Veljko Paunovic It is fashionable in England. At 43, the former Atlético de Madrid player directs the Reading, in the Championship, and has been named best coach for September. Reason why you have been interviewed by Sky Sports. In the talk, talk about Simeone, of Fernando Torres or from Radomir Antic.
Precisely the missing Serbian coach was the ‘culprit’ that Paunovic came to Atlético at only 19 years old. “It gave me the opportunity to have a career in this wonderful sport as a player. It pushed me to the professional level, ”he recalls Veljko.
Paunov also talks about the figure of Simeone. “He also influenced me a lot and I was very impressed with his passion for the game. In his last season at Atlético we shared a room at various times and he was already preparing to train. I would write down all the sessions and then discuss them with me. I was passionate about training, but not at his level. I was 26 or 27 at the time and he was around 35. He was already preparing.
“We met again a few years ago at an event in Spain and he invited me to see his training method. I was going to watch a lot of sessions and once he told me: ‘Pauno, everything begins and ends with the player. ' It's about how you impact your players. I really think that's one of the best advice I've ever received, ”he adds.
A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH FERNANDO TORRES
Special mention makes Paunovic of Fernando Torres. “I enjoyed playing with great players throughout my career, but I had a very close relationship with Fernando Torres. He started when I was at Atlético and in him I saw a better version of me ”, he points out, and then pointed out that“ I keep in touch with him now and he called me a few weeks ago when I got the job at Reading to catch up and give me some advice ”.