Paul Munster is plotting the next staging post of a remarkable football journey after parting company with Indonesian top flight club Bhayangkara.
The former Linfield striker was succeeded by ex-Indonesian striker Widod Putro last month despite leading the Liga One club to a third-place finish in the league.
Munster, who hails from Belfast, also helped the Jakarta-based outfit qualify for the prestigious AFC Cup, Asian football’s version of the Europa League.
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“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed after everything I did for Bhayankara and the fact I took the club into the AFC Cup for the first time,” he said.
“But my focus is now firmly on the future and the next chapter of my career. I’m relishing a new project, whether that be in Asia or Europe.”
Munster, who hung up his boots at the age of 30 to concentrate on coaching, boasts a global CV having already played, managed or coached in a series of different countries.
His playing career took in Canada, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Germany and the Czech Republic, while he has also coached in Sweden, India and Indonesia.
His coaching career to date included a stint managing Assyriska BK in Sweden and a spell in India’s I League as technical director of Minerva Punjab.
Munster was appointed manager of Bhayangkara in 2019 and went on to lose just eight of his 51 games at the helm in a three year spell which was disrupted by Covid-19.
In his first season in charge he was appointed midway through the campaign and lifted the club from 13th place to secure a fourth-place finish.
But after winning the Siem Reap Super Asia Cup in 2020, the country’s league was stopped after only three games because of coronavirus restrictions.
“Being in lockdown as a manager was difficult and I was on the phone all the time,” he said. “It was a series of zoom calls and zoom team meetings.
“You’re trying to manage and monitor players’ physical fitness and I also had my own programme to keep active and my mind busy.
“Not doing anything for that long was a real challenge, especially after winning the Siem Reap Asia Cup. It was a tough time.”
Last season was Munster’s first full campaign at the helm and he masterminded Bhayankara to a third place finish behind Persib and champions Bali United.
“Our target at the start of the season was a top three finish in the league and qualification for the AFC Cup,” said the 40-year-old who is now back living in Sweden again.
“Asian football is very much a ‘must win’ environment and the emphasis isn’t as much on your style of play. Bosses and fans demand three points so the pressure is constant.
“It was a challenge but I thrive on that pressure and I enjoyed my time in Indonesia. The weather and lifestyle was great and the language wasn’t really a barrier.
“I had a personal translator but I was getting to know more and more football terms and I was able to communicate with the players on the training pitch.
“The most important thing was they understood how I wanted to play.”
On his future, Munster said: “I’ve been linked with a few clubs in Asia and Europe and we’ll see what transpires.
“I’m looking forward to the next chapter now, wherever that might be.”
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