The Serbian joins the record Uganda Premier League champions, who have not won a league title since 2004, and are on a seven-year run without any piece of silverware.
New SC Villa head coach Dusan Stojanovic says he recognizes that it is his obligation to help bring ‘new success’ as he attempts to bring back the glory days back to the club.
Stojanovic was officially unveiled as Villa’s head coach during a press conference at the club’s offices on Tuesday morning, having signed a two-year deal with the Jogoo at the start of the week.
The Serbian joins the record Uganda Premier League champions, who have not won a league title since 2004, and are on a seven-year run without any piece of silverware.
“I want to thank everyone who made my arrival here possible. Yes, I am aware that I have come to a club with long history of glory and tradition,” Stojanovic said during his first press conference.
Sports Club Villa is a club that has support of many clubs, and they are hungry for new success.”
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“I am aware of all of that. I also know that when they are happy, they know how to properly support the players and the club.”
“I also know that the jersey and badge for Villa are heavy, so we need to know how to handle that pressure,” he added.
Villa was unexpected title challengers last season, but fell short on the final day of the season following a 1-0 defeat to URA FC.
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Accompanied by his assistant Morley Byekwaso, Stojanovic was officially introduced at SC Villa's head offices in the Industrial Area of Kampala.
The club eventually decided against retaining the services of their coaches Jackson Magera and Ibrahim Kirya, handing the reigns to Stojanovic.
Stojanovic expressed his enthusiasm for the new role and emphasized the importance of evaluating the current players and building his plan accordingly.
Recognizing SC Villa's rich history of success, Stojanovic aims to build on that legacy and further the accomplishments of the club's previous coaches.
“Last season, our coaches Jackson [Magera] and Ibrahim [Kirya] did a good job. We were unlucky in the last game in the league,” he said.
“So, we need to keep everything that was good in the past, and to upgrade what we need to upgrade, and to recognize that it is an ongoing process.”
“Because of the coaches who in the past have raised the performance and achievements to the highest possible level,” he explained.
“I have the obligation to continue on that path which brought a lot of joy to the entire Villa family. But we recognize that it is not easy at all, and because of that, I can promise just hard work, and with time, we will judge just how we have worked.”
“I hope that there will be more reason to be satisfied and happy. I am not a person who likes to talk, I let my effort on the field do the talking,” Stojanovic continued.
About Dusan Stojanovic
The UEFA A licence holder, is a graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Studies from the University of Belgrade in his native, Serbia.
He has previously worked as coach at OFK Beograd (2005-2012), assistant head coach at FK Cularicki (2013-2016) and assistant head coach at FC Krasnodar in Russia between 2016-2017.
He also served as a football coach at FK Crvena Zvezda (2018-2019), assistant head coach at Zamalek (2019-2020), assistant head coach at the Zambia national team (2020-21).
He was also head coach at FK Vojvodina, with his last job at FK Rad as a deputy head coach between March 2022 to October that year.