CROATIAN coach Marijo Tot wants to be Aberdeen’s next manager and is confident he could revitalise the Reds.
Tot, 48, is available having left Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad where he was assistant to former Croatia and West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack and his board have began collating applications and names in the search for the next manager.
Although there has already been much interest in the vacant position, Atlanta United 2 coach Stephen Glass is the early frontrunner.
The Pittodrie board are willing to take their time to assess candidates having put Paul Sheerin, Barry Robson and Neil Simpson in interim charge.
However, Glass, 44, has already been discussed by Pittodrie’s directors. Ex-Dinamo Zagreb boss Tot hopes to be in the mix.
He said: “I am sure with my expertise and knowledge I could help make Aberdeen better in the future.
“I feel the club has the chance to be better and for me the key point is to start importing new, fresh blood with new ideas and new possibilities.
“Scottish football is very well known and a great environment for players and coaches.
“When you speak about Scottish football, coaches all over the globe would be interested in positions there.
“Aberdeen have their leadership and they will decide what is the best for them.
“However, my knowledge and experience would be great for them to open the door for new blood in Scottish football.”
Tot keeps regular tabs on Scottish football from his home in Croatia and insists he is well up to speed on the Premiership.
He said: “I watch the Scottish Premiership whenever I have the chance.
“Croatia has two great players at Rangers – Borna Barisic and Nikola Katic. I am in touch with them both all the time.”
Tot guided Dinamo Zagreb to Croatian Cup glory in 2011 and has also managed Croatian sides Lokomotiva Zagreb and Istra.
He had a successful spell in China managing Super League sides Zhejiang Yiteng and Changchun Yatai. Tot’s last managerial appointment was as No 2 to Bilic in Saudi Arabia.
He wants to be No 1 at a club again.
He said: “Working with Slaven (Bilic) was a great experience. Slaven called to ask me to go out to Saudi Arabia with him.
“I have been an assistant manager only three times in my career. I carefully chose who I wanted to work with. Slaven Bilic was the head coach of the Croatian national team.
“I also worked with Blaz Sliskovic who was head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The other was Vahid Halilhodziic who is well known in world football and has managed Japan and is now head coach of the Morocco national team.
“Now is the time I have to work alone as I have been the head coach of 10 professional clubs.”
Atlanta United 2 coach Glass, 44, remains frontrunner for the post. Atlanta United entered into a strategic partnership with Aberdeen in November 2019.
Former Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson is interested in the job and ex-Coventry and Falkirk boss Steven Pressley has also thrown his hat into the ring. Others linked with the position are Morecambe boss Derek Adams and Shaun Maloney, currently a coach under Roberto Martinez at Belgium.
For Tot bringing through exciting young talent is vital.
He said: “Producing young talent is very important. For example Dinamo Zagreb is one of the best European clubs not just because of results of the senior team that is playing in the Champions League or Europa League all the time.
“But also because of the great youth school which is producing high-class players in the last 20 years.”
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