Two years after he resigned from FK Partizan Sporting Director role, Ivica Iliev is back at his old post, taking over recently departed Ivica Kralj.
New/old Sporting Director spoke to the media reps at the presser staged for the occasion.
“It`s been just over two years since I left this post and I`m back now. When changes happen at this level, you know things are tough. Unfortunately, they are”, said Ivica Iliev.
“This is looking much worse compared to my first spell as Sporting Director back in 2015. We have no unity in sporting department and youth academy. Our youth academy was the foundation of the club, we were ten years ahead of everyone else and now we are on the back foot. It`s a long and laborious work and we can`t fix things in short span of time but we are not going to complain, we will improvise. The ideas are there.
I`m more matured and experienced now and I`m not lacking energy either. I cannot wait to start my work and make changes. Unfortunately, I cannot have influence on current roster but there are players here who will prove they are right for the job. We lost two of the best but I will make competitive Partizan, both domestically and internationally, in two transfer windows.
One of the reasons I came back is our coach. His energy, love for the club, brought passion and desire in me. I had no doubts at all, because I love this club too. I might be mad but I don`t know Partizan supporter who`s not crazy.
You ask me to tell you who`s not fit to play for Partizan?! I didn`t sign these players but they are my players now. Let`s see them at training sessions first, are they able to accept changes coach and myself want to make. I`m sure there are players who were simply prevented to show themselves in a true fashion due to circumstances around.
Winter transfer window is harder to work in as there are less players on the market but why do tomorrow what you can do today? Of course, true team reconstruction can be done next summer”, said Ivica Iliev.
