We talked with Sports Director Mario Branco before the first "After Ohandza" match (Rudes on Saturday at Poljud, kick – off 15:00). In the last hours of winter transfer window, Franck replaced Split with Shenzhen, where he signed a contract with the club named after this town in South-East China.
„The last transfer that we planned for this transfer window was signing Mario Ticinovic, but the fact is that the Chinese market closed only on February 28, and it is well known that they often bring players in the last moments of the transfer window. It was like that in this case, with Ohandza. We rejected the first two offers because we thought the amounts were not satisfactory enough to justify the absence of such an important player in this part of the season, but their last offer was such that it forced us to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of the sale“.
The decision was not easy…
"I believe that in the last 21 months, we have shown that we first and foremost make professional and rational decisions. We have decided not to jeopardize the opportunity for a great income that the club can get for the player whose contract expires at the end of this season. My contract expires this summer and I am aware that my work will be judged by the sports result, and Ohandza's transfer will certainly not contribute to our short-term goals. Nevertheless, I made this decision because it is the right one and whoever is the sports director in the summer, he will have the resources I didn't have when I came to the Club. The truth is, it's a risk, the thoughtful risk I've decided to take. We are not giving up from our goals, but if we were selfish and only focused on the current result, we would not sell Ohandza at this point, or Nikola Vlasic and Ante Erceg before. Our responsibility is to take care of the sustainable future of Hajduk, which is more important than the short term interests of professionals who are currently employed in the Club“.
It's less than three months till the end of the season, Franck's contract was going to expire, it was not extended ...
„Franck's transfer to Shenzhen FC is a fantastic job in a very delicate moment. I often say, this is not the Football Manager but a reality. There are so many parameters and information according to which decisions are made. Franck's offer is one of a number of proofs that football is dynamic, and my commitment is to make difficult decisions, it's what I get my salary for. Of course, my job and trusts that I have bring a lot of responsibility and I'm prepared to make tough decisions. Just like last year, this season we were on the verge of signing a new contract in accordance with the conditions that Hajduk considered acceptable. If this offer didn't come, it would have happened. We did not expect it at this time, but Franck's contribution to the team over the last few months is a proof that we have made a good decision. It has been proven that Franck plays much better closer to the expiry of his contract. In the end, even if his contract was not expiring, it would be very hard to get a better deal than this on the European market“.
The "After Ohandza" period is ahead of us, it starts with a match against Rudes on Saturday, then Istra 1961 comes at Poljud, while on March 13, Hajduk plays the Cup semifinal against Lokomotiva in Zagreb. Franck would have been suspended for the matches against Rudes and Istra 1961 due to the red card that he got in the last match.
„For the head coach, it is not easy to lose as important players as Erceg and Ohandza were. In this transfer window, we did our best to replace Erceg and increase the competition in certain positions, but Ohandza can't be replaced like that at this time. I believe that Ahmed Said Said, Hugo Almeida, and in a few weeks Marko Futacs, as well as the young players we have and who have shown their talent, provide enough options for the rest of the season“.
Ahead of the second half of the season, Ivo Grbic and Petar Bosancic have not signed new contracts yet.
„They are two young players whose values and talent have been recognized and with whom we wanted to extend the contracts. We offered even better conditions to both of them, and when it comes to Grbic, we could not guarantee that he will play, which was his explicit request. Bosancic's situation is different. We agreed on all the terms, the player accepted them, and when he was supposed to sign, he changed his mind. I'm sorry for that, but the right of players and their managers is to make the decisions they believe are best for them. Hajduk will respect all our obligations till the expiry of their contracts, and they must do the same“.
