Ahead of the upcoming 2012/13 season, Kawowo sports’ Ismael Kiyonga caught up with SC Victoria University’s Serbian manager Ivan Zoric. In his exclusive interview, the Serb talks about life in Uganda, the talent, short and long term goals of the club he manages, how he managed to guide the club many refer to as “money bags” to the super league in a short period of time and what we should expect from the team it’s maiden season in the super league. Below are the full excerpts:
Hello Ivan Zoric?
Regards, Mr. Ismael, first I want to thank you for inviting me to this interview and I accept it with pleasure.
Thanks for the good work you are doing at SC Victoria University:
It is my job, I’m a professional. But I am not the only one who is responsible for the success at the club. At every club, all structures must function very well to achieve success at the end. I still think that the greatest merit of the club have been financiers who have given us excellent conditions for work and competition and of course the players who did most of the work.
One of the most difficult things in football is leading a side to the super division, how did you manage to do so with SCVU in a short time?
I will repeat once again; as a Latin proverb “per aspera ad astra” goes (of thorns to the stars); thiswas our way through the big league.
There were many obstacles, aggravating circumstances and anomalies butwe managed all of this and now all these things are behind us.
This is one school of thought; I guess we learnt some very good lessons. The struggle for survival and for the first place is still the toughest job.
When I arrived, I had less than a month to prepare a team of 23 players. None of these I had selected.
Many had come from the lower divisions and others from soccer academies with little or without serious competition experience.
All these 23 playerswere playing together inthe same team for the first time. My formula for success is simple; physical fitness at a very high level, the basics of tactical trainingand then “winning” psychology.
I manage my style based on words of one Chinese army commander: before the battle, if you decide that it is your victory, much of the work is completed, if you come into the fight and then look for solution how to win, there is little possibility that you will win. I believed, they all believed. This is perhaps the most important factor that contributed to our success and when it seemedimpossible, we still believed in success.
How are you preparing the team for its first season in Uganda super league?
The preparations are going on well so far.
You have signed so many experienced and talented players, should we expect your team to go for the title its first season?
True, many good and talented players have joined our club. But these are individuals with individualqualities. Creating a team is something else entirely. If we can put individual potentials for the team purpose, then we can expect good results though creating a team takes time. First place is not imperative. We will try in every competition to show the beautiful and innovative football but weapproach every game to win it. However, we shall try to finish in a place when we deserve it according to our performance and efforts on the pitch for every game.
In your own opinion, which teams are favourites for the league title?
I am not a prophet and therefore can’t makea statement pointing at whom to win the league this season.
Football is an unpredictable game where many factors affect and determine the final success.
What are the short, mid and long term targets for SCVU as a club?
It would still be in the domain of business secrets. As you know, anywhere in the world, information is the most important thing. But I can tell you a few details: We will work to promote university -education, the promotion of health, attention will be devoted to the younger age categories, and we will try to promote our players in the best possible way. Over a certain period, we shall assess whether our players have reachedrequired qualitative parameters so that through our many contacts throughout the world, we try to find them bigger clubs to continue their careers andalso ensure they live a better life even after retiring from football.
Our other plan is to educate athletes and ordinary people to care about their health (in the prevention and the treatment) and ultimately to try to provide them a better life in the future.
The club recently hired the services of Coach Sam Ssimbwa, how has it been working with him so far?
The co-operation of all the structures of the club is excellent.
Everyone knows their job and do it in the best they know. We want the best people into our teamand the best players in our team.Local experience, knowledge and achievements of Sam Ssimbwa in cooperation with my European experience and my personal achievements, I think it is really a winning combination. Two heads arealways better than one.
There has been mixed fortunes for your country men in Uganda. Coach Mitcho Sredojevich was successful at SC Villa while Zivo Srdan recently failed at the same club, what is your opinion on this?
The formula that we all deserve for success and failure is exclusive to the individual and cannot be applied to football. Football club is a big organization and all those who work in some football clubs have their meritsfor success (some larger, some less) as well as guilt by the same principle. In this job ofcoaching, when something starts to go in wrong directions and there is need for changes, the first person to pay the price for failure is a coach. You can’t change all the players; you can’t change all management structure which means it’s only the coach who must always be a scapegoat.
Both mentioned coaches are very good experts. Personally, i appreciatetheir personalities in the first place and their achievements of course.
Besides, how often do you speak to Mitcho and what does he always tell you about Ugandan football?
With Mr. Sredojevich, I don`t have frequent communication but I get the message, that he highly appreciates our work and efforts to achieve our goals. His support really means to me a lot.
For the one year you have been in Uganda, what do you have to say about the country’s talent?
Uganda is a beautiful country in all its segments with high potential. If certain things move to a higher level and the level of professionalism rises, Uganda does not have to worry about its future but first mustaccept the fact that football today (and in the future) does not tolerate improvisation and amateurism, nothing but complete professionalism, the variability, adaptation and monitoring of international trends are obligations if it wants to achieve a greater success
On a personal note, how do you find life in Uganda?
In Uganda, I feel great. People are very friendly with a lot of positive energy. For me this is all new; different continent, customs and cultures. I’m trying to learn as much as possible about this country, people, culture, language, etc. Of course like everywhere in the world, there are good and bad sides of life but am trying to ignore the bad and implement the good into my everyday life.
Thanks for the time and wish you the best of luck in your first season in super league.
Thank you for giving me this chance to publicly express my opinion on certain issues.
I like the work you do. I must admit you do your job in a very professional manner and at high high-level.
I wish you all the best.
