New head coach of Hajduk first team is Damir Burić, a 50-year old born in Split. He will be formally announced on press conference scheduled for Monday, June 1 at Poljud Stadium.
“First of all, we would like to thank our outgoing coach Hari Vukas, who helped our club in a very challenging moment. He managed to secure a position which leads to European competition, which was our goal in this season. Hari Vukas will remain in our club on another position. As far as the new coach is concerned, we have chosen Mr Burić, with whom we talked for some time. We believe that Mr Burić is the best choice, a coach who will be able to meet all demands we will be facing in the next season," said Hajduk chairman Marin Brbić.
Damir Burić lived and worked in Germany for 27 years, and in that country he spent most of his playing career, and whole coaching career.
After playing with the then NK Split, he was a member of Waldhof Mannheim, FC Ingolstadt, SC Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Damir Burić graduated at the coaching academy Hennes-Weisweiler in Cologne, and his first coaching job was a double player/coach duty in Ingolstadt, in the age of 26.
After moving to SC Freiburg and eventually to Borussia Moenchengladbach as a player, in 2001 he became a coach at the SC Freiburg's academy. That job was followed by becoming a member of the SC Freiburg's first team coaching staff, lead by Volker Finke and Robin Dutt.
His co-operation with Robin Dutt continued in Bayer 04 Leverkusen, reaching the eighth-finals of the UEFA Champions League, and finally in Werder Bremen as the head coach assistant.
Beside experience in all this clubs, Burić was also a member of the U-21 Germany's coaching team lead by Rainer Adrion on the European championship in Israel.
“Coming to Hajduk is a great professional challenge, but I also feel pride, love and passion like anyone else who is strongly bonded with Hajduk. As a player I never had a chance to play for Hajduk. I left Split only to play abroad, but now I'm coming home in a completely different capacity. I am happy and proud because of that," says Burić.
As of expectations, the new coach says:
“I watched closely all Hajduk recent matches. I know players and the whole situation very well. Of course, this picture will be completed only when I begin working. In a football sense, my goal is to create a modern, recognizable, dynamic and aggressive team. I am fully aware of ideas and strategies club's leading people are putting in front of me, and I believe we will do a good job together," said Hajduk new coach Damir Burić.
