The Croatian stable in Shakhtar (Srna, Pušić, Stanić) faced a tough decision when they decided to let Srna take over the role of head coach. Srna, who is the sports director at Shakhtar, had previously been the assistant coach to Pušić and had played with him on the national team. However, when an opportunity presented itself for Srna to lead the team against Barcelona, he jumped at it without hesitation.
“I made this decision with my heart,” said Srna. “It happened very quickly and I didn’t even have time to think about anything because we were in a rush to take over the team before the game.”
Pušić was pleased that Srna was willing to step up and assumed his role as first assistant coach. Together, they led Shakhtar to a victory over Barcelona just days after sitting on the bench of the champions of Ukraine.
“Dario is a great player and I have always known him,” said Pušić. “He has played well for Croatia and I am confident that he will do well as a head coach.”
Srna has known Pušić since their days playing together on the national team and believes that their friendship has helped him make this transition into coaching. They are excited about what lies ahead for both themselves and Shakhtar as they continue to work together towards success in Europe’s top club competition.
