Last Wednesday, Victory played its first match in its 15-year history without counting Muscat as a member of staff.

Muscat, the former Socceroos captain, was Victory's foundation captain, who on retirement went straight to the backroom team.

Succeeding his friend and confidant Ange Postecoglou as senior coach, Muscat presided over Victory for almost six years; the longest and most successful spell at the league's most biggest club.

That is, until May, when he called time on his Victory tenure after more than 400 appearances as player or coach.

So where was he for Victory's first match without him, an FFA Cup tie with Newcastle Jets?

"It was my birthday," he told. "So I went out with a few people. I must admit I didn't watch it."

And what is he doing next?

"I'm taking a lot of coffees," he says, with a wide grin.

It's a rare coach that hangs up his whistle without another job lined up. But Muscat has always done things his own way.

The 46-year-old isn't likely to be seen back at Victory any time soon, giving new boss Marco Kurz clean air to put his stamp on the club.

Kurz was appointed as Muscat's successor in June, beating overseas candidates and locals including John Aloisi to the role.

Muscat, on his wishes, wasn't consulted on the decision.

There's no bad blood between the two, despite obvious philosophical differences between the single-minded Muscat and the pragmatic German.

The last conversation the pair had was typical of the hot-headed pair; shouted from opposing dugouts at Coopers Stadium in April when Kurz's Adelaide United beat Muscat's Victory 1-0.

Muscat hasn't spoken to Kurz since his appointment and doesn't plan to unless the German instigates contact.

That meeting seems more likely to happen informally.

Kurz has coincidentally chosen Albert Park, the leafy bayside southern suburb where Muscat resides, to be his base in Melbourne.