Two-time championship-winning coach Vlado Tortevski is back in charge at the Altona Magic.
A fortnight ago, the Magic informed coach Robert Spasevski that his services were no longer required.
He has since been appointed assistant coach at the Preston Lions.
It was a surprising move by the Magic considering a ball had not been kicked in anger.
The sense of the decision was made clearer when the board announced that Tortevski, a revered figure at the club, would be making a return.
Tortevski was approached by Magic president Igor Georgieski and agreed to terms.
Tortevski has enjoyed a 25-year association with the Magic as player, coach and, more recently, supporter.
He was the last coach to take the Magic to a Victorian Premier League title when the club clinched back-to-backs in 2008-09.
The Magic has been in a tailspin since his departure in 2010 and didn’t even put in a bid for a licence in the NPL.
Tortevski was saddened to see the Magic plunge to the third tier of Football Federation Victoria ranks and wants to see it back in contention for the NPL when promotion is back on the table for state league 1 clubs at the end of the 2016 season.
“I’m surprised we’ve come down so low in the divisions because clubs like Altona Magic should be up there,” Tortevski said.
“I’m coming back to help and I’m sure we’re going to do much better than the past couple of years.
“We’ve all got a responsibility to do better for the club. I look forward to having success here.”
Tortevski’s first game in charge didn’t go according to plan.
The Magic was bundled out of the FFA Cup in the third round after a shock 3-2 loss to second-division Berwick City at Paisley Park on Saturday.
Tortevski was caught on the run by returning to the club in the days leading up to the match and had little time to prepare the players.
“The club was ambitious to go into the next couple of rounds where it gets harder and harder,” he said.
“It would’ve been nice to go the next round and see how we go, but we had a bad day and we were missing a lot of players who are going to be in the first team.”
Now the cup run is over, Tortevski can mould his side for the season proper. The club’s priority is success in the league, so Tortevski will sharpen his focus on the season opener against arch-rivals Altona East Phoenix on March 21.
“I’m preparing the players for the start of the season,” he said.
“We’re running out of time, but I’m sure we’ll manage to organise everything before the season.”
In FFA Cup, Altona City was rocked 4-2 by Monbulk Rangers, Altona East Phoenix lost 1-0 to Riversdale, Yarraville was hammered 5-0 by the Essendon Royals, and Maribyrnong Greens coughed up four second-half goals in a 4-0 loss to Truganina Hornets.
