Kevin Muscat feared a deal to become the new head coach of Belgian side Sint-Truiden would fall through due to not having a UEFA Pro Licence.
Sint-Truiden initially hired Muscat as a technical analyst before being officially unveiled as head coach after completing his UEFA coaching badges.
“Initially when I applied for the job … there was a bit of red tape with the (coaching) licence. In Australia, Asia and basically any other continent outside of Europe, none of them are recognised,” the former Socceroo told SEN’s Bob and Andy.
“UEFA doesn’t recognise anybody else’s licences so it immediately become one of those where I just thought maybe they could walk away … it just becomes too hard.
“They created another role for me while I went through this lengthy process to get my licence recognised through UEFA, which eventually happened.
“Throw in virus (COVID-19) that we are currently trying to get out of … it’s been a long time coming.”
It’s Muscat’s first job since departing Melbourne Victory at the end of last season.
The 46-year-old won two A-League championships, a Premier's Plate and the FFA Cup during his six-year spell at the Victory.