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| June 6, 2002 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 24,1423 |
Slovenian coach to quit after bust-up with player
TAEGU (South Korea), June 5: Slovenia coach Srecko Katanec will stand down at the end of the World Cup after a bust-up with his side’s highest-profile player, he said at a tearful news conference on Wednesday.
Slovenia lost their opening group B game 3-1 against Spain, a match in which forward Zlatko Zahovic was substituted in the second half to his obvious disgust. The result left Slovenia bottom of group B behind South Africa and Paraguay who drew 2-2.
Zahovic screamed abuse at the coach after the Spanish defeat, according to sources close to the team.
“I’m not used to this sort of communication. I was shocked when Zahovic attacked me,” said 38-year-old Katanec who broke down in tears and walked out of a news conference.
“These are my last three or four games with Slovenia, it depends how far we go,” Katanec had told reporters. Slovenia next play South Africa on Saturday.
According to a Slovenia press agency, STA, Zahovic was all set to fly home before the players and, especially captain Ales Ceh, persuaded him to stay.
The Slovenian Football Association chairman Rudi Zavrl told its official website: “This, however, does not diminish the transgression as there is absolutely no doubt that it was Zahovic who caused the incident.
“We are trying to solve this problem professionally. The players accepted our decision with relief as they mostly need quietness.
Zahovic told Slovenia’s national radio: “I am pleased that things turned out this way. My team mates showed that there is still unity among us and that we are a team.”
After training later in the day Zahovic appeared more conciliatory. He apologised to Katanec and said his reaction after Sunday’s match might have been exaggerated.
“I think however that he (Katanec) should stop underestimating me on and off the pitch. If I have a different opinion than he does, that doesn’t mean that I’m against him,” Zahovic said.
“I also think that he should stay in his position for the good of Slovenian football. All of us players want him to stay, though maybe with a different approach.”
The bust-up has similarities with the dispute between the playmaker and coach of the Ireland team which led to skipper Roy Keane being sent home before the start of the finals.
The row was only the latest clash between the stylish Benfica attacker and coach widely credited with guiding the tiny nation of two million people to their first World Cup since Slovenia split from the Yugoslav Federation in 1991.
They fell out around two years ago when only mediation by the Slovenian FA resolved their differences and allowed Katanec and Slovenia’s biggest talent to work together again.
Katanec was a member of the Yugoslav team that reached the quarter-finals of the 1990 World Cup.
A former top midfielder with Partizan Belgrade, VfB Stuttgart and Sampdoria, he was seen as something of a miracle-worker after taking over coaching a country which failed to win any of their World Cup 1998 qualifiers and guiding them to the finals of the 2000 European Championship.
They drew two of their matches there but failed to progress from the first round because of a 2-1 defeat, ironically inflicted by Spain.—Reuters
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