Milicic, the Australian coach who took the Matildas to the 2019 World Cup, has pinpointed Tracy Gu as the most critical member of his backroom staff as China's Steel Roses look to defend their Asian crown in Australia.
Gu is Milicic's interpreter and - unlike the hero in Johnny Cash's song "A Boy Named Sue" - chose his first name himself, in tribute to NBA hall of famer Tracy McGrady.
"I haven't learned Mandarin because my translator told me, 'The girls will just laugh at you'," Milicic said.
"What I will say is your translator is your most important member of staff."
Gu previously worked with China's male national teams and Manuel Pellegrini during the boom years of the Chinese Super League.
Not only does Gu relay Milicic's tactical advice before kick-off and at halftime, he also acts as a conduit between China's players and their straight-shooting coach.
Milicic has had his fair share of culture shocks since taking charge of one of Asia's powerhouse women's football nations in 2024.
"The Chinese culture's way of learning is a lot different to what we've grown up with," Milicic said.
"When you do blow up with a player it doesn't matter what language you speak, they can tell you're blowing up - but it's how you do it.
"When you sit with them one to one and show them clips and talk about how you want to play, they automatically think something is wrong (or) they may be in trouble.
"It's not that they're in trouble - it's about how I see the game and their performance and getting them to open up.
"Now, when we have individual meetings you can't shut them up because they see the benefits. Video is so powerful."
China, chasing a 10th Women's Asian Cup, will be tipped to go deep at this year's tournament, having been drawn in group B with Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and North Korea.
All their group games will take place at Western Sydney Stadium, an area Milicic knows well from his time as a striker at Sydney United and then in various roles in coaching.
Milicic, now 51, returns home with a new purpose after a two-year sabbatical following his final year as the foundation coach of A-League club Macarthur.
"My father passed away the year before, and I never got to Croatia for the funeral. I was just burnt out with football," Milicic.
"That had been everything for my whole life. I needed a break from it and moving to Croatia with my family, that sort of gave me a great little reset.
"I can actually say I've loved the difficult times (with China), I've loved every minute of it, because it's made me a better coach and better person."
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