Serbia hails Paunovic, coach of Chivas Guadalajara

Veljko Paunović's qualification to the Mexican Clausura league with his team Guadalajara has garnered considerable attention from Serbian sports media outlets. Paunović, a former international player for Serbia and the coach of the Serbian U-20 national team, as well as the 2015 World Cup-winning team in New Zealand, is being touted as a potential successor to Dragan Stojković at the helm of the senior national team.

Headlines in his home country press, such as “It’s not a miracle, it’s Veljko Paunović” and “Veljko Paunović is a top story in Mexico,” reflect the recognition of the tremendous success the renowned coach in North America has achieved. Paunović's team overcame a 0-1 deficit on their home turf and emerged victorious against their arch-rivals, Club America, in Mexico City, securing a 3-1 victory and a spot in the finals of the Liga MX Clausura.

The Serbian football community and the press have closely followed Paunović's football journey since he took charge of Chivas at the end of last year. Now, on the brink of their 13th title in history and the first since 2017 when they clinched the Clausura, excitement and anticipation abound.

Arena Sport, one of the largest national sports portals and a subsidiary of the company holding the local TV rights for Liga MX, wrote: “Paunović had ups and downs in his first season on the bench of Chivas, but the work and ideas gave a spectacular result because few people gave the club from Guadalajara a chance to fight for the trophy.”

While sportske.net went a step further in their tributes for the Serbian manager: “Mexican Chivas works miracles with a Serbian coach on the bench!”

Serbian football pundits have also drawn comparisons between Paunović and the esteemed Bora Milutinović, a former Partizan and Pumas player who served as Mexico’s national team coach during the 1986 World Cup. Milutinović was honored by the Mexican government with the “Mexico’sDistinguished Mexican” award for his contributions and achievements in Mexican football.

In the near future, it is conceivable that Paunović, like his esteemed compatriot and colleague Milutinović, may receive similar recognition and accolades, if not in Mexico, then at least in Guadalajara, the hometown of Chivas.