Veljko Paunovic has been named the new Reading boss in a management reshuffle within the Championship side.
Reading: Veljko Paunović Appointed New Manager
Mark Bowen Reverts to Sporting Director Role
Reading Football Club are pleased to confirm that Veljko Paunović has been appointed as our First Team Manager. 🇷🇸✒️#WelcomeVeljko
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) August 29, 2020
Championship side Reading have undergone a management reshuffle at the Madejski Stadium.
Mark Bowen is expected to revert to a sporting director role; Veljko Paunovic will take over management duties with Quinton Fortune as his assistant.
Paunović will take the role after fellow Serbian Aleksander Stankojevic was ruled out.
The 43-year-old, who was most recently boss Chicago Fire, has spent four years in the USA.
Between 2015 and 2019, he achieved overall finishes of 20th, 20th, 3rd, 21st and 17th.
The former Atletico Madrid attacking midfielder has also coached the Serbian youth teams at various levels.
After the news was announced today, Dai Yongge, the Reading owner, said: “With vast experience of top flight football as both a player and a coach across Europe and in the United States, and with proven pedigree of successfully working with young up-and-coming footballers on both the domestic and international scene, I am confident Veljko can help take this club forward.
“This has been a process and this appointment has been made only after long, careful consideration. After meeting with him, we found Veljko to be an exceptional candidate who impressed us immediately. I am sure he is the right man for Reading Football Club. I’m delighted he has agreed to sign as our new manager.”
Paunovic joins Reading alongside former Manchester United winger Fortune.
The South African 43-year-old is currently assistant manager of the Red Devils’ Under-23 side.
Verdict on Veljko Paunovic
The appointment of Paunovic is a fairly risky one when looking at it from the outside.
The 43-year-old has not worked in any European leagues as a coach or manager, only testing himself in the USA.
Speaking to Berkshire Live, however, Serbian journalist Nebojsa Markovic says Paunovic has a great set of philosophies.
He said: “Veljko Paunović is part of Serbia’s new generation of coaches. He is most famous for his amazing work with our U19-U20 national team.
“In 2014, he led that team to the U19 EURO semifinals, where we lost on penalties, but qualified for the 2015 U20 World Cup.
“Serbia won that World Cup in New Zealand, beating Brazil in the final and producing some amazing players in the process.
“Part of that team that developed under Paunović were Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio), Predrag Rajković (Reims), Miloš Veljković (Werder, former Tottenham), Marko Grujić (Liverpool) and others.
“Paunović is therefore well known for working with youngsters and he likes moulding young players, working with them, giving them confidence to perform.
“He is a calm guy who is very knowledgeable, but not only about football. He strikes you a little bit as a guy who reads a lot and is well educated.
“Therefore, you could say his man-management is pretty good.”
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