Fans have chose to criticise Reading as they confirm the appointment of a new manager, replacing Mark Bowen, who didn’t exactly do terribly last season.
Reports emerged on Tuesday morning, claiming that Bowen was to be removed from his role and revert to a position on the club’s board.
That came after former chief executive Nigel Howe was removed from his position and replaced by Dayong Pang on Monday evening.
Reading Football Club are pleased to confirm that Veljko Paunović has been appointed as our First Team Manager. ??✒️#WelcomeVeljko
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) August 29, 2020
It was in March 2019 that Bowen came into the club as a technical director, before being promoted to sporting director last August.
He then replaced manager Jose Gomes last October, despite taking interviews with other candidates for the job, and went on to guide the club to a 14th place finish in the Championship table.
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CLUB STATEMENT:
Reading Football Club are pleased to confirm that Veljko Paunović has been appointed as our First Team Manager.
Owner Mr Dai Yongge said, “With vast experience of top flight football as both a player and a coach across Europe and in the United States, and with proven pedigree of successfully working with young up-and-coming footballers on both the domestic and international scene, I am confident Veljko can help take this club forward.
“This has been a process and this appointment has been made only after long, careful consideration. After meeting with him, we found Veljko to be an exceptional candidate who impressed us immediately. I am sure he is the right man for Reading Football Club. I’m delighted he has agreed to sign as our new manager.”
Son to Blagoje Paunović, one of Yugoslavia’s 1968 European Championship runners-up in 1968, Veljko’s playing career took him from his beginnings in his native Serbia to the top tier in Spain, Germany, Russia and the United States.
The young forward made his professional debut at just 17 years of age with Partizan Belgrade before a move to Marbella in 1995 and a year later he joined Atlético Madrid.
Still only 20, Paunović helped Madrid reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1998 – knocking out Aston Villa on away goals courtesy of teammate Christian Vieri’s winner at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, only to be narrowly defeated in the two-legged semi-final by a Sven-Göran Eriksson-led Lazio side that included Alen Boksic, Pavel Nedved and Pierluigi Casiraghi.
A move to Mallorca the following season took Veljko a step closer to some European silverware when again Lazio proved his nemesis in the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final – Paunović had helped his new side finish third in La Liga and knock out Chelsea in the semi-finals but lost 2-1 to the Italian giants at Villa Park in May 1999.
Following loan spells with Oviedo and then back with Mallorca again in 2001-2, he moved to Tenerife where he enjoyed a prolific season in the Segunda División, scoring 18 goals in 2002-03, before a return to Atlético Madrid and then a brief spell with Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga.
He had also represented his country, scoring for Serbia and Montenegro at Windsor Park in a 1-1 friendly draw against Northern Ireland in 2004. He was soon back playing his club football in La Liga with Getafe in 2005, recording ten goals to help them to a ninth-placed finish in the Spanish top tier.
Short playing stints with Rubin Kazan in Russia, Spanish side Almería and then back in Belgrade with Partizan – where he played a part in a cup and league double campaign – were followed by a return from retirement to feature for Philadelphia Union in the MLS in 2011.
And it was in the MLS that, after making more than 400 appearances as a player, Paunović made his mark as a manager. But not before he had won a World Cup with his home nation!
Taking charge of the Serbian Under-18s and then Under-19s, the multi-lingual manager guided Serbia to the Final of the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2015.
Beating the USA in the quarter-finals, then Mali in the semi-finals, Veljko’s Serbian side defeated Gabriel Jesus’ Brazil in extra-time in Auckland to lift the trophy.
That success paved the way for his return to the US, becoming Head Coach at Chicago Fire in November 2015. In Illinois, he managed midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger amongst others, and guided Fire to the end of season play-offs in 2017.
Now he is set to begin a new challenge in the Championship.
The first team squad flew out to Portugal, directly after our friendly against Tottenham Hotspur on Friday evening, for a short pre-season training camp where they are also meeting their new manager for the first time.
Paunović will then formally take charge of the Royals upon his return from the continent, in advance of our first league game of the brand new season, away at Derby County.
Everyone at the club would like to wish Veljko the very best of luck as the new Royals boss and we look forward to welcoming him to Reading.
As mentioned, fans criticise Reading as they confirm appointment of the new manager, yet there was no mentioned of Mark Bowen in the statement…
Personally I think out of respect something should of been released regarding Bowen, took to him really well and would of been happy having him as our manager this season. But I hope this pays off, I’ll back him!
— Mitchell Baker (@mitchbroco) August 29, 2020
Not even a mention about Bowen! No explanation, absolutely nothing! Joke of a club who can’t even explain the reason for this appointment to it’s own fans ?
— Jamie Collis (@JamieCollis1995) August 29, 2020
No class, not a mention of Bowen. Ashamed of this club
— James Davies (@Jamie_1871) August 29, 2020
#Readingfc is becoming a club that’s embarrassing to support. I used to laugh at clubs like Cardiff and Leeds with their dodgy owners and senior management. We are now in their category. No class around they way this has been handled. Simply #Shambolic
— Jonathan Lara (@jonathan_lara) August 29, 2020
No mention of Bowen whatsoever. You’ve treated him so madly through this
— james (@rvbberhead) August 29, 2020
This is an absolute joke. No reference to the previous manager who has not officially been sacked. Do we have two managers now? This is NOT how you run a business, let alone a football club.
— Richard (Dougal) (@F8RDR) August 29, 2020
What was wrong with bowen for fuck sake
— Liam?????????(black lives still matter) (@Crazy32302963) August 29, 2020
Bowen was average at best. Appointed him self and sent fans into meltdown ? Dunno why so many people are crying about it ??
— scott (@ScottLeister10) August 29, 2020
Interesting how Dai Yongge doesn’t appreciate the work Bowen did last season to keep us in the league, no word of a thank you for his efforts as manager #readingfc
— Matt Bell (@mattbell40) August 29, 2020
Reading are fast becoming the best example in professional football of how not to run a football club. Haven’t we learnt that bringing in a manager with no or limited championship experience doesn’t work.
— John (@John55801250) August 29, 2020
No mention of Bowen = zero class. I will back Paunović as there is no reason not to but he club should be ashamed of the way they have wealth with everything over the last week
— Oliver Ward (@OliverWard2) August 29, 2020
Not a mention of Bowen. Where’s he gone?
— m (@1871MTE) August 29, 2020
No mention of Bowen, no thanks to him, nor an acknowledgement that he was even in the job. Classless and embaressing. The owner might have a big wallet, but he has absolutely zero idea on how to conduct business publicly and manage people let alone run a football club. #ReadingFC
— George Coffin (@GeorgeJCoffinn) August 29, 2020
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