Q: Was there a point in your playing career when you began to think about coaching?

A: About the closest I got was coaching my kids’ teams while I was still playing. It was important for me to be involved. That was tough. This is easy. All some of the parents wanted to know was what I was going to do to turn their kids into Pelé in a seven-game season.

I have to say that Alexi Lalas was a mentor during my playing days. I called him up a year before I retired. I had no clue what the next step was, and shouldn’t I know what the next step would be. I was still playing, and he said that things would happen. Once I decided to retire with the Red Bulls and they asked me if I might be interested in joining the coaching staff it sparked my interest right away. Believe me, it wasn’t the easiest thing. But I just started to love it.

One of the initial things that attracted me is that I would be part of the club where my roots are in. I truly wanted to be a part of it. I loved breaking things down, talking to the players, challenging myself to come up with ways to challenge players. I like going back to office and going through my thought process, what I want them to do and making adjustments. It has always intrigued me.

Q: In so many sports, soccer, basketball, baseball, whatever, it seems that the more modest players have more success as coaches while so many of the stars who get coaching or managing jobs don’t seem to have the right temperament. In soccer, especially, you have guys like José Mourinho who is quite open that he realized during his playing career that he better start preparing himself for what comes next. Do you see yourself falling in with that sort of former player?

A: In my opinion, I think a lot of it has to do with being a modest player. You don’t have the skill set or ability of a Thierry Henry, for example. Guys who it seems that things come easy to, they really don’t have to overthink things. But these things, these skills do not come easy to you. I can’t see things three steps ahead. All athletes are motivated and have a lot of that drive to succeed. But for me, I was forced to read the game. My lack of speed my lack of ability to score. I had to see things from a different perspective. Later in my career, when I slowed down a bit, my ability to read the game got better. I started coaching myself really.

Image A casual dresser off the field, Petke usually wears a tie, sweater or sports jacket on the sideline during matches. Credit... New York Red Bulls

Q: As a coach, which is more important to you: player management or tactics?

A: For me you can’t put percentage on it, but player management was huge. When I first took the reins, I didn’t always get it right. That’s where a guy like [assistant coach] Robin [Fraser] comes in because he has so much experience. When I’m dealing with players I get into it, but it’s reassuring to come in in the morning and say to Robin, is this what I want to do? And he comes back with a practice plan that gets it right 90 percent of time. Just awesome. When you talk about player management you talk about [Kosuke] Kimura, who I played with in Colorado. Every one of these players know who I am as a person. I have no hidden agendas, if I fly off handle they know at end of day where I’m coming from. My roots are here. I want the team to succeed. It’s never personal. I have to figure out a way to deal with 27 guys. You can’t treat them all the same. Who do you need to talk to more? Who do you stay away from? It’s a jigsaw puzzle.