Brotherly Game Archive
Veljko Paunovic Dishes On His Past With The Union, Present With Serbia And Future In Coaching
Wondering what happened to former Philadelphia Union midfielder/forward Veljko Paunovic? He talked to the Brotherly Game about it all.
Veljko Paunovic left the Philadelphia Union on curious terms, disappearing almost randomly at a time when most people expected him to return in 2012 and once again make an impact as a starter or supersub. Instead, the former Atletico Madrid player returned to his home in the former Yugoslavia.
Then reports surfaced that he had accepted a head coaching role with Serbia's youth national team, bringing him back to what he had done during his first retirement from professional soccer with Los Colchoneros.
The former Serbia and Montenegro international answered questions that the Brotherly Game had about his time with the Union, his current situation with Serbia and what his thoughts were about his possible future.
Scott Kessler: You're coaching an Olympic team of under-18 players. Is this the first time you've coached players of that age group?
Veljko Paunovic: Yes, this is my first experience in coaching and leading this age group, despite the experience I had before I joined Philadelphia, with the same group but two years younger at Atletico Madrid.
SK: How did your time with Atletico Madrid as a coach, prior to joining the Philadelphia Union, help shape you for future coaching jobs?
SK: On Twitter you said that you're excited about coaching the team's first game. Can you describe why? Who are you playing? Is it a friendly?
VP: Yeah, my first game with NT was very exciting for me, and [we won] 4-0 versus Belorussia (Belarus). We played great and, especially important for me, we played as a team. After that, we won a very important tournament in Tel Aviv, with Israel and Germany, during the military activities in the country.
This first six months of work we made emphasis on building the team spirit and trust in each other, enthusiasm about our collective goals, mutual respect, and collective responsibility.
We want to be the best we can be.
SK: Do you think that Serbia’s youth system is prepared to take the national team to the next level?
SK: Is this job a part of a plan for a future head coaching role, either at the national level or club level?
SK: What was the reason behind you retiring for a second time and leaving America?
SK: Do you have any thoughts about how the season went for the Union? Anything in particular you think fans should think about for next season?
VP: I followed every game, every week and everything about Philadelphia since I had gone, I’m still in contact with my mates, Roger Torres, [the] Farfans, Le Toux, Valdes, Amobi, and others on Twitter.
It’s a part of my daily ritual to check Union web sites and social networks, I love to interfere with the Union fans and by that I know that 2012 was a difficult season for the team and the fans. I also know that forms the part of reality of the developing teams and I’m sure that this experience will help the team to build up in the seasons to come.
We’re all continuously in process of learning and developing as a persons and entities, and I don’t accept nothing as a failure.
If Union understands the lessons of the past seasons, next season will be on straight path to success.
Paunovic also had something to say that he wanted included at the end of this article:
