Al Nasr appoint Ivan Jovanovic as new manager
Al Nasr’s long and extensive search for a new manager has reached a conclusion after the Pro League club announced the appointment of former APOEL FC boss Ivan Jovanovic.
Al Nasr parted ways with coach Walter Zenga last month and their hunt for the Italian’s successor has hit a number of stumbling blocks, having been snubbed by newly-appointed Malaga boss Bernd Schuster, Brazilian Mano Menezes, who joined Flamengo, and Dynamo Moscow boss Dan Petrescu.
But the Dubai club have now settled on a new manager and have announced the appointment Serbian Jovanovic.
“Al-Nasr Football Club has reached a formal agreement with Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovic to lead the team next season and the official announcement will be made within 48 hours,” Al Nasr wrote on their official Twitter feed.
“Coach Ivan had resigned as coach of the Cypriot team APOEL Nicosia after five and a half years full of wonderful achievements.
“His ability has been recognised on a personal level, being awarded the Coach of the Year six times as well as being named Serbian Coach of the Year in 2011.
“Ivan has won the Cypriot league title four times, the Cyprus Cup once and the Cypriot Super four times.
“He also created history at APOEL by leading the club into the Champions League group stages for the first time in 2009. He repeated the achievement in 2011-12 where they reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Real Madrid.”
The 50-year-old began his coaching career in 2001 when he took up the reins at Greek club Niki Volos for one season before spending a year at Iraklis Thessaloniki.
Jovanovic then experienced his first stint at APOEL in 2003 until 2005 before taking over at Panachaiki FC. He then returned to Iraklis Thessaloniki for a further year, before making another return to APOEL.
Al Nasr board member Fahad Hadi is delighted to welcome Jovanovic to the club and believes his impressive record at APOEL proves his credentials as a manager.
"He is an amazing coach," Fahad told Sport360°. "He won the championship in Cyprus four times and led his team to the Champions League for the first time and took them all the way to the quarter-finals the following year. So we are very happy.”
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