Two years ago, Sunday Oliseh took on the role of coach at SV Straelen. It was a short interlude. We asked ourselves: What is Sunday Oliseh doing today?
African champion (1994) with Nigeria, Olympic champion (1996), two-time World Cup participant, UEFA Cup finalist with Borussia Dortmund (2001/2002), German champion with BVB (2001/2002), Dutch champion ( 1997/1998) and cup winner (1997/1998 and 1998/1999) with Ajax Amsterdam, that is just a small part of the successful career of the 54-time Nigerian international.
We are talking about Sunday Oliseh. And, yes, the 49-year-old soccer coach was once also the coach of SV Straelen for six games in the Regionalliga West – that was in the 2021/2022 season – Forecasting reported.
Prior to that, the former professional from Juventus Turin, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax Amsterdam, KRC Genk, Reggiana, Liège, 1. FC Cologne and VfL Bochum had led the Dutch club Fortuna Sittard into the Eredivisie and done a great job with very little resources. He was also the only Nigerian football coach to be named Coach of the Year in Europe, here in the Netherlands after being promoted with Sittard. That was about six years ago.
Now Oliseh, who lives with his family in Belgium, wants to get back into coaching. Forecasting spoke to the 139-time Bundesliga player.
What is Sunday Oliseh actually doing today?
Sunday Oliseh: I work for FIFA as a match analyst. Arsene Wenger is my boss. We are a department that deals with technical developments in football. I was involved in a wide-ranging analysis that we carried out for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. For example, there has been a lot of discussion recently about changing the offside rule. And some Italian U19 clubs have tried it out. I was sent there by FIFA and traveled to Italy to take a look at it. The work is fun, but I would much rather be back on the sidelines coaching.
You did an excellent job in Sittard. Why did you leave? As a player, you have an impressive CV. Why is it still difficult for you to find a new coaching job?
First of all, I have to emphasize that I wanted to leave Sittard at the time to work as an expert for FIFA. And the current situation is that it is not difficult for me to get a new job. I could start working as a coach in Africa right away. I received a phone call with an offer as recently as the last week of January. But that doesn’t appeal to me. I have already been a national coach for my home country of Nigeria. I want to work here in Europe and stay with my family. I’d like to do that in Germany. It takes me just over an hour to get to Dortmund. Why not the Ruhr area? There are some great clubs here. Maybe something will come up for me here. I would definitely be ready for a challenge like that.
How would you describe the coach Sunday Oliseh?
I’m an honest and communicative guy. I know what makes players tick, what they need, how a team and dressing room should be run. I was a player long enough myself, in different countries. My coaching philosophy is based a lot on training and developing talented young players. I’m good at it and have already proven it in Sittard. I have no problem working with limited financial resources. Even with a small budget, you can still get a lot out of it and, in this case, rely on your own youth work. A good coach can operate with both a large and a small budget.
Speaking of the Ruhr area: Dortmund and Bochum – what do you actually say about your former clubs?
First of all, I have to say that the situation of 1. FC Cologne is very close to my heart. I may have had my best time as a footballer and as a person in Cologne. The club is close to my heart and I hope that this great city and these fans will not have to watch second division football anytime soon. The situation in Bochum is different. VfL has one big advantage and that is its old stadium. There is a great atmosphere and the players know every inch of it. It’s a lot different than playing in the big arenas. The opponents also feel that. And BVB? That Mainz game from last season is still in my head – insane. I also felt like I was on my way to Borsigplatz to celebrate the championship. But we all did it without the Mainz team. Currently, things are looking up again. But it’s not enough for the title at BVB. Maybe next season.
How do you actually rate your brief stint with SV Straelen during the 2020/2021 season?
(laughs) That was more of a goodwill gesture for Hermann Tecklenburg. It was clear to me that it wouldn’t last long. A year at most to help SV Straelen. It wasn’t my plan that it would only last a few weeks. But I underestimated it all. The regional league and SV Straelen, even though Mr. Tecklenburg is a great guy, weren’t my thing.
The Africa Cup is currently underway. Who will win the title?
My heart says Nigeria, and so does my head – but only 80 percent. Because host country Ivory Coast is still in the running and home advantage plays a role.