Veljko Paunović (foto: Uradni Twitter profil kluba/zveze)
Veljko Paunović praised Diego Simeone in Spain, calling him a model coach and a historic leader of Atlético Madrid.
As he awaits the final signing of his contract with the Football Association of Serbia, Veljko Paunović is working as a pundit for the Spanish branch of DAZN. Ahead of the La Liga match between Oviedo and Atlético Madrid, he spoke about his former teammate Diego Simeone.
Paunović described Simeone as a major influence and a guiding figure in modern football.
“For me, Cholo is a model. He is someone who managed to unite the team during very delicate times when he took charge. He showed the ability to overcome all the difficulties Atlético faced. He left his mark, his identity. He is fantastic in communication, a great leader, a great coach… and he has been able to improve season after season, all these years, continuing to bring joy to Atlético Madrid and its fans,” Paunović told Radio Marca.
He went on to highlight the historic heights Simeone has reached with Atlético.
“Besides that, he took Atlético to a place it had never been in its history. I don’t want to take anything away from other coaches, but this is a different football, a different world. The only thing missing for his Atlético is a Champions League title, and I hope he manages to achieve that,” Paunović added.