Today, the Football Club Vojvodina officially presented the new Manager, Dragan Radojičić.
In addition to the new Manager, the president of FK Vojvodina Dragoljub Samardžić and members of the Board of Directors Ljubomir Apro and Petar Đurđev also attended the press conference.
President Samardžić thanked the new coach who, without thinking, accepted to take over the team in a difficult moment and wished him success until the end of the season.
– Dragan Radojičić is not a new man in our club, because when he first came in 1994, it was as if he never left. He was successful both as a player and as a coach, he always loved our club and he was always painted in our white and red color. We had the first obligation to agree with the previous coaching staff in a dignified manner, and we did that very quickly. We at the club are all aware of the result crisis and changes were inevitable. As for Dragan, he is a man who accepted to say “yes” in such a difficult situation and, at the same time, to accept all the conditions and show that he is ready. Together with him, we will all strive for our goal, which is for Vojvodina to provide performances in Europe this year as well. We are sure that together we will succeed and that next year we will talk about greater achievements than now. On behalf of the club and the Board of Directors of Vojvodina, I wish him luck and success, and on behalf of all of us here, I will ask him to make a team that is excellently selected even better and that we all rejoice in our successes – said President Dragoljub Samardžić.
Dragan Radojičić signed a contract until the end of the season and points out that from his first term on the bench, he only dreamed of returning to his Vojvodina. He played as a player from 1994 to 1996, and then he was the Manager of Voša in the 2008/09 season.
– I want to thank the management of the club that brought me back to the place of success and the club I love the most after 14 years. Everyone knows that I became a citizen of Novi Sad the moment I came to play for Vojvodina. There are great emotions in this club, I am a big fan of Vojvodina and my environment knows that and that is why everyone knows what I want for this club. I am a man and a soldier of Vojvodina, and when that is the case, then you do not choose the moment when your invitation will arrive. I was always ready for Voša. In such circumstances, I might have rejected another club, but I couldn’t and didn’t want Vojvodina. I can promise you that every player will give his best and that I will be proud of the team. I want to call on the fans to be a breeze and to support the players. Only with all our might can we succeed. We need to close ranks and move forward. Vojvodina has a lot of qualities in the team and it did not deserve to lose games like this. I want to thank the previous coach who left a strong and ready team and wish him all the best in the continuation of his career – said Radojičić.
He emphasized that for a start, Vojvodina should first improve its efficiency in front of the opponent’s goal.
– We will try to improve efficiency, because this team must score two goals per game. That’s my style, somewhere I succeed, somewhere I don’t, and with this team I’m sure I can. We will play as offensively as possible, as much as we can, but it will also depend on the opponent. We need to play more efficient football and focus more on our game, and not on the opponent’s game. We will respect every rival, but we want to think of ourselves. As a coach, I never looked in the rearview mirror and the one behind me, but to catch up and beat the first one in front, and then the next one. I firmly believe in my philosophy and I hope that I will be able to implement everything I have planned – Radojičić pointed out.
He will not have an easy job on his debut, since the third-placed Čukarički is coming to Karađorđe.
– Čukarički is in good shape, they will be a difficult rival. They are convincingly third on the table, but I think we can compete with everyone on our field. I want to show them that we are the hosts and that they know where they came to play. We will help the boys to play freely, disciplined and responsibly, and I believe in a positive result – says Radojičić.
The new coach of the Old Lady believes that this team has the quality to compete on the international scene, but to go step by step.
– First, I want to ensure a performance in Europe through our championship or Cup, and then we go step by step. I want to make Vojvodina such that the players want to come and play for us and that those who are here never want to leave. I am sure that after that we would be ready to play European matches in the group stage – said Radojičić.
In the end, Radojičić said that he is focused only on the results until the end of the current season.
– I will always be in Vojvodina, either as a coach or a fan in the stands. Now we have made an agreement until the end of the season, we will discuss other things when the time comes. I also need to show that I deserve this place and convince everyone here that I am the right man for the bench of Vojvodina. I would like to stay for a very long time, because I have been dreaming of returning to the bench of Vojvodina for 14 years and I do not want to miss this chance. When I was the coach last time, it was the last season in which we ended up between Red Star and Partizan. I had Tadić and Medojević and Aleksić in the team and many others who left our academy, and I believe that these guys also have the quality to be in a higher position on the table today – concluded Radojičić.
