Zlatko Junuzovic wasn’t present at the start of pre-season training alongside his teammates. The future of the Austrian was therefore a topic of interest and discussion in Friday’s official press conference.
Zlatko Junuzovic wasn’t present at the start of pre-season training alongside his teammates. The future of the Austrian was therefore a topic of interest and discussion in Friday’s official press conference.
“Everything has been discussed with Zlatko. When he signed his contract extension around a year and a half ago, he thought a lot about making the next step and what he sees happening. That’s football and that’s business,” commented Frank Baumann. In respect to the marathon man’s performances, sporting director Baumann doesn’t consider there to be any issues. “His commitment after signing the contract extension showed that there aren’t any problems and this will ring true if he still plays for Werder next season. I have no concerns.”
For Viktor Skripnik, the matter is “completely normal in football.” Last season’s energy-sapping campaign, relegation battles in previous years - it hasn’t been easy for Junuzovic at Werder with it often being about graft and fighting hard rather than playing free-flowing football. “It is understandable and legitimate when a player such as Zlatko Junuzovic looks whether he can develop further and achieve goals,” acknowledged Skripnik. “He is a good international level player and we must accept it when he decides to move.”
However, Viktor Skripnik doesn’t know of any bad blood or disgruntlement between himself and the set-piece specialist. “I don’t have any issues with Zlatko. He is a good person and I can’t criticise him from a sporting perspective. He has always given 100 percent and deserves a lot of recognition for what he’s achieved in the past few years,” said the Bremen coach. “Every manager dreams of having a player like Juno in their team.”
But Werder aren’t being naïve and are ready for all eventualities. “We must always be prepared for everything. However, we already proved last season that we can handle a last-minute departure, like Franco’s move. At this moment in time, we’re assuming that Zlatko is staying but already have other options within the squad, especially in that position,” said Baumann.
