ADELAIDE United’s new assistant coach Filip Tapalović almost missed his chance to join head boss Marco Kurz in SA after the German cold called, leaving repeated messages on his phone.

Although the German-born ex-Croatian international said he had made a snap decision to pack up and depart Munich for Adelaide, leaving his mobile phone at home while enjoying family time in a park nearly shut down a date with destiny.

“I got back home from the playground and I saw missed calls from Marco,” Tapalović said.

“But then I talked to Marco on the Thursday and three days later I was flying to Adelaide to start work on June 26, it has worked out very well.”

Kurz handpicked his right-hand man after Tapalović had a fine career as a player in the Bundesliga with FC Schalke 04, TSV 1860 Munich and VfL Bochum.

He represented Croatia at the height of the nation’s golden generation sharing the dressing room with stars Robert Jarni, Niko Kovac, Davor Suker, Robert Prosinečki and Milan Rapaic.

But while Tapalović’s brother Toni is coaching Bayern Munich’s 2014 FIFA World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer — arguably the greatest on the planet at the moment — Filip graduated to earn his UEFA Pro Licence coaching diploma in Germany this year.

The 40-year-old said he loved the coaching caper the minute he won a manager’s role with TSV 1860 Munich’s underage sides just four years ago, after the German Football Federation allowed Tapalović to own a UEFA B-Licence as his first one in a ruling which rewards players who have had careers for more than seven years.

“In two and a half years as a coach I have been in all aspects of coaching from youth to senior professionals,’’ Tapalović said.

“But to get the UEFA Pro-Licence in Germany is very, very difficult, it is probably the highest standard coaching licence in the world.”

Tapalović is grateful to be working 12-hour days this week as he helps prepare the undefeated Reds for a blockbuster at a venue he knows very little about on Friday night.

He believes Melbourne Victory is destined to react fiercely at Adelaide Oval to its winless A-League start and the fact Adelaide knocked the fancied biggest soccer club in Australia out of the FFA Cup with a 3-0 belting at Marden in the round of 16 in August.

“We have a lot of work to do this week but we are heading in the right direction,’’ he said.

“We’re training at Adelaide Oval on Thursday and this team deserves thousands of supporters on Friday, they have reached the semi-final of the FFA Cup and are undefeated in two A-League games, it is a good start.”