17.10.2016, 05:10
Vujovic departs Zagreb

NEWS REPORT: HC PPD Zagreb coach leaves by mutual consent after Croatian champions remain pointless in Group B of the VELUX EHF Champions League after four rounds

Vujovic departs Zagreb

After four consecutive defeats in the VELUX EHF Champions League and a bad start in the SEHA League, Veselin Vujovic has left PPD Zagreb by mutual agreement.

Vujovic’s departure was announced today after a lengthy discussion with club management following the defeat to Meshkov Brest on Saturday.

“If it was a better moment I wouldn’t be leaving. However, at the moment it’s better for both Zagreb and me to take a break and who knows when or where will we meet again,” Vujovic told RTL Television Croatia.

From the start of the season it was obvious that something was not right in Zagreb. Last year Arena Zagreb was their fortress and powerhouses such as PSG, Kiel and Veszprem could not easily count on taking two points home with them.

This season something changed and was not working as expected, which has led to the club’s management and Vujovic deciding that now is the best time to say goodbye.

“I’ll say it like this: what you pay is what you get. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a budget that a coach like Veselin Vujovic deserves. That is why we let him lead Slovenia. It worked for a while but now it’s clear that was bad decision because the team didn’t have a coach while he was in Rio with Slovenia,” said club director Ante Ancic at press conference today.

Assistant coach Andrija Nikolic will continue to lead Zagreb on Tuesday against Tatran Prešov in the SEHA League and against Vardar in Saturday’s Match of the Week until the club finds new coach. Sporting director Bozidar Jovic will also sit on the bench. The club’s management say they do not have new name, but will try to find one in the next two weeks.

TEXT: Jelena Bagaric / cor