Croatian football club Dinamo Zagreb announced that an amicable termination of the contract has been agreed with the current coach of the Blues, Sergej Jakirović, according to the club’s official website.
The first team will be led in the short term by the current member of the coaching staff, Sandro Perković, until a decision on a new long-term coaching solution is made.
Sergej Jakirović stepped into the coaching role of Dinamo at a delicate moment, immediately after the turbulent matches against the Greek AEK in the 3rd round of the Champions League qualifiers when the head coach Igor Bišćan was dismissed. Sergej Jakirović led the team through most of the previous competitive year, crowned with a double crown, marked by an impressive 11 consecutive victories. In that season, the team played 51 official matches and finished on top with an eight-point lead over the second-placed Rijeka and a double-digit difference from other competitors. Jakirović has led exactly 60 matches from the blue bench in a year and 29 days, recording 41 wins, nine draws, and 10 losses. Furthermore, he connected half a year without a defeat in an official match, from March 14 and the lost match against PAOK in Thessaloniki until this Friday the 13th and the loss of points against Hajduk. In that interval, he connected 21 official matches without a defeat. He concluded his term with a won championship title, the cup of the Cup winners, placement in the round of 16 of the Conference League, and entry into the Champions League.
“We sincerely thank Sergej Jakirović for everything he has done for our club and wish him good luck and success in his future career,” the club said.
“First of all, I want to thank Sergej Jakirović for all the results he has achieved. We had a pleasant cooperation, he left an impression of a quality person on me and I wish him good luck in his future career. The most important thing in these situations is for us to remain human, and to put Dinamo's interests first. It is now up to all of us to make a quality decision about a new coach in this difficult moment for Dinamo and to get back on the winning track”, said GNK Dinamo president Velimir Zajec.
Sandro Perković was part of Dinamo's coaching staff back in the 2021/22 season under the management of coaches Željko Kopic and Ante Čačić, during which they won the title of champions. He then spent successful six months in Latvia where he coached the team Riga. Since February 2023, he is back in Maksimir, where, alongside head coaches Čačić, Igor Bišćan, and Sergej Jakirović, he contributed to winning two more championship titles and one cup trophy.
