Pantic is presented as the new head coach of Atlético de Madrid B
Enrique Cerezo accompanied the manager at his presentation
Milinko Pantic was presented on Tuesday, May 31 in the Estadio Vicente Calderón VIP Room as new manager of Atlético de Madrid B. It should be recalled that Pantic is a ‘man of the house’ who embodies the values that represent the ‘rojiblanco’ club. Pantic thus takes the baton passed on by Antonio Rivas as head coach of Atlético de Madrid B.
The history of Milinko has indivisibly been linked to the recent history of Atlético de Madrid. After starting his career as a footballer at Partizan Belgrade and signing with Panionios in 1991, he arrived at Atlético de Madrid when he was 29 years-old in 1995. Pantic, a completely unknown player upon his arrival, was one of the keys to the Double won by Atleti in the 1995-96 season and became a true idol of the masses in only a few months by writing his name in golden letters in the history Atlético.
After leaving Atlético in 1999 after 123 games and 32 goals at his back, and brief stays at French outfit Le Havre AC and Greek Panionios, he retired in 2000. As it could be no other way, he returned to the Club of his life, Atlético de Madrid, in 2003, as Sports Director of the Atlético de Madrid Foundation, a position that he has held since then. He has also formed part of the ‘rojiblanco’ club’s veteran squad.
The President of Atlético de Madrid, Enrique Cerezo, didn’t want to miss the act and accompanied the mythical player from the Double together with Carlos Aguilera, who was recently name Director of the Football Academy.
Enrique Cerezo began his speech by saying that “as we’ve commented more than once these days, the Club is immersed in a restructuring process of its athletic department in which the Professional Football Team and the Football Academy will logically take on a central role. Nevertheless, our goal is not to just strengthen these two sections of our organization, but to guarantee that both of them go hand-in-hand so that they can offer the Club the best guarantees of growth and development for its future. For this reason, according to this philosophy, we’ve chosen historical figures from the organization who embody the purest ‘rojiblanco’ sentiment, to cover the positions of Sports Director and Director of the Football Academy, and today we’re here with them to support a man who has become a legend of this hundred-year-old club,” commented the President.
Enrique Cerezo continued to speak about Pantic, assuring that “we’re very proud that Milinko Pantic will be the coach of our reserve team. We’ve placed the management of the players closest to the first squad in his hands so that Atlético de Madrid B will be a solid and competitive squad. The academy pays a strategic role in our model, so we’ve entrusted this important mission to an expert with a grand vision of football, a renowned vocation as someone who passes on values and also has an excellent relationship with the youngsters.
“Milinko has given this organization a lot, performing a commendable job through our Foundation, and now the time has come for Atlético de Madrid to give him the opportunity of achieving something that we know he was really hoping for, which is to coach. Milinko, you know that this organization and all of its fans have a special devotion for you, and this gives you the confidence and support of everyone,” he asserted.
To finish, the head director highlighted that “we wish you the best on this new adventure and we hope, from the bottom of our hearts, that this is the beginning of an excellent career in which you achieve, as a manager, the great success that you achieved as a player.”
Pantic, happy
Milinko Pantic appeared pleased about this new post as coach of Atlético B, after having completed a cycle as Technical Director of the Atlético de Madrid Foundation, where he was also in charge of the different summer and holiday camps held for children. The new head coach of the reserve squad said that “today is a very important day for me. I feel like I’m fulfilling a great dream to start as a manager and to do it at my home. To begin in front of my fans, my people… it would be impossible to get better than this. I’d like to thank the Club for the confidence they’ve placed in me for a new project with new people, who love this Club. I’m very happy because a part of my dream is coming true. From now on, I’ll try to take a step forward in this grand project.”
With respect to how he’d like the reserves to play, Pantic said that “I have to speak with Caminero and Aguilera. At this time of Barcelona, everyone would like to play like them, but we have lots of time to work with. We have to put together a competitive team, a squad according to the greatness of a Club such as Atlético de Madrid. And from there, we’re going to see how our team plays. I’m going to try to get my team to play the way I want them to.”
Regarding his goal as manager of the reserve team, the new coach was clear. “My goal and my job will be aimed at resolving the needs of the first squad. After that, I recall that in the season of the Double we didn’t set goals of winning the two titles. The goals will become clearer as the games pass, and in this sense the first goal is to have a good pre-season, prepare the reserves in my way and put together a team that competes well. Afterwards, we’ll see what goal we set for the season.”
Concerning whether coaching the reserve squad is the first step to moving up to the first squad at a later time, the Serbian commented that “who doesn’t dream about coaching the Atlético de Madrid first team? I’m very sure that many people would want to be where I am right now. I’m very proud and very happy to be here and to be the Atlético B manager. I don’t want to think further than that. I want to start this new adventure well, do it as well as I can and, from there, fate will decide what it wants to do with me.”
The history of Milinko has indivisibly been linked to the recent history of Atlético de Madrid. After starting his career as a footballer at Partizan Belgrade and signing with Panionios in 1991, he arrived at Atlético de Madrid when he was 29 years-old in 1995. Pantic, a completely unknown player upon his arrival, was one of the keys to the Double won by Atleti in the 1995-96 season and became a true idol of the masses in only a few months by writing his name in golden letters in the history Atlético.
After leaving Atlético in 1999 after 123 games and 32 goals at his back, and brief stays at French outfit Le Havre AC and Greek Panionios, he retired in 2000. As it could be no other way, he returned to the Club of his life, Atlético de Madrid, in 2003, as Sports Director of the Atlético de Madrid Foundation, a position that he has held since then. He has also formed part of the ‘rojiblanco’ club’s veteran squad.
The President of Atlético de Madrid, Enrique Cerezo, didn’t want to miss the act and accompanied the mythical player from the Double together with Carlos Aguilera, who was recently name Director of the Football Academy.
Enrique Cerezo began his speech by saying that “as we’ve commented more than once these days, the Club is immersed in a restructuring process of its athletic department in which the Professional Football Team and the Football Academy will logically take on a central role. Nevertheless, our goal is not to just strengthen these two sections of our organization, but to guarantee that both of them go hand-in-hand so that they can offer the Club the best guarantees of growth and development for its future. For this reason, according to this philosophy, we’ve chosen historical figures from the organization who embody the purest ‘rojiblanco’ sentiment, to cover the positions of Sports Director and Director of the Football Academy, and today we’re here with them to support a man who has become a legend of this hundred-year-old club,” commented the President.
Enrique Cerezo continued to speak about Pantic, assuring that “we’re very proud that Milinko Pantic will be the coach of our reserve team. We’ve placed the management of the players closest to the first squad in his hands so that Atlético de Madrid B will be a solid and competitive squad. The academy pays a strategic role in our model, so we’ve entrusted this important mission to an expert with a grand vision of football, a renowned vocation as someone who passes on values and also has an excellent relationship with the youngsters.
“Milinko has given this organization a lot, performing a commendable job through our Foundation, and now the time has come for Atlético de Madrid to give him the opportunity of achieving something that we know he was really hoping for, which is to coach. Milinko, you know that this organization and all of its fans have a special devotion for you, and this gives you the confidence and support of everyone,” he asserted.
To finish, the head director highlighted that “we wish you the best on this new adventure and we hope, from the bottom of our hearts, that this is the beginning of an excellent career in which you achieve, as a manager, the great success that you achieved as a player.”
Pantic, happy
Milinko Pantic appeared pleased about this new post as coach of Atlético B, after having completed a cycle as Technical Director of the Atlético de Madrid Foundation, where he was also in charge of the different summer and holiday camps held for children. The new head coach of the reserve squad said that “today is a very important day for me. I feel like I’m fulfilling a great dream to start as a manager and to do it at my home. To begin in front of my fans, my people… it would be impossible to get better than this. I’d like to thank the Club for the confidence they’ve placed in me for a new project with new people, who love this Club. I’m very happy because a part of my dream is coming true. From now on, I’ll try to take a step forward in this grand project.”
With respect to how he’d like the reserves to play, Pantic said that “I have to speak with Caminero and Aguilera. At this time of Barcelona, everyone would like to play like them, but we have lots of time to work with. We have to put together a competitive team, a squad according to the greatness of a Club such as Atlético de Madrid. And from there, we’re going to see how our team plays. I’m going to try to get my team to play the way I want them to.”
Regarding his goal as manager of the reserve team, the new coach was clear. “My goal and my job will be aimed at resolving the needs of the first squad. After that, I recall that in the season of the Double we didn’t set goals of winning the two titles. The goals will become clearer as the games pass, and in this sense the first goal is to have a good pre-season, prepare the reserves in my way and put together a team that competes well. Afterwards, we’ll see what goal we set for the season.”
Concerning whether coaching the reserve squad is the first step to moving up to the first squad at a later time, the Serbian commented that “who doesn’t dream about coaching the Atlético de Madrid first team? I’m very sure that many people would want to be where I am right now. I’m very proud and very happy to be here and to be the Atlético B manager. I don’t want to think further than that. I want to start this new adventure well, do it as well as I can and, from there, fate will decide what it wants to do with me.”
