Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic has emerged as a potential candidate for a future move to Serie A, according to Croatian agent Leo Dragicevic. He believes the coach is approaching a key moment in his career.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, Dragicevic praised the work Jakirovic has been doing in England and pointed directly to a possible step up. “Sergej Jakirovic is doing an excellent job at Hull City. He is a good name to take the place of someone coming from Serie A in the near future,” the agent said.
Pressure on Croatian coaches
Dragicevic used Jakirovic’s case to explain how Croatian managers often work under heavy scrutiny. He pointed to Ivan Juric as a clear example and argued that football often forgets too quickly. “Juric is very criticised, but he coached teams like Roma and Atalanta, where the pressure is extremely high,” he explained. “Everyone forgets positive results quickly and remembers only the negative ones.”
The agent then linked that point to Juric’s previous work. “He can always do well at a team like Torino, where he achieved impressive results in the 2021-22 season,” Dragicevic said, arguing that context matters when clubs judge a coach’s job.
Dragicevic also referenced other Croatian managers working at a high level. He mentioned Niko Kovac and said the coach is “doing great things” at Borussia Dortmund, using that as further proof of Croatian influence on the managerial side.
Despite that, Dragicevic admitted he leans towards Italy when it comes to coaching ideas. “Personally, I prefer a bit more the Italian managers and their style of play,” he said, while still stressing that Croatian coaches can thrive when conditions line up.
Another name mentioned
In addition, Dragicevic singled out Luciano Vulcano, who currently works as an assistant at Sunderland alongside Régis Le Bris. “There is a young coach I would like to bring to light, Luciano Vulcano, who is now doing a great job at Sunderland with Régis Le Bris,” he said.
“He can do the same path as Carlos Cuesta, who left Arsenal as an assistant to go to Parma. I believe something similar will happen to Luciano, either in Italy or in England. We will see who will be the first to recognise these qualities that he has”, the agent explained.
For now, Jakirovic remains focused on his work at Hull City. However, Dragicevic’s comments suggest Serie A clubs may soon look to the Championship when assessing the next generation of coaches.
