September 23, 2019 – After Dino Skender was sacked as the Osijek coach on Saturday, Rijeka coach Igor Biscan handed in his resignation.
Index.hr reports that Biscan resigned at a press conference after defeating Istria in Pula (3:0). Rijeka registered their first victory after 50 days, but that did not affect the decision made by Bišcan before the game. Damir Miskovic already had a solution on Sunday morning.
Biscan cited that he was dissatisfied with the club atmosphere and limited staff. Rijeka officially confirmed the news as soon as the match in Pula ended.
After the victory, Biscan shunned the cameras and asked his assistant Anto Tomic to take the television interviews and comment on the match live from the stadium. Tomic knew that Biscan was going to hold his final press conference as the coach of Rijeka.
In a brief address to the press, Biscan said he was leaving disappointed with the working conditions at the club and the situation around the club.
“I will talk about the match very briefly. The way my players played today is the best indicator of how much truth there is in the headlines that we turned our backs on each other. As you know, this is my last match on the Rijeka bench. I am tired of working in conditions that are not ideal; they are nowhere near that. Nonetheless, we were able to produce great results in conditions that were not great. Times have changed,” Igor Biscan said in his introduction, and openly said that he had a hard time dealing with the boycott of Rijeka fans from day one and cared very much about the club.
This was clearly evident in his work and dedication in Rijeka, where, despite the turbulence, he revitalized an average team and proved to be an excellent coach. Even so, Biscan was increasingly nervous and repeatedly said at press conferences that poor results are the result of lack of quality in the team, but that players have no reason to complain.
Bišćan thanked his players and associates.
“From the beginning, I did not have the support of the general public here. As I said before, it’s a different time. Rijeka used to be able to buy a left back for one game, and now this is no longer possible. I decided I had to stop. I thank everyone for their support, Damir Mišković for his trust, and the biggest thanks go to my staff and players. I wish Rijeka good luck and hope they find someone who will care about the club as much as I did,” Igor Biscan concluded and left the press conference.
The reporters did not have the opportunity to ask Biscan additional questions.
The boss of Rijeka has already hired a new coach, and according to unofficial information, the club is being taken over by Simon Rozman, a 36-year-old Slovenian with whom the club has been in contact since Matjaz Kek’s departure.
Miskovic saw a long-term solution in Biscan, but their cooperation didn’t last a year. On Monday morning, Index.hr learned that the new coach is already on the way to Rijeka. Rozman is otherwise a great favorite of Matjaz Kek, who wanted him as part of his staff in Rijeka.
Rozman has led Celje and Domzale in his coaching career. He left Domzale 18 days ago.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.