4. What does your footballing future hold? How much longer do you see yourself playing and what else do you want to accomplish?
I don’t have any particular goals anymore, I just want to enjoy myself. I went through a tough phase playing football in Germany and I just don’t want to feel that again. I love my football here and I don’t see a reason why I can’t play here for another five or six years
Besart Berisha accepts Brisbane Roar's decision not to appeal ban
by: Marco Monteverde From:The Courier-Mail January 25, 2012
BESART Berisha has reluctantly accepted Brisbane Roar's decision to put the club's interests before his own by not appealing against his suspension for breaching the sport's national code of conduct.
Berisha will miss the Roar's home clash against Newcastle Jets on Saturday after the club yesterday chose to accept his Football Federation Australia-enforced ban.
The Albania international was last week suspended for one match and hit with an additional one-game suspended ban for his wild antics following Brisbane's 2-1 win over Sydney FC on January 14 at Suncorp Stadium.
Berisha invited Sydney defender Pascal Bosschaart - alleged to have made degrading comments about Berisha's family - to settle their differences in the tunnel, with the incident leading to a melee involving players from both teams.
The Roar were given until next Tuesday to either accept or appeal the ban, allowing Berisha to play - and score - in Brisbane's 1-1 weekend draw with Melbourne Heart.
Despite some calls for the Roar to support their player by appealing the ban, Brisbane chief executive Michael Bowers said yesterday the club had balanced "the prospects of success of an appeal, the disruption to our normal activities and the distraction from our upcoming game" in accepting the sanction.
"The interests of the team and the club comes before personal consideration," Bowers said.
Berisha last night told The Courier-Mail that "one day everybody will realise that I was right" but that it was time to look forward.
"I think it's the right thing to do now to accept the ban," Berisha said.
"We have to accept what FFA decided. I want to move on from this.
"I just want to forget it."
Berisha, the A-League's leading scorer with 11 goals, said it would be hard watching from the sidelines this weekend, but that he had to now focus on being ready for the Roar's battle with table-topping Central Coast Mariners on Saturday week in Gosford.
He predicted James Meyer as the man most likely to replace him this Saturday against the Jets, who are also in action tonight against Adelaide United.
Thomas Broich concedes early substitution was probably right
by: Marco Monteverde From:The Courier-Mail January 23, 2012
ROAR ace Thomas Broich has admitted that, in hindsight, it was "probably" the right decision.
But Brisbane's star German import did not hide his disappointment on Saturday night when he was substituted in the 84th minute for defender Matt Jurman, with scores locked at 1-1 in the Roar's clash with Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park.
Broich, frustrated after looking on during his recent eight-match lay-off, was visibly unhappy as he trudged off the field, believing there was more than enough time for him to weave his magic and secure Brisbane a much-needed win.
"We still had a chance to win the game," the former FC Nurnberg playmaker said.
"I've always got that desire to play to the very last minute and to do something decisive.
"But I was tired, so the coach probably did the right thing."
Perhaps with an eye on his side's hectic upcoming schedule of A-League regular season games, the finals series and the Asian Football Confederation Champions League tournament, Roar coach Ange Postecoglou erred on the side of caution in replacing Broich, who had only returned a week earlier from his long-term heel injury. Regardless of his substitution, Broich admitted the Roar had enough chances - including a couple of his own and a missed penalty from Besart Berisha - to win the match rather than have to settle for a 1-1 draw that has left them 11 points behind first-placed Central Coast Mariners in the race for the Premier's Plate.
"It's a bit disappointing for us at the moment," he said.
"It's an another draw, the Mariners are winning, they're 11 ahead."
But Broich did admit he and the Roar were looking forward to the challenge of beating the Mariners in Gosford on Saturday week.
"The way the Mariners keep winning is an indication of their quality - that doesn't happen just by chance," he said. "They do it repeatedly, they're a very strong team and I'm really keen to play them."
First the Roar must concentrate on getting the better of lowly Newcastle Jets at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Broich can't fathom the Jets' second-from-bottom placing on the ladder after the way they pushed the Roar to the limit in Brisbane's come-from-behind 2-1 win in November.
"It was a fantastic game of football, they played some decent football and gave us a hard time," he said.
Melbourne Heart have started planning for life after Clint Bolton by signing Brisbane Roar and Olyroo goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne for the next two seasons.
Redmayne, 23, will join Heart following the completion of the first phase of Brisbane's AFC Champions League campaign, making him Heart's first new recruit for their next campaign.
Coach John van 't Schip said Redmayne's recruitment was part of a longer-term strategy for when incumbent 'keeper Bolton, 37, eventually retires.
"Andrew is a 'keeper with a very promising future ahead of him," van 't Schip said.
"He is physically strong, agile and technically very good on the ball, making him well suited to our style of football."
"With the right approach to his training and development, Andrew has the potential to develop into an elite goalkeeper and future international."
"We are building a youthful squad for the now and for the long term, and I think Andrew fits into the club's philosophy very nicely."
A member of the Olyroo side attempting to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Redmayne has featured in the Australian youth set-up for five years, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Sport.
Redmayne has also spent four seasons in the competition, having served apprenticeships under Danny Vukovic and Michael Theoklitos at Central Coast and Brisbane respectively.
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