Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was close to getting the Juventus job earlier in his career, reveals sporting director Fabio Paratici.
Mihajlovic restored his reputation as a top Serie A coach last season, guiding Bologna to safety after failed spells in charge of Milan and Torino.
And Paratici says it was a “relief” to see the Serb back in a dugout.
“It was very nice to see him on the bench, a relief,” he told Tuttosport. “I am a friend of Sinisa’s, a very good friend.
Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was close to getting the Juventus job earlier in his career, reveals sporting director Fabio Paratici.
Mihajlovic restored his reputation as a top Serie A coach last season, guiding Bologna to safety after failed spells in charge of Milan and Torino.
And Paratici says it was a “relief” to see the Serb back in a dugout.
“It was very nice to see him on the bench, a relief,” he told Tuttosport. “I am a friend of Sinisa’s, a very good friend.
“And I confess, he was very, very close to becoming the Juventus coach, even though I won’t reveal exactly when.”
Mihajlovic remains at the helm of the Rossoblu, despite announcing earlier this year that he was fighting cancer.
“He is a warrior, I knew that already. Now I have received more confirmation of that.”
Juve chose to replace the hugely-successful Max Allegri with former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri, so what attracted him to the 47-year-old?
“In previous years, he had made an impact on us with Napoli and we had felt on our own skin how good he was.
“Then he played great football in a difficult environment at Chelsea and in the Premier League. It’s not easy to be a foreigner in a different kind of football.
“He finished third and won the Europa League. A mix of these things led to us considering him as the ideal Juventus coach, from the beginning.
“He was our first choice.”