Partizan’s footballers will face Spartak in Subotica on Thursday at 16:30 in a postponed match from the sixth round of the Serbian Superliga.
As they head north, the black-and-whites must find a coach with a PRO license, as the two-match grace period with an unlicensed coach has expired.
One option for the “steamroller” management is to continue as is, but that would lead to a penalty, with the usual practice being a warning after the third match.
If this situation repeats, a financial penalty will be imposed, and the case will be sent to the Disciplinary Committee of the Football Association of Serbia.
In addition to the match against the “blue pigeons,” the Belgrade club will host IMT on December 14 and then face Radnički in Niš seven days later before the winter break.
Perhaps Partizan could “get by” with Marko Jovanović as interim coach and avoid a severe penalty, and then appoint a permanent coach at the start of the winter preparations.
Another option, due to financial reasons and to avoid fines, is to select someone with a professional license while Jovanović and Đorđe Ćetković continue to manage the team and training sessions.
Such a practice is common in Serbian football, and similar cases have occurred in the current season, but it would be somewhat damaging to a club of Partizan’s stature.
The question remains who would agree to such an arrangement. On the list of the Football Association of Serbia, there are 195 coaches with a PRO license.
Among those tied to Partizan are Albert Nađ, Goran Stevanović, Vlado Čapljić, Zvonko Živković, Zvonko Varga…
Also, Goran Pandurović, Vladimir Vermezović, and Danko Lazović, who is a member of the Temporary Working Group managing the former European vice-champion.
The runner-up in the Serbian Superliga must decide soon, but the most logical option seems to be the first one, with some penalties involved.
Then, a coach should be chosen who would have six months to get the team in shape, build a squad according to his preferences, and fight on all fronts starting in the summer.
