ASN: Veljko Paunovic Discusses His Plans for Chicago Hearth

The 38-year-old former Serbian worldwide parlayed teaching success on the Beneath-20 World Cup right into a head teaching gig with the Chicago Hearth. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with MLS’ latest coach.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
December 28, 2015
2:35 PM

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THE CHICAGO FIRE is a crew in transition.

In 2015 it completed with the worst general file within the league, prompting the membership to scrub home with gamers and entrance workplace executives alike. The primary main resolution new common supervisor Nelson Rodriguez made was to rent a brand new head coach, and after many acquainted American soccer names have been thought of, Rodriguez went with an out-of-the-box rent in Veljko Paunovic—a former Serbian worldwide who performed with golf equipment corresponding to Atletico Madrid, Getafe, and Tenerife and ended his profession in 2011 with the Philadelphia Union.

Since then, Paunovic, 38, has coached Serbian youth nationwide groups and not too long ago led Serbia to the U-20 World Cup title final summer season. The Hearth would be the first skilled crew he has coached. The next interview has been evenly edited. 

BRIAN SCIARETTA FOR ASN: After profitable a U-20 World Cup, you actually had choices by way of your first skilled teaching job. Why the Chicago Hearth?

VELJKO PAUNOVIC: For me it is at all times crucial to know the individuals who I’m going to work with. I met with Nelson a very long time in the past, so we created an excellent relationship by way of having the identical ardour for soccer and sharing the identical imaginative and prescient about gamers and elegance. That was some of the essential issues. And with Chicago, from the time I performed in MLS, I discovered it an fascinating expertise, although I performed solely as soon as right here. I noticed the potential this metropolis and this group has by way of the way it can develop into a terrific soccer surroundings. From the standpoint of the league, that is one other crucial factor why I selected Chicago—due to the continual rising of the league, the growth, and the potential that this league and this nation has by way of the nice soccer nation the folks right here need to change into.

ASN: What’s it going to take to show this crew round? What has been lacking?

PAUNOVIC: It’s the imaginative and prescient we’ve, and we need to make it a terrific imaginative and prescient. The purpose is that we’d like the proper folks and we’ve to construct the proper roster. We now solely have 13 gamers, so that is the second the place we’re constructing our crew, and there are potentialities we are able to deliver the gamers with a profile we consider can fulfill our standards by way of the type of play we need to develop within the coming season. That type of play will likely be the place we will likely be constructing out of the again, making an attempt to at all times play within the opponent’s half of the sphere. That’s the fundamental concept, however we’ve to have the ability to adapt to all of the circumstances of the sport and all of the adjustments that occur. That is what we’re in search of—the proper gamers to construct the type of play the place we could be dominant. We by no means need to be inferior to something.

ASN: How do you outline the kind of participant you’re in search of?

PAUNOVIC: Good athletes. Gamers which have a really outlined and clear soccer tradition and elegance of play. They need to have a superb understanding of the sport from a tactical standpoint. In fact all this stuff collectively are crucial. So it’s not as if we’ll discover a man who’s 100% in that standards. However what we’re going to do is detect these guys who’ve that potential and work with them to develop that potential and people qualities we consider are crucial. Proper now we’re engaged on our line of defense and our heart backs.

ASN: Did your time within the league affect your resolution to educate right here? What did you are taking away from that have?

PAUNOVIC: The folks right here need this sport to change into what it’s maybe in Europe or the remainder of the world. I’d not say it’s crucial sport, nevertheless it’s a vital sport right here. It’s a sport the place folks will determine and really feel nice about going to the stadium and watching their crew play. That’s what I felt: this enormous ardour to develop this sport to its full potential that the remainder of the world has already achieved. In fact, then comes nice group, nice surroundings for the game. In the US, for me it’s one of many greatest international locations for sports activities. I feel all this proof was crucial for me to make that call to come back again and settle for this nice alternative.

ASN: Don Garber has mentioned repeatedly he needs MLS to be one of many greatest leagues on the earth inside a decade, and U.S. Soccer has additionally taken steps it hopes will assist the lads’s nationwide crew be among the many greatest on the earth. Do you assume that’s attainable?

PAUNOVIC: Completely. I feel throughout the subsequent 5 to 10 years it may be achieved, and from my perspective I need to assist attain that aim. I feel that I’ve information and expertise and most of all an enormous ardour to share it. I wish to be somebody who might help obtain it.

ASN: This previous summer season, you coached Serbia’s U-20 crew to the World Cup title. Within the quarterfinals, you beat the U.S. in a really shut and hard-fought recreation. What have been your impressions from that recreation relating to the subsequent era of American gamers?

PAUNOVIC: Properly, I anticipated to see what I noticed—a crew that was taking part in along with good particular person qualities and an concept of how they needed to carry out. I anticipated to see this from nice coaches like Tab Ramos and his employees. That was a terrific recreation. The soccer tradition is rising in the US, and I noticed that change in simply the 4 years since I used to be taking part in right here.

ASN: FC Dallas has made heavy investments in its academy. How huge of a task is the academy going to play for the Chicago Hearth in your tenure?

PAUNOVIC: We need to construct proper now an actual connection between the academy and the primary crew, however clearly we’re focused on our first crew this month. We nonetheless must work on that, and we’re open to sharing our experiences and information with the coaches within the academy and share our imaginative and prescient in regards to the gamers. We’ve got a mission we need to do within the subsequent few years, and that’s to construct a person program for any participant that they need to comply with. We hope that can make them enhance to succeed in their potential.

ASN: Can the Hearth qualify for the playoffs in 2016?

PAUNOVIC: I feel yearly, from what I’ve seen in MLS, every little thing begins from the beginning. Mainly, we’re engaged on constructing our crew. We’re looking for the proper folks and gamers to suit our type. I really consider we are able to enhance our crew, and our first aim is to make all of the numbers from final 12 months enhance. For the playoffs, I consider we are able to get to that time, however proper now what we’re fascinated about is doing the primary steps properly: choose gamers, then put together them, then we’ll arrange our objectives for the subsequent season.