Dragan Ćirić resigned

The news came yesterday, out of the blue. Dragan Ćirić, FK Partizan’s freshly elected sports director has resigned.
We aren’t really pampered with information overload... Ćirić had a brief press release where he explains, when Tumbaković had offered him the position of FK Partizan’s sports director, he started to work with faith and a desire for success, hoping that he could give back something to the club he belonged since the beginning. He adds, in today’s Serbian football faith and desire for success are not enough. When someone works at such a football giant like Partizan, they immediately become a part of Serbian football as well, of that Serbian football that is full of contradictions, personal interests, uncertainty and calculating. For this he does not want to assist. He is a former athlete, now businessman and thanks, but he prefers to stay like that. As closing words he added, he was, is and will be forever for Partizan.

Dear Mr. Ćirić,
As a human, I can absolutely understand you. That’s what I was blabbering about just a few days ago, though I’m sure you see it much more in depths and in details than me. Your press release confirmed my thoughts about Serbian football having that amateurism that has been left here since the 70’s (especially the management of Serbian football), when vassals could get positions instead of experts. You confirmed me that the only solution is to sweep the whole company out and to privatize the entire championship, from Partizan to the smallest teams in the countryside. Until then there will surely be people like you, whose committment is beyond question, but sooner or later the system (and corruption) win over them and they have to give it up, if not else, then for their own health. And they can only watch as corrupted rats let the team rot to the ground.

And to make the shitstorm even larger, Saša Ilić also spoke his mind. He made no secret about his disappointment on Ćirić’s resignation.
- Ćirić would deserve a lot more respect. He was a great player, he knows fans and most of all, he loves the club. I have no idea where it will head - he said, adding, it was not the first time a person with a known and great name leaves the club.
- I thought those times were over. I know Ćirić for years, we played together, he is one of the fairest people I have ever known. I’m sorry it all happened. Partizan is a great team and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to commit those mistakes again we made in the past.

Partizan’s official statement about Ćirić’s resignation can be found here.

News from football fields and basketball grounds

Fofana might leave ul. Humska. News, that are not confirmed yet, talk about a Chinese football team that is interested in the Ivory Coast player. Rumours say, Fofana might get to them on loan, but if he is confident enough, Partizan might sell him.

I hope I’m not right, but this waste of such a talented player will strike back.

***

The new presidency has just been elected, but president Zoran Popović has already experienced disagreements with Ljubiša Tumbaković and Dragan Ćirić. The reason is Marko Nikolić, whether he stays or gets discharged. Newssite blic.rs says the Tumbaković-Ćirić duo is forcing to sign Ivan Tomić to Partizan’s bench, while the president stood up for Marko Nikolić. Some say, it is especially tragic because during the presidency election Marko Nikolić was lobbying for Tumbaković.

***

Milenko Tepić won’t be able to play tomorrow against Cedevita. Thank God his injury is not that serious, he really had just a brutal muscle spasm. Yet the problem is that there’s no substitue for him. Additionally, tomorrow’s match is crucial whether Partizan can qualify to the play-offs of Adriatic League.
Note: Partizan plays with Cedevita tomorrow at 17:00. SportKlub 1 broadcasts it live.