Danilo Doncic was officially named as the new coach of Ethnikos Achnas yesterday.
The Serbian mentor, who was in charge of Al Najma in Bahrain last season, has inked a deal until the end of the 2015/16 campaign after agreeing terms with Ethnikos Achnas officials on Tuesday.
Ethnikos made their move for Doncic after installing him as their no.1 candidate to succeed Borce Gjurev who was relieved of his duties following a poor run of five consecutive defeats in Cyprus’s top league.
With Ethnikos fighting for survival, Doncic knows that he has a tough task on his hands but he is relishing the challenge.
“I’m very pleased to take over as coach of Ethnikos Achnas,” the former Floriana, Sliema Wanderers and Mosta coach told Times of Malta from Cyprus yesterday.
“I want to thank the club’s administration for giving me this opportunity.
“This is my first coaching experience in Cyprus but I have a good idea about the level of football here as, during my time as player and then assistant coach with Lokomotiv Sofia, we did a pre-season training camp here and also played some friendlies.
“The reputation of Maltese football is growing because Andrè Schembri has done well for AC Omonia and now there’s also Steve Borg (with Aris Limassol).
“Ethnikos decided to change coach after losing their last five games. Our top priority is to keep the club in the top division as, from what I’ve been told, Ethnikos have not been relegated for a very long time.”
Doncic, who did his UEFA Pro Licence course in Bulgaria, had been out of work since ending his spell with Al Najma last May.
The Serbian admitted that his aim was to secure a job overseas.
“After my spell with Al Najma, my goal was to coach another club outside Malta,” Doncic said.
“In the summer, I received several enquiries but in football, things change very quickly, especially when you’re a coach.
“I decided to bide my time as I didn’t receive a concrete offer but on Monday I was contacted by the Ethnikos officials.
“Things really moved fast as, on Monday afternoon, I drove from Belgrade to Sofia to catch a flight to Larnaca and on Tuesday afternoon I effectively agreed terms with Ethnikos and took charge of my first training session.”
Doncic is bracing himself for a baptism of fire as Ethnikos face fellow relegation strugglers AEL Limassol this Sunday. The two clubs are second from bottom, level with Ermis Aradippou with eight points from 11 games.
“I’m doing my utmost to prepare the team as best as I can,” Doncic said.
“The first impressions are positive as the players look willing to work and adapt to my methods.
“I have acquired DVDs of AEL Limassol’s recent games to study their characteristics. I’ve been told that AEL have a rich tradition here and a large fan base but we’re playing at home and we will surely do our best to emerge on top from this important encounter.”