Sooner or later I will be the coach of Rijeka or another big club

He was a favorite of Rijeka fans since his playing days - for three years, on two separate occasions, he wore the jersey of the club from Kantrida, shook the nets, and spared no expense in the jersey of Rijeka's whites.

And when last year, as an assistant coach, he was the only one from the coaching staff to "refuse" to move to Dinamo's bench when he was the head coach Sergej Jakirovic decided to go to Maksimir, definitely bought the hearts of everyone from Kvarner, became a legend of the club, for all time.

Former Montenegrin national team player Radomir Đalović and eight months later he believes it was the right decision.

- I didn't make a mistake by staying, I felt the need to stay and I would do the same again. It was before the matches with Lille in the European qualifiers. Jakirović is, first of all, my great friend, teammate from both Zagreb and Rijeka, he invited all of us from the coaching staff to go with him to Dinamo. I decided to stay in Rijeka - I thanked him and wished him luck, in every game except for the matches with Rijeka - Đalović told "Vijesti".

As he points out, the support of the fans, the media, and everyone who has anything to do with Rijeka meant a lot to him in those days.

- People appreciate everything I do and what I have done for this club and they decided to show that clearly. I was pleased with that support, especially before the first match with Lila, which I led, it would be a 'baptism of fire' in a way. And it was good, until the 90th minute when we conceded a goal and lost 2:1.

And exactly on Sunday, in a direct clash for the title, Rijeka's Rujevica will play Rijeka and Dinamo. On the guest bench - Sergej Jakirović, without Đalović, on the Rijeka bench Željko Sopić, with his right hand - Radomir Đalović.

Dinamo has a point more, and whoever wins, four rounds before the end, will have a huge chance to cross the finish line first.

- We were in a fantastic series, seven consecutive victories, without conceding a goal, but on Sunday we lost against Lokomotive in Zagreb 3:1. Of course we were disturbed by that defeat, we were first, we had a chance to meet the derby from a leading position, but even like this, everything depends on us. One match, a match of truth, in front of our phenomenal fans we have a chance to show that we are better - emphasizes Đalović.

Rijeka and Dinamo will face each other in the final of the Cup, but the championship is the first opportunity.

- We have an excellent team, with three Croatian national team members. We play collectively, diversely, 16 different players scored goals. In front of our phenomenal fans, where Lil was shaking this summer, he only eliminated us in overtime, I think we have a good chance.

Rijeka was the only one, seven years ago, to break the sovereign, almost two-decade reign of Dinamo in Croatian football, when the former owner of Dinamo Zdravko Mamic said: "You have seen this now and never again".

Mamić is no longer at the table at Maksimir, and Rijeka now has a new, big chance. What is the secret of a club that is at the top of Croatian football every year, which is competitive in Europe, and played in the group stage of UEFA competitions?

- In excellent scouting and a great, familiar atmosphere in the club - answers Đalović as if from a cannon.

- The key is to miss unestablished, but good footballers with a strong character, and Rijeka has been doing this in a top-notch way for many years. Now we have three Croatian national team members, and two of them are goalkeepers Labrovic i Marko Pasalic, last season they played in the third German league. The third member of the national team is proven, brilliant Marko Pjaca. Rijeka is a stable club, thanks to the owner Damir Miskovic, in the last 10 years, it has won four Croatian Cups, although the budget is always smaller than that of Dinamo, Hajduk, and lately Osijek.

I love this job

So, Radomir Đalović definitely decided to be a coach - four years ago he completed a long career on CFL fields (Budućnost, Rudar, OFK Titograd, Grbalj) that moved from Germany (Arminija Bielefeld), through Turks (Kajzerispor), Romania ( Rapid Bucharest), Russia (Amkar), of course Croatia, to China and Thailand.

He played 26 games for the national team of Montenegro, scoring seven goals.

- I've been in football all my life, the fact that I went to coaches is a logical sequence. I love the job and hope to be successful. I see myself on the bench of Rijeka, if the first coach - sooner or later, or on the bench of another big club.

Đalović is applying for a PRO license at the Coaching School of Croatia - he received his A and B license at the Coaching School of the Football Association of Montenegro.

- I continued my education in Croatia, and thanks to Niko Raičković and Boris Ljutica from the School for Coaches FSCG who helped me make that transition smoothly - Đalović points out.