Salford City surprises with the appointment of Australian coach Peter Cklamovski

Salford City has made a remarkable choice by appointing Australian Peter Cklamovski as their new head coach. The 47-year-old coach has so far had no experience in English football, but Salford sees him as the man to lead the club from League Two to the top.

The link between Salford and Cklamovski has its origins in Japan, where Gavin Fleig – now general manager at Salford City – met the Australian coach during his time as assistant to Ange Postecoglou at Yokohama F. Marinos. Fleig, who joined Salford in 2025 after years with the City Football Group, was impressed with Cklamovski's approach and results, particularly his attacking style of play.

When Salford City decided to sack Karl Robinson after the play-off final loss to Notts County, Cklamovski was quickly put forward as the top candidate. Fleig explains: "We went through the entire process – from data to network and conversations. Peter came out on top in all the important points."

Cklamovski was at the helm of Shimizu S-Pulse, Montedio Yamagata, FC Tokyo and the Malaysian national team, among others. Despite possible doubts about his lack of English experience, his reputation as an attacking and process-oriented trainer is undisputed. Cklamovski himself says: "It's all about belief in what you do and how you do it. With a sharp focus on daily improvement, results will come automatically."

The Australian coach even canceled his return flight to Malaysia for an interview in Manchester and showed his determination to take on the challenge. In his new position he speaks of great ambitions and sees Salford City as a wonderful opportunity: "I did not come for a holiday, but to really achieve something. The club has big dreams and that suits my hunger for success."