The AFF Cup or formerly known as the Tiger Cup is the most prestigious tournament in Southeast Asia. Even though the level of the tournament which organized by ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) is still far from the Asian Cup, this tournament has provided space for some top coaches to show-off their strategies.
Some of the examples are Sven-Goran Eriksson and Milovan Rajevac. Eriksson once coached the Philippines national team in 2018-2019 while Milovan Rajevac coached the Thailand national team in 2017-2019. Apart from the top coaches who have colored the AFF Cup, there is only one successful coach who has brought his team to win the most AFF Cup (Tiger Cup).
So who is this successful coach?
Reporting from the official website of the ASEAN Football Federation, Radojko Avramovic is the coach who has brought his team the most times to win the AFF Cup. The Serbian coach is a tactician with three AFF Cup titles.
Interestingly, all of them were achieved while coaching the Singapore national team in mid 2003-2012. Raddy, as Radojko Avramovic is called, is the figure behind the success of the Singapore national team in the AFF Cup.
In that tournament, the Lions squad has won four times since the first edition of this event in 1996. Of Singapore’s four championship trophies, three of them were presented by Radojko Avramovic’s squad. Radojko Avramovic’s Singapore national team won the AFF Cup in 2004, 2007, and 2012. The man who is now 72 years old outperformed the two coaches of the Thai national team.
If the Thai national team is the most successful in this tournament, Raddy is the most successful as a coach of the AFF Cup. It is because Peter Withe and Kiatisuk Senamuang only twice brought the Thai national team to win the AFF Cup. As a mananger, Withe brought Thailand to win the AFF Cup in 2000 and 2002. Meanwhile the Thai coach managed to bring home the trophy in 2014 and 2016.
Yes, recent news informed that Raddy suffered lung cancer in 2019. This ended his management career as a football coach and he had his treatment back in his native country, Serbia.
