the upcoming transfer window an opportunity comes knocking from Europe, if not I’m happy where I am, enjoying my football, so staying in Seoul wouldn’t be a problem.

Coaching?
I’m not particularly looking to be a coach. I have interest in building and developing homes and also a big passion of mine is restoring old classic cars. Maybe down the line I might consider coaching but not at a senior level, more on a junior level. I would love to help develop young footballers who have the ambition and passion to become football stars.

You started your career playing for Preston Lions in the VPL, how important are the state and local clubs for the growth and maturity of a player?
It’s very important, but I am in the same sort of situation, where I look at myself who started playing for the senior team at Preston Lions at the age of 16, yet I never represented at a state level or represented Australia at any level. So state and local clubs are very important and they must constantly push their young players to get noticed at a state and national level. This gives the players a great opportunity to gain experience and get noticed by bigger clubs.

You often speak about the love and support you have from your family and friends, how important is this for a footballer?
Family is a very important aspect of a footballer. If my wife and kids were not here every step of the way, I wouldn’t be in the position that I currently am. They give me a lot of support and love which gives me more strength to achieve greater things on the football pitch.


The big defender has shown determination, love and heart, along with clearly demonstrating that their is more to being a footballer than having a pair of skilled feet. Sasa has shown that being patient and positive is key to success and it will be no surprise to anyone if this time next season he's finishing up a hard fought football season in Europe