In 2011, Peter Christiansen opened his inbox to find he had been sent an aeroplane ticket to Australia. The ticket would not only fly him from Denmark to the other side of the world but also signal a new chapter in his career, forge a new development pathway for Australian football and, eventually, see Socceroos captain Mat Ryan make his Champions League debut.
“My eyes were opened during that two-week trip. I went everywhere,” Christiansen tells Guardian Australia before this week’s make-or-break World Cup clash between the Socceroos and Denmark. “Central Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne; I met Ange [Postecoglou], Peter Cklamovski [Postecoglou’s long-time assistant and now head coach at Montedio Yamagata].
