Jurica Vranjes, former Croatian national team player who spent his career with top German clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, and Werder Bremen, spoke to AZERTAC in an exclusive interview.
– Hajduk will face Azerbaijani side Zira in the UEFA Conference League. How do you assess the chances in this match?
– Hajduk absolutely must win. They were close to winning the championship last season but fell short. Now, the fans expect victory from their team. In Croatia, Zira isn’t well known, and the team isn’t considered a strong opponent. That’s why I believe our representative must win and advance to the next round.
– How would you describe the Croatian team?
– Hajduk is one of the major clubs in Croatia. Last season, they were managed by former Italian footballer Gennaro Gattuso, who was a big name for the club. He had the full support of the management and the city of Split, but it still wasn’t enough to win the title. Gattuso eventually left, and the new coach is a Spaniard who came from Istra. He’s a very good coach, but there is a big difference between Istra and Hajduk. Working under pressure in Split will be a challenge for him.
– What do you know about Zira?
– I only know of Zira. As I said earlier, the team is unfamiliar to Croatian fans. The only match people remember is the one against Osijek, where the Azerbaijani side came out on top. Sometimes in football, money doesn’t decide everything. Even a small club can cause surprises. Zira could surprise Hajduk with their game. The Split club must be ready for anything. They already lost the league title, and fans now expect much better results.
– What do you know about Azerbaijani football in general?
– To be honest, I don’t remember much about the past. My former coach at Bayer Leverkusen, Berti Vogts, and my teammate on the Croatian national team, Robert Prosinecki, both worked with the Azerbaijan national team. When I think of Azerbaijani football, the first name that comes to mind is Qarabag. They have strong players and perform well in Europe. They’ve also made good money from transfers. I even watched Qarabag’s match against Olimpija Ljubljana from Slovenia.
– Interesting, would you consider working with any Azerbaijani clubs in the future?
– I haven’t thought about it (laughs).
