Maccabi Tel Aviv FC would like to announce the appointments of Milos Veselinovic (Assistant Coach), Christos Kelpekis (Goalkeeping Coach), Darko Obradovic (Fitness Coach) and Nenad Kovacevic (Sport Therapist) as the new members of Vladan Ivic’s coaching and support staff.
Milos Veselinovic, 38, who guided FK Vozdovac to fifth place in the Serbian top flight last season as head coach, returns to work as Ivic’s Assistant Coach, a position he held at PAOK when the Thessaloniki side won the Greek Cup in 2017.
מילוש וסלינוביץ’ | Milos Veselinovic ()
Veselinovic, who previously coached FK Javor Ivanjica, FK Indija, Srem-Sremska Mitrovica, had also several spells at his hometown club Radnicki Obrenovac, where he began his coaching career in the youth department before progressing all the way to coach the senior side. As a player, Veselinovic, had his career cut-short by an injury, but after making his early footballing footsteps at the Red Star academy, he represented Yugoslavia’s young national teams from U15’s to U19’s.
Christos Kelpekis, 44, who was also a member of Ivic’s coaching staff at PAOK for four years both at the Youth Academy and senior side, will join Maccabi as Goalkeeping Coach.
חריסטוס קלפקיס | Christos Kelpekis ()
Kelpekis, who as a goalkeeper represented Greece at U-21 level, previously played for Iraklis Thessaloniki, Anagennisi Giannitsa, Makedonikos Neapolis, Apollon Pontou, PAE Veria and PS Kalamata before retiring in 2013 and began coaching.
דארקו אובראדוביץ’ | Darko Obradovic ()
Darko Obradovic, 45, who began coaching at his hometown club of FC Obilic Belgrade, is joining Maccabi as Fitness Coach, having worked in the past in no less than 7 other countries – FC BSK Borca Belgrade (Serbia), FC Budocnost (Montenegro), Al Ittihad Tripoli (Libya), FC Changsha Ginde (China), FC Shahrdari Tabriz (Iran), Najran SC (Saudi Arabia), CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), Litex Lovech (Bulgaria), FC Guizhou Renhe (China), Ittifaq (Saudi Arabia) and FC Vozdovac.
Nenad Kovacevic, 34, joins Maccabi as a Sport Therapist having also worked with Ivic at PAOK where he was Head of the Medical team. Kovacevic, began working at OFK Belgrade as Physiotherapist at a young age and moved on to work for the Serbian FA with the U-16’s, U-21’s and senior national team.
ננאד קובאצ’ביץ’ | Nenad Kovacevic ()
Vladan Ivic told the club’s official website of the new members of the staff: “Milos Veselinovic is a highly regarded coach who worked with me in the past at PAOK and has gained a lot of experience both at clubs in Serbia and the Serbian FA. Christos Kelpekis has been working with me from my first day at PAOK’s Youth Department for 2.5 years and then for 1.5 years in the first team. Darko Obradovic has been a fitness coach for almost 20 years and has gained vast experience all across the world, while Nenad Kovacevic, is a Sports Therapist who worked with me in the past at PAOK and has been extremely successful in Serbia”.
Shura Uvarov, who has been the Goalkeeping Coach of the first team since retiring in 2000 and is a highly valued member of staff – will continue to work at the club helping nurture the next generation of Maccabi Goalkeepers.
“Since joining Maccabi Tel Aviv in 1991 as a goalkeeper and after 18 long and satisfying years, I will be moving away from the day-to-day involvement with the first team keepers. I will not be leaving the club as I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to continue my focus on developing the next generation of Maccabi keepers”.
