KUALA LUMPUR – Former Tajikistan national football head coach Petar Segrt has finally opened up about the reason for his departure from his position in February of this year.
The 57-year-old Croatian, who has almost three decades of coaching experience across Europe and Asia, including stints in the Bundesliga and the Indonesian Premier League, has been in charge of 24 games for the Crowns since his appointment in 2022.
Under Segrt’s guidance, Tajikistan recorded 11 wins and seven draws. They also lifted the 2022 King’s Cup in Thailand and the 2023 Merdeka Cup in Malaysia.
Before Segrt came on board, Tajikistan had struggled to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup in five previous attempts, but under his guidance, they made it to their maiden major tournament last year after topping a qualifying group comprising Singapore, Myanmar, and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.
Their Asian Cup exploits, which saw them qualify for the quarter-finals, also propelled them to a historic-best FIFA world ranking of 99th.
Speaking to Scoop from Germany, Segrt revealed that family matters in Croatia compelled his departure, despite the federation’s desire to extend his contract.
“I left Tajikistan on very peaceful terms, and my contract was only until the Asian Cup. I also had some personal family situations back home, which is why I told the federation to mutually terminate my contract, even though they wanted to extend it.
“Tajikistan will always be the most favourite team that I have ever coached over the years due to my achievements with the side. I didn’t mean to just leave the team like that, but I had no choice because of my family problems.
“But I have never been selfish, and I ensured that all my assistants stayed in Tajikistan even though I left. The team has a bright future, and I will help them whenever they need me.
“As a coach, it was the right moment for me to say goodbye to them, and they are in a good place right now, being second in the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers,” said Segrt when contacted.
At the same time, Segrt said that he still keeps in touch with the Tajikistani side and hopes for their newly appointed coach, Gela Shekiladze, to continue the legacy that he has created.
“If you follow my life history over the years, I have always maintained a good relationship with all the teams that I have coached. I look at them as part of my family.
“I have no regrets in Tajikistan, as I achieved everything that I could with the team. The current head coach of the team was my assistant coach for 17 years, and he’s like a brother to me.
“Tajikistan has a high chance of qualifying for the World Cup because of the foundation that we all have created together, and now it’s up to Gela to continue what we all started,” Segrt added.
Aside from Tajikistan, Segrt was also the head coach for Afghanistan, Georgia, and the Maldives.
He won the South Asian Football Federation Championship with the Maldives in 2018 by defeating India 2-1. – May 3, 2024