Guadalajara knows that in order to be a considered a top contender again, it needed a change, the arrival of Fernando Hierro has also brought with it the appointment of Veljko Paunovic, who as of today is the new Head Coach of El Rebaño Sagrado for the Clausura 2023.
Who is the new red & white coach?
Veljko Paunovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, but is also of Spanish nationality; Paunovic is 45 years old, 17 of which has been dedicated to being a professional futbol player and is currently in his tenth year on the bench.
His time as a footballer:
Veljko was characterized as someone with very good individual technique and usually played as an attacker or playmaker. Despite being a multifunctional asset, Paunovic usually appeared on the inside, due to his outstanding game interpretation. In fact, in 2015 in an interview for El 9 y Medio, he himself said that his game was based on interpretation, comparing himself to Koke and Oscar.
The Serbian played for several institutions throughout his career: Partizan Belgrade, Atletico Marbella, Atletico Madrid, Mallorca, Real Oviedo, Tenerife, Hannover 96, Getafe, Rubin Kazan and Philadelphia Union.
His coaching career:
He began his coaching journey in 2012 with the Serbian U18 national team. He later coached several youth teams in the same country and won the U20 World Cup in 2015. In addition, Paunovic helped further the careers of several of his charges, including Sergej Milinkovic Savic, who after his World Cup success moved to Lazio, where he remains to date.
After gaining experience working with young teams, Veljko Paunovic embarked on his adventure in MLS, where he managed Chicago Fire for 4 seasons between 2015 to 2019. Subsequently, the Serbian naturalized Spaniard moved to England to manage Reading in the second division. After having managed to build a team with a distinctive style, in February of this year he ended his cycle with The Royals.
Why does Paunovic fit into the Chivas project?
He has already demonstrated that he is capable of playing well with single-nationality players with age limitation, something that is becoming more and more common at Chivas, as the youngsters from the Cantera Rojiblanca are pushing very hard.
Another of his characteristics that fits like a glove for El Rebaño is his adaptability as a coach. He has coached a wide variety of player profiles, from the physicality of his Serbian U-20s, to the technical skills of his Reading players, he has always been able to adapt to them, without neglecting his basic philosophy.
How do his teams stand on the pitch?
They adapt to squad availability. However, throughout his coaching career there are some patterns that are repeated in every team he manages.
1. His teams are able to generate many advantages with the ball from the kick-off.
2. They press very well when they lose the ball and in case this does not happen immediately, they easily retreat to defend further down field.
3. Very good use of fixed tactics.
We wish all the success to Veljko Paunovic and our team, hoping that good performances and results will soon be on the way.
Welcome to the Chiva Nation, 'Pauno'!!!!!
