Neo-Berlin coach: Nenad Bjelica and his middle finger on the Gugl

2023-11-28 09:06:00

The German Bundesliga soccer team Union Berlin has hired Croatian Nenad Bjelica as their new coach. The former coach of Austria Vienna and WAC succeeds the released Urs Fischer, as the penultimate table in the German football upper house announced. Bjelica coached the Turkish first division club Trabzonspor until mid-October, other positions as a coach included Dinamo Zagreb, Osijek, Lech Poznan and Spezia Calcio.

Bjelica’s debut at Union will begin tomorrow, Wednesday, and she will face Braga in the Champions League. The 52-year-old Croatian takes over the capital city team at a sporting low point: 15 games without a win, second to last in the table, in the middle of a relegation battle.

In Austria he led Wolfsberger AC from the regional league to the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League group phase with Wiener Austria (2013/2014). But he was also in the headlines from time to time in negative terms: Not only was his verbal argument legendary in a live interview with ex-LASK coach Didi Kühbauer (then at Admira), but also during an appearance in Linz at the Gugl Bjelica was not fondly remembered: in the 3-2 away win of WAC/St. On August 22, 2011, Andrä completely lost his nerve.

Video: Kühbauer against Bjelica – an interview that TV station “Sky” even had to cancel in 2010.

However, the sporting outcome of the game – his team won 3-2 against their direct promotion rivals – was completely pushed into the background because Bjelica lost his composure. It was the 30th minute on the Linzer Gugl. Referee Hirschbichler awarded LASK a controversial penalty. Bjelica was sent to the stands, gesticulating wildly and swearing. “You have to buy everything,” Bjelica shouted in the direction of the then LASK coach Walter Schachner.

In the second half he caused the next scandal: In the 66th minute, LASK was again awarded a controversial penalty. The gestures that the Croatian made from the stands were unmistakable, with a grip on the genitals and an extended middle finger. Now he should save the Berlin capital club.