Two years ago, Sunday Oliseh joined SV Straelen as a coach. It was a brief interlude. We asked ourselves: What is Sunday Oliseh actually 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 – this is just a small part of the 54-time Nigerian international’s successful career.
We are talking about Sunday Oliseh. And, yes, the 49-year-old soccer coach was once also coach of SV Straelen in the Regionalliga West for six games – that was in the 2021/2022 season – Forecasting reported.
Prior to that, the former Juventus Turin, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax Amsterdam, KRC Genk, Reggiana, Liège, FC Köln and VfL Bochum professional led Dutch club Fortuna Sittard to the Eredivisie and did a great job with very limited resources. He is also the only Nigerian soccer coach to have been named Coach of the Year in Europe, here in the Netherlands after Sittard were promoted. That was around six years ago.
Now Oliseh, who lives in Belgium with his family, wants to get back into the coaching business. Forecasting spoke to the 139-time Bundesliga player.
What does Sunday Oliseh actually do today?
Sunday Oliseh: I work for Fifa as a match analyst. Arsene Wenger is my boss. We are a department that looks after technical developments in soccer. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, we carried out a far-reaching analysis, which I was involved in. Recently, for example, there was a heated debate about changing the offside rule. And some Italian U19 clubs tried this out. I was seconded by Fifa and traveled to Italy to take a look. The work is fun, but I’d much rather be back on the touchline as a coach.
You did an excellent job in Sittard. Why did you actually leave? You have a great CV as a player. Why is it still difficult for you to find a new coaching job at the moment?
First of all, I have to emphasize that I wanted to leave Sittard at the time to work as an expert at FIFA. And the current situation is such that it’s not difficult for me to get a new job. I could work as a coach in Africa straight away. I only had a call in the last week of January, including an offer. But that doesn’t appeal to me. I was already national coach of my home country Nigeria. I want to work here in Europe, stay with my family. I would also like to work in Germany. I only need a little more than an hour and then I’m in Dortmund. Why not the Ruhr region? There are such great clubs here. Maybe something will work out for me here. I would definitely be up for a job like that.
How would you describe the coach Sunday Oliseh?
I’m an honest and communicative guy. I know what makes the players tick, what they need, how a team and a dressing room need to be managed. I’ve been a player long enough myself, in different countries. My coaching philosophy is based a lot on training and developing talented lads. I’m good at that and have already proven it in Sittard. For me, it’s no problem to work with limited financial resources. Because you can also get a lot out of them and, in this case, focus on your own young talent. A good coach can operate with both a large and a small budget.
Keyword Ruhrpott: Dortmund and Bochum – what do you think of your former clubs?
First of all, I have to say that the situation at 1. FC Köln is very close to my heart. Cologne was perhaps my best time as a footballer and as a person. The club is close to my heart and I hope that this great city and its fans won’t have to watch second division soccer any time soon. The situation in Bochum is different. VfL has one big advantage and that is its old stadium. There’s a great atmosphere and the players know every inch of it. That’s different to playing in the big arenas. The opponents feel that too. And BVB? That Mainz game from last season is still in my head – it’s crazy. I also felt like I was on my way to Borsigplatz to celebrate the championship. But we all did the math without Mainz. Things are looking better again at the moment. But it’s not enough for BVB to win the title. Maybe next season.
How would you rate your brief stint at SV Straelen in 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 maximum of one year 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, were not my thing.
The Africa Cup is currently underway. Who will win the title?
My heart says Nigeria, my head too – but only 80 percent. Because the hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, are also taking part and the home advantage plays a role