A LITTLE STORY ABOUT VLADIMIR PETKOVIC

I've just read an articel about Lazio coach, Vladimir Petković on lazioland.com. Many things about him that surprise me. Yeah, because he's not a really famous figure in European football. For example, actually he's capable to speak in eight languages fluently! WOW!! He speaks Serbo-Croatian and Bosnian, Italian, French, English, Spanish, German and Russian. Amazing!

Vladimir Petković was born in Sarajevo on August 15, 1963. He also started his career in football as a player. In early 1980s he began his professional career at FK Sarajevo. In 1987, he emigrated to Swiss and joined FC Chur before he moved to the stronger team, FC Sion. Sion managed a third place finish in the Nationalliga, but Petković left the club at the end of the season. After leaving Sion, Petković moved back into the lower tiers, first joining FC Martigny-Sports before returning to his former Swiss club, Chur, where he enjoyed a career as a regular goalscoring midfielder.
After retired as player, he worked as a teacher, follow the traces of his parents. But, finally he was in contact with the charity organization Caritas that made him as a volunteer. He worked full-time for five and half year with Caritas. He had a responsibility to take care a group of unemployed young men.

Petkovic with Klose

After a few years, he was persuaded to coach an amateur team during evenings, and slowly football came back into his life. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season, he was appointed as manager of Young Boys. After taking charge at the club, he took his Bern side to a second-placed league finish. A full-time coaching role was never on his mind, but his results were a bit too good for him not to. Football chose him. At first, he even forced his football employer to adjust the training-scheme so it would fit with his hours at Caritas, even when coaching in the highest league in Switzerland, but when Young Boys was aiming for Champions League he realized that he didn't have the energy working double shifts. He said goodbye and promised to be back again in a few years later to the people at Caritas.

 
After two more seasons with Young Boys, he was fired after a 1–1 draw against FC Luzern on 7 May 2011, and he became new manager of Turkish side Samsunspor. He resigned from that position in January 2012. On 15 May 2012 he was named the new temporary manager of Sion until the end of the 2011–12 season.

His arrival to Lazio in summer 2012 has debated by many supporters. His capability was doubted. But now, with Lazio he make an impressive performance so far. Unbeatable in UEFA Europa League group stage, finish on the second position in Serie A for half of the season and advance through the quarter finals in Coppa Italia.

Petković has lost only four times in 27 official matches with Lazio. Currently, Lazio have not been beaten in 11 consecutive games (3 in Europa League, 1 in Coppa Italia, and 7 in Serie A). Much of the credit goes to Lazio manager Vladimir Petković.

 Source: lazioland.com