As the Socceroos captured Australia's imagination with their golden run in Qatar, some 5,000km away, in a medieval city in France, Patrick Kisnorbo was quietly blazing his own brilliant trail.
The former Melbourne City coach and ex-Socceroos defender has taken the helm of ES Troyes AC, a Ligue 1 club a couple of hours drive south-east of Paris.
When Kisnorbo walks the cobbled streets of Troyes, a place that couldn't feel further from the wind-battered main road of City's Casey Fields training base, the size of his move sinks in.
Once hoping to emulate Kevin Muscat and Tony Popovic in moving overseas, Kisnorbo has broken new ground in his own right, as the first Australian to coach in one of Europe's top five men's leagues.
"It's surreal to be honest. We all have ambitions and for me, it's not any different. I want to be one of the best coaches in the world," Kisnorbo told AAP.
"I've been given this opportunity that not many people get and I'm very grateful and humbled to have that.
"It's great, now you can see that Australian coaches are good - they hold value.
"We do a lot back home so hopefully there's other coaches that have the opportunity to come overseas because the more Australian coaches that come overseas, the better.
"People don't understand how hard it is just to do what coaches do to get these opportunities, because it's very difficult.
"All I want is our game to grow in Australia, and if I can be a little help in that, it's great."
Kisnorbo hopes to "pick the brains" of fellow Victorian expats Muscat and Ange Postecoglou for advice, but knows his first overseas gig won't be easy.
Firstly, Kisnorbo doesn't speak French, and is having daily tutoring.
"The language barrier for me isn't a problem," he said.
"End of the day, football's a universal game so the message is the same.
"But if I can learn and respect the culture and respect the country and try and learn the language, I am going to do that."
Troyes, like Melbourne City, is part of the City Football Group, with the Ligue 1 job the latest step in Kisnorbo's rise through the conglomerate's ranks.
Kisnorbo's sudden departure in late November for France on a two-and-a-half year deal means he won't see his family until January.
But CFG connections ensure the 41-year-old has one familiar face, former City coach and Troyes football director Erick Mombaerts, by his side.
"When you have someone like him that is your mentor but also one of your best friends, it's fantastic," Kisnorbo, who was Mombaerts' assistant in 2019-20, said.
When Troyes resume in Ligue 1 against Nantes on December 29 (AEDT), Kisnorbo will face a new challenge: avoiding the relegation scrap.
Troyes sit 13th of 20 teams but just one point clear of the drop zone.
"That's the next step, once you move from Australia where there's no relegation," Kisnorbo said.
"I've never experienced it. It's the unknown. So time will tell, the way things pan out.
"But you know me - I just think of the one game and I keep pushing on and see where it takes us."
So what does success look like?
"I don't want to get too ahead of myself. I just want to concentrate on the job in hand now," Kisnorbo said.
"That's for Troyes to have an identity that represents me and represents the club and represents the town and if we can do that, I think we've done well this year."
