After the media frenzy caused by yesterday's official announcement on the Chivas social networks, Veljko Paunovic was formally presented as Guadalajara's new Head Coach this Tuesday morning at the Akron, a forum where the tactician took the opportunity to share his first impressions of the red-and-white team and gave some hints as to how he will face the challenge of returning El Rebaño Sagrado to a place of prominence.
Fernando Hierro:
"I want to welcome you dear Veljko, thanks to the Club, to Amaury Vergara and the board. We have always been clear about the project and the person we needed, and it only remains for me to thank you for your courage, for welcoming us to this institution from the first day we began talks; I wish you every success in this project which is so exciting".
Veljko Paunovic's:
"First of all I want to thank the Chivas family, the Vergara family, Fernando Hierro for the trust to lead this great project, it is exciting, inspiring and we are all very eager to contribute."
"From the first day I spoke with Fernando it seemed like a challenge, but at the same time I think it is a great opportunity not only for me, but for everyone, this club has a fantastic history, has a tremendous fan base and has a legacy."
"Aligning everyone with the work, the objectives and the immense desire to give the best of our ability, I believe we can put Chivas in the place it deserves to be, I promise I will give my best to convince everyone, but mainly the players, because they are my main focus."
"I think there is a powerful team, with a lot of talent, a mix between young talent and experience, we have winners in this League, which is an added value that this team has, but I still need to talk to all of them, to the players, I want them to have clear ideas about the job."
"We want people who are committed, who work from day one, who understand very well what is expected of them and mainly that each one of them improves."
"(Playing with Mexicans) I think it is a plus, because there is a clear idea. When you have an international group, I tell you from experience, you have to bring everyone together for the same objective and the same identity, in Serbia we were all about the country and here there are very similar elements, here the main objective is Chivas."
"I believe that the right idea for Chivas is intensity, character, imposing oneself footballingly, intimidating the opponent, being orderly, being disciplined and multiplying efforts, all of that is something that has worked very well for Chivas in the past and I will give an example: Matías Almeyda; I have seen those elements in his team and he is an example to follow."
"I don't presume to know all of Mexican soccer, but what I can tell you is that I learn very quickly, I work every day to have the best knowledge and in my coaching staff I have several people who know the medium very well. In fact one of them has been a Champion as an assistant here in Liga MX and has already been working in Mexico for 4 years."
"I believe there is talent in the team, there are options in attack and I highlight the defensive solidity, the fact of only conceding 17 goals in 17 games is nothing to be laughed at, but obviously we want to improve upon it, I am going to talk about that with those who are here, the model I have is that everyone has a part to play with and without the ball, as well as in attack and in defense."
