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The scene was almost lost in the turbulent final phase of last Saturday’s match between Union Berlin and Augsburg. Union had just scored the late 1-1 equalizer when referee Badstübner Marinko Jurendic showed a yellow card on the sideline.
Marinko Jurendic has been sports director at FC Augsburg since August 1, 2023 and is not known for his uncontrolled temper. But the 46-year-old was angry about a foul that was not called, but in fact, like everyone else in Augsburg, he just jumped up from the bench with a lot of gestures because he was disappointed that it was not enough to score. ultimately a three-pointer in Berlin.
Hungry for more
This scene shows what is currently happening in this club. Everyone here is hungry for victories, hungry for more. Blick spoke to Jurendic about the scene. «I was surprised when I saw the yellow card. It was the second since I’ve been to Augsburg. She was not justified. The referee then apologized to me in the dressing room. But I accept the decision.”
FC Augsburg and Marinko Jurendic, two have found each other. Always in the shadow of its big neighbor, the FCA has developed since the 1990s from a dilapidated Bavarian amateur club into an established Bundesliga club and that is far from the end of the revival.
At the center of the current mood of optimism is the Swiss Marinko Jurendic, the man who, together with the Canepas, was in charge as sports director at FC Zürich in recent years and coached the club to a championship title in 2022. André Breitenreiter and in the early summer as sports director he was still planning the current season with the Zurich team. But then came the phone call from Augsburg that changed his sporting career.
Change coach after seven games
“First I had to google where Augsburg was.” A statement by Jurendic that has already achieved cult status. He now knows the area northwest of Munich very well. After two months in the hotel, he now lives ten minutes from the stadium. His wife, son and dog are still in Switzerland. They come to visit him as often as possible. “Such a move for the whole family must be well prepared.”
That is why the Augsburg team brought in the Bosnian, among others. For strategy and planning. He didn’t think much beforehand about his switch from FCZ to the Bundesliga, he just wanted to do his best as always. But the early days became intense. After a start that did not go as planned with five points from seven games and the cup result in the first round, the man from Switzerland was already in demand. Coach Enrico Maassen (39) had to leave, Jurendic selected Jess Thorup (53) as his successor.
“It’s all about winning”
A Dane! After the good experiences with Bo Henriksen (48) at FCZ, that was anything but a coincidence. «Jess is one of the best trainers in Denmark. And with Bo Henriksen I got to know and appreciate the Danish mentality. It’s very similar to ours. After the first conversations, we knew that Jess would be a good fit for us and our focus at FCA.” Thorup’s motto: “Always want more, never satisfied. It’s all about winning.”
Jurendic says he had no contact with Bo Henriksen when Thorup became a problem in Augsburg. Although the two Danes know each other very well, they once even played together at Odense and then faced each other several times as coaches. They radiate a similarly fiery winning mentality and also want to convey the fun of playing. The parallels are clear. After FCZ missed the start of the 2022/23 season, Jurendic brought Bo Henriksen on board as a savior instead of Franco Foda. He led the club from the bottom of the table to the top of the Super League within a year. A direct hit.
Does Thorup do it like Henriksen?
Jess Thorup made a successful start in Augsburg, which promises a similarly positive development. He has already been in charge for five games as the new coach at Augsburg. Since then there have been two wins and three draws in the championship. Augsburg tops the second half of the table. Concerns about the relegation battle are gradually being swept aside. Managing director Michael Ströll even talks about the goal of establishing himself in the top 10 of the Bundesliga in the medium term.
Former striker Jurendic knows this goal, but keeps the ball low: “It’s a big step, I don’t want to look that far ahead. In the Bundesliga, every match is so intense and everything is very close. You have to take it step by step. And we must not forget where we come from and what is realistic for us.”
FCZ on master’s degree
A typical answer for the reserved Schaffer. However, Jurendic dares to make a prediction. This concerns the FCZ. «I am watching the developments from a distance and am happy with the successes and the remarkable consistency of the past months. The FCZ is functioning excellently as a team and is well on its way to playing for the championship title in the spring.”
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Bayer Leverkusen
|
12
|
27
|
34
|
|
|
2
|
 Bayern Munich
|
12
|
34
|
32
|
|
|
3
|
 VfB Stuttgart
|
12
|
16
|
27
|
|
|
4
|
 Borussia Dortmund
|
12
|
6
|
24
|
|
|
5
|
 RB Leipzig
|
12
|
17
|
23
|
|
|
6
|
 TSG Hoffenheim
|
12
|
3
|
20
|
|
|
7
|
 Eintracht Frankfurt
|
12
|
5
|
18
|
|
|
8th
|
 VfL Wolfsburg
|
12
|
-4
|
16
|
|
|
9
|
 Sc Freiburg
|
12
|
-8th
|
15
|
|
|
10
|
 FC Augsburg
|
12
|
-3
|
14
|
|
|
11
|
 Borussia Monchengladbach
|
12
|
-2
|
13
|
|
|
12
|
 Werder Bremen
|
12
|
-7
|
11
|
|
|
13
|
 1. FC Heidenheim 1846
|
12
|
-9
|
11
|
|
|
14
|
 VfL Bochum
|
12
|
-14
|
10
|
|
|
15
|
 SV Darmstadt 98
|
12
|
-18
|
9
|
|
|
16
|
 FSV Mainz
|
12
|
-13
|
8th
|
|
|
17
|
 Union Berlin
|
12
|
-15
|
7
|
|
|
18
|
 1. FC Cologne
|
12
|
-15
|
6
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
