Nolberto Solano: ‘I would like to play like Klopp but you need to be realistic†| Soccer

Nolberto Solano has become accustomed to firsts. He was the first Peruvian to feature in the Premier League after he joined Newcastle in 1998, and the first to play in an FA Cup final the following year. In April 2001 he became the first Premier League player to be sent off by Mike Dean. Now, in the latest stop on a peripatetic coaching journey, the 50-year-old is hoping to lead Pakistanâ€s men to their first Asian Cup.

After taking the lesser trodden path from Lima to Lahore, Solano faces crucial back-to-back qualifiers for the 2027 tournament against Afghanistan, beginning at home on Thursday. Then, in November and March, come visits from Syria and Myanmar, who won the reverse fixtures. Solano, who replaced the Englishman Stephen Constantine as Pakistanâ€s head coach in July, is clear on his ambitions.

“My first step is that we have to be competitive and not [have] everybody thinking about playing against Pakistan: ‘Three points in the pocket.†No! We will try to be very competitive. We have to face every challenge in front of us. We have these couple of games – weâ€re working really hard to get Pakistan qualified for the Asian Cup. That will be fantastic for everyone.

Nolberto Solano says he wants to stop other teams seeing a match against Pakistan as ‘three points in the pocketâ€. Photograph: Haider Ali/The Guardian

“I would like to play like [Jürgen] Klopp, I like [Pep] Guardiolaâ€s style, but you need to be realistic. My philosophy is trying to build a very good team, very good team spirit. Thatâ€s very important to survive, especially when you play in the high level … We want to work really hard and with all the issues we have got we have to be together. No excuses, Pakistan this, Pakistan that.â€

Those “issues†are very real. Pakistan has no domestic league structure and the elite facilities Solano has seen during his professional life are not there. In 2001, a private company proposed constructing football stadiums and starting a franchise league with tie-ups to English Premier League clubs. The former England striker Michael Owen acted as its ambassador. “Football Hoga,†– football will happen – Owen said in Urdu. But that project never fully materialised and perhaps “Football nehin hua†– football didnâ€t happen – would be more appropriate.

None of this bothers Solano, who says he will select from Pakistan heritage players, mainly from England, Denmark and Norway, and by scouring Pakistan for homegrown talent.

“If you search a little bit, especially in England, thereâ€s a lot of young boys in League One and League Two in the under-21s, at teams like Blackburn Rovers and Mansfield. A lot of boys [have called or messaged, saying] they want to come to Pakistan. We will try to select the best players from around the world.

“The players who represent Pakistan always say the level of the football is really tough, especially in Asia. You have giant national teams around like South Korea, China, Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar. So Pakistan needs to improve a lot to reach first, to get into this competition, and to try to compete. In Pakistan I hope the time is right so we can start working together. We like to use the phrase the people say here: ‘Inshallah.â€â€

Nolberto Solano became the first Peruvian to play in the Premier League when he joined Newcastle in 1998. Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

Over the past four years Pakistan have incurred three Fifa suspensions, two for “undue influence from third parties†and a more recent one, lifted in March, related to concerns over “a transparent election processâ€. That has led to a wasted generation of talent. Solano, who has an initial one-year contract, says the positivity of Mohsin Gilani, the federationâ€s president since May, convinced him to take a job he feels “so proud†to have been offered.

“He wants to change football in Pakistan,†Solano says. “Of course, everything takes a time, a few years, but at the same time he told me he has belief that Pakistan can be competitive in the short term because we have a lot of young talented players around the world. Itâ€s completely different, but I like the challenge. I like the belief, the people calling me, to trust me. We can do it. We will see what we can do in a year.â€

Solanoâ€s coaching career has taken in Peru, Canada, Sweden and Englandâ€s non-league circuit (with Blyth Spartans) before this latest assignment. He wants the level of professionalism in Pakistan to improve and says that has to come from the top, with a domestic league a priority.

“We hear about Cambodia, Oman, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia – they go professionally. Itâ€s a lot of young [players] who Iâ€ve been training for two and a half months. You have a lot of good talent. But unfortunately, these young lads donâ€t have the opportunity to became professional footballers. So itâ€s very important to Pakistan to engage with the responsibility to give opportunity to these guys.â€

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Solanoâ€s remit has included the Pakistan Under-23s, who played three games under his guidance in September. There was an 8-1 defeat against Iraq which Pakistan finished with nine men after a red card and an injury and during which Solano was sent off. Consecutive 1-0 defeats against Cambodia and Oman followed, representing something of an improvement. Solano and his Argentinian coach Jorge Castañeira were impressed with the fitness of their players, who had no pre-season or lack club football.

Solano, a national hero in Peru and a legend on Tyneside, spends his time shuttling between Lahore and Islamabad. He speaks of the kindness of the people in Pakistan and has become accustomed to his anonymity there. He keeps an eye, too, on his beloved Newcastle and followed the Alexander Isak transfer saga with interest.

“People loved him,†Solano says of Isak at Newcastle. “He engaged very quickly into the club when he arrived. But I think heâ€s probably said: ‘OK, Iâ€m going to Liverpool. I want to win trophies. Maybe Iâ€ve got more chances to win trophies.†… So, we need to respect in that way.â€

Nolberto Solano believes a domestic league is a priority in order to improve the level of professionalism in Pakistan. Photograph: Haider Ali/The Guardian

As Solano and his staff prepare for the Afghanistan games, they have put their Pakistan-based players through a short pre-season to get their level near to that of the squad members who will arrive from England and Scandinavia. Solano wants his players to express themselves on the ball and remain disciplined without it, “because the only way you get results is to be solid – donâ€t concede goals, and from there, anything can happenâ€.

If Solano feels the weight of the expectation of a nation of more than 250 million people, he doesnâ€t show it. There is talk of La Liga helping the PFF to start a league in Pakistan, where Atlético Madrid previously had a Lahore-based academy. Solano wants to build on the potential of Pakistan and also has an eye on his legacy.

“We will try to play good football, to enjoy. Itâ€s a massive responsibility for everyone, because we represent Pakistan. Iâ€m looking forward to working with the senior team, to see what we have.I would like to do something, something for the people, [so] when I leave Pakistan, people will remember me.â€

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