Imagine the famous El Clásico derby coming to Lakeside. Such a fancy could become a reality of sorts if South Melbourne FC successfully bids for an A-league licence for 2018 and lands former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos as coach. A visit by Guillermo Armor’s Adelaide United would see ex-Real and Barcelona players Carlos and Armor resume their rivalry from the dugout in front of a capacity Lakeside crowd.

South Melbourne announced that it has commenced negotiations with highly-decorated former Real Madrid stars Roberto Carlos and Chendo for the positions of senior coach and technical director respectively, contingent on South Melbourne succeeding in its bid for an A-League licence.

South Melbourne’s A-league Advisory panel chairman Bill Papastergiadis had initial talks with the pair in September when he travelled to Spain with a junior squad from South which toured Madrid. There he met with former Real Madrid player and Spanish international Chendo, now the general manager of Real Madrid, and an assistant coach who expressed both an interest in working with South and an affection for Melbourne.

Papastergiadis said of Chendo, “Imagine him as the technical director of the club – someone who has implemented at the highest level globally. It would be a massive coup for the club because he would set a program that would start from the 7 year olds all the way to the seniors. They’ll all play the same style of football, the same technical training.

“He was really interested. He said ‘I’d love to do it. I know a lot about the club.’ We play against them every year with our juniors, through the relationship that South has as the Oceania Club of the Century with FAFA and they’re FIFA’s European Club of the Century. Our negotiations are to the extent where we said, ‘If we’re successful (in gaining an A-league Licence), are you interested?’ The response was ‘Absolutely!'”

South’s announcement of their illustrious Spanish targets, amounts to a pre-emptive strike by the club in what is expected to be an intense bidding war amongst several clubs and consortiums once the FFA releases its framework for expansion early next year.

Papastergiadis added, “It’s really now up to the FFA, the ball is in the FFA’s court to let South in. That’s what we say, and we can energise the league.

“What we’re going to say to them (FFA) is, we’re going to have a package and here are the people we’re talking to. We want to be smart and sensible about this because we want the best possible people. This is only the start of what we think could be additional discussions. We’re aiming for excellence across all levels on and off the field. That’s the mantra for South Melbourne.”

Roberto Carlos’s record as a coach has yet to match his outstanding success as a player. Few could forget the iconic smiling marauding left-back who terrorised opposition defences (and the fans behind the goal) with his fierce free kicks. But in three seasons of coaching in Turkey and India, Carlos has yet to make his mark as a coach. For the record he’s coached 95 games for 35 wins, 20 draws and 40 losses with a 36.8 per cent win rate and a 42.1 per cent loss rate.

Notwithstanding his record as a coach, Papastergiadis is in no doubt as to the impact Carlos as coach and Chendo as technical director would have on the A-League if they joined South. “It will be a lightning rod for the A-league. We’re bringing global football stars and icons to the A-league. They will attract international attention. Their records speak for themselves. It will reignite interest and passion for South Supporters and also, what we say, we historically set the attendance records in the NSL. We will set those in the A-league.”