At Last, Buducnost Leaders Make the Right Call: The Coach is Not the Core Issue Amidst the Chaos
Photo: FK Budućnost/Rusmin Radič
Amid a widespread organizational and financial crisis, Buducnost’s leadership has finally taken a sensible and practical step.
They had little choice, Yesterday, we reported how the funds were depleted, that the club was “torn apart,” and that the budget for a new coach was rather limited.
The team will be managed by Ivan Delić, one of Lalatović’s recent assistants, until the international break (early September, with two more championship rounds), and he will also be joined by Srđan Nikić, another assistant who possesses the necessary UEFA Pro license and can act as head coach.
Just before the break – or even after?
The new president of Buducnost, Boris Spalević, announced cost-cutting measures upon facing an alarming monthly spending of nearly 300,000 euros for player salaries, coaching staff, and other expenses. This amounts to over three million euros annually—a budget unprecedented in the club’s history.
Additionally, Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović recently remarked on Gradska TV, discussing some absurdities, such as a contract stipulating payment of 28 or 30 euros for just one pizza (which is typically delivered to players post-match) and exorbitant expenses for lunches after games when the team returns from the north.
For anyone questioning (and many are): where has the money gone? Here’s your answer…
Since reducing players’ salaries, which are protected by contracts, isn’t straightforward, Buducnost’s leadership has opted not to invest in a new coach. Based on current “rates,” hiring one would cost around 100,000 euros per year (including assistant coaches) or close to that, especially for someone from outside.
The beginning of September will reveal whether Buducnost’s leaders have genuinely understood that selecting a coach during a time of complete turmoil is not the most critical issue.
Clearly, it’s evident to everyone that the main problem for this Future, especially during its centennial celebration, isn’t the coaching staff. Even Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp couldn’t manage amid such disarray, where roles in choosing, selling, or acquiring players remain undefined.
The core issue is with the Podgorica club’s structure, where key positions in the sports organization are filled predominantly through party politics.
FK Budućnost needs to address numerous challenges before starting anew—significantly more than just the coaching question, which seems to change like clockwork.
The club must be organized first, and only then can appropriate decisions be made, with the grim reality being that few believe Buducnost, given its current operational model, is prepared for such drastic sporting cuts.
However, regardless of the club’s management developments, the priority must be some more significant, systemic (and corrective) actions.
Ivan Delić will lead the team—until the break, why not after? He is a club product, a talented former player, a national team member, and reputedly an emerging coach. If not now, when will he get his chance?
So, no sign of Dejan Vukićević, Nikola Drinčić, or Radoslav Batak—at least for the time being.
September will reveal if this Future understands that coaching choices aren’t the most pressing matter at hand.
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