Veljko Paunovic is a former professional soccer player and manager. Paunovic was most recently the manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer in the United States, but he was let go following the 2019 season. The 42-year-old born in Strumica, North Macedonia, has had a career that has taken him around the world, and he should be able to find a new team to manage soon.
Paunovic’s father was also a soccer player and manager. Blagoje Paunovice played professionally in the 1960s and 1970s. He made 39 appearances for the Yugoslavia national team in this period, including appearances in the 1968 Euro Tournament. He also managed professionally from 1994 until 2011.
As a soccer player, Velko Paunovic primarily played either as a center-forward or an attacking midfielder. He made 358 professional appearances for twelve different teams while scoring 76 professional goals across all competitions. He began his career with Partizan in Serbia before playing in Germany, Spain, Russia, and the United States. The majority of his games were played with Atletico Madrid in Spain. He retired in 2011, with his final club being the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. Paunovic also made two appearances for the Serbia and Montenegro national team, scoring one goal for them in 2004 against Northern Ireland.
After his playing career ended, Paunovic turned to managing. He began managing the Serbian national youth teams. He worked with the U18, the U19, and the U20 teams. His most notable career achievement came with the U20 squad as he lead them to the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2015, where they won the tournament. After his success at the tournament, he was hired by the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, where he managed the team for four years. He lead the team to the playoffs in the 2017 season, where they were knocked out in the first round.
Veljko Paunovic has earned his UEFA Pro Coaching license and sporting director degree. Outside of soccer, he is married with multiple children. He speaks numerous languages and also holds dual citizenship in Spain and Serbia.
Paunovic’s career has taken him around the world. He has had opportunities to both play soccer and manage teams in multiple countries. While Paunovic is currently without a club, his success as a manager and his experience working in numerous countries should allow him to find a new club to manage soon.
