Cvitanović: We have a great talent, we believe he is our Mateo Kovačić

(Patria) - FK Sarajevo coach Mario Cvitanović, in an interview with Croatian media, touched upon the current changes at Košev, primarily the departure of Vincent Tan, but also the club's plans for the winter transfer window.

Cvitanović emphasizes that he sees no reason for concern regarding the future of Sarajevo.

- I am not afraid for the future of the club at all. Tan is gone, but Mirvić remains, which is a guarantee for me as a coach that the club will remain stable and that we will continue on the path we started last autumn.

Financially, everything is now on Mirvić, that is the biggest change that has happened. I must express great respect for the president; he is a man who loves the club immensely, is ready to continue investing, and is determined in his idea to build a strong Sarajevo.

However, when one of the two partners leaves the club, it is realistic to say that we are in a transition process, which I am convinced will pass without major upheavals.

All of us working in the sports sector know this very well, and it's not something new or unplanned. Zoran Mamić, as the head of the professional staff, started assembling a new Sarajevo team last autumn, which should be characterized by youth, power, modernity, and a hunger for work and success in the long term.

Even when I arrived, we agreed not to aim for any instant success, but for systematic work that requires time and patience from everyone. We worked very diligently towards that goal even when Tan was part of the club, and we will continue to do so - says Cvitanović.

He also touched upon personnel policy, stating that there are currently players in the squad who represent a financial burden.

- We have some players who played little, or not at all, and are a significant financial burden for the club. It doesn't make much sense for them to be with us in the club. I will emphasize again, we insist on rejuvenating and making the squad cheaper, and we are actively looking for young players.

We have several desired players on our list; they are good and would fit our ambitions, but their clubs are asking for transfer fees that we cannot afford. We have our problems, the frameworks within which we can operate, but all clubs in our region have similar stories.

We know the times we live in and we must act accordingly. We move on, no crying. We also have a lot of young potential within the club. We will take one cadet to the training camp, his name is Muhamed Dreca, he is 15 years old.

The boy is immensely talented, we believe he is our Mateo Kovačić, and we are preparing a similar path for him as Kovačić had. I am not thinking of comparing them; we just want to give him an opportunity in a similar way - added the strategist of the maroon team:

Then he specifically addressed the 15-year-old midfielder.

- He has talent, but one must be patient with him, as with any young player. He is good in duels and in his running, truly at a senior level, and technically he is excellent. Of course, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, just like with us, there is a rule that you must be 16 years old to play, but work is being done to abolish this rule, as it doesn't seem logical to me.

We watch players in the Champions League who are not yet 16, and didn't Yamal play for Barcelona at 15? Age is not important; what matters is what a player has, no matter how old or young they are. I mentioned the older players in the locker room; they will help Dreca mature quickly - concluded the Sarajevo coach.