 Paunović managingChicago Fire in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Veljko Paunović[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1977-08-21)21 August 1977 (age 48)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Strumica,SFR Yugoslavia[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,striker | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Serbia (manager) | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1994 | Partizan | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Partizan | 13 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 1995–2002 | Atlético Madrid | 52 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | →Marbella (loan) | 20 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Atlético Madrid B | 22 | (11) | ||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | →Mallorca (loan) | 24 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2001 | →Oviedo (loan) | 22 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | →Mallorca (loan) | 33 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Tenerife | 38 | (18) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Atlético Madrid | 35 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Hannover 96 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Getafe | 44 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Rubin Kazan | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Almería | 7 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Partizan | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Philadelphia Union | 17 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 358 | (76) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Serbia and Montenegro | 2 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Serbia U18 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Serbia U19 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Serbia U20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Chicago Fire | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Reading | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Guadalajara | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Tigres UANL | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Oviedo | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Serbia | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Veljko Paunović (Serbian Cyrillic:Вељко Пауновић,pronounced[ʋěːʎkopaǔ:noʋitɕ]; born 21 August 1977) is a Serbianfootballmanager and former player. He is the head coach of theSerbia national team.
A versatile attacking unit, he could operate as anattacking midfielder or astriker, and spent most of his professional career in Spain where he represented eight clubs,[2] amassingLa Liga totals of 212 matches and 38 goals over 11 seasons and having several spells withAtlético Madrid. Other than in his own country, he also played in Germany, Russia and the United States.[3]
Paunović began working as a manager in 2012, starting withSerbia's youth teams and later being in charge ofChicago Fire,Reading,Guadalajara,Tigres UANL andOviedo. In October 2025, he was appointed at the Serbia senior side.
Born inStrumica,Socialist Republic of Macedonia,Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Paunović made his professional debut at 17 withPartizan. The following summer he moved to Spain, where he would stay for most of the following decade playing for a host of clubs,[4] starting in the1995–96 season with modestMarbella and reaching the1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final withMallorca (with whom he scored five league goals inthat campaign, to help theBalearic Islands team finish third),[5][6] as well as having three separate stints withAtlético Madrid.[7]
Paunović had his best year in2002–03 withTenerife in theSegunda División, netting 18 times from 38 appearances although theinsular side could only rank eighth.[8] After a return to Atlético and a brief stay in Germany withHannover 96, he joinedGetafe for2005–06's top flight,[9] enjoying his finest season inLa Liga by scoring ten goals in 30 league matches to help theMadrid outskirts club to the ninth place. Due to the years spent in the country, he received aSpanish passport in 2006.[10]
Paunović was signed byRussian Premier League'sRubin Kazan in March 2007, after falling out of favour with Getafe coachBernd Schuster. The following year, he agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal withAlmería in January.[10] His debut was a sour one, playing 20 minutesoff the bench againstRacing de Santander in a 1–0 away defeat, while also receiving two yellow cards in one minute (with the consequentdismissal).[11] He would score on two occasions towardsthe season's end, in a 4–2 away loss to former team Getafe[12] and in the last matchday, a 3–1 victory atEspanyol.[13]
On 12 July 2008, Paunović signed a two-year deal with his former club Partizan.[14] On 13 August, he scored in a 2–2 draw with Turkey'sFenerbahçe in thethird qualifying round of theUEFA Champions League.[15] Before the end of the year, however, he announced his decision to retire from the game.[16]
On 29 June 2009, Paunović went on trial with theNew York Red Bulls, but eventually turned down the one-year contract offer.[17] In June 2011, after nearly three years out of football, the 33-year-old signed a deal with another American club,Philadelphia Union, after a trial stint.[18] He scored his first goal with his new team late in the month, in a 3–2 win overChivas USA.[19]
Paunović officially announced his retirement for the second time on 19 January 2012.[20]
Paunović made his debut forSerbia and Montenegro in a 2–1friendly win overMexico, on 13 February 2002.[21] His only othercap came two years later againstNorthern Ireland, another exhibition match, and he scored in the 1–1 draw inBelfast.[22]
Paunović earned aUEFA PRO coaching licence and asporting director degree from theRoyal Spanish Football Federation. For nine months, he was aUEFA Champions League analyst forRTVE in Spain.[23]
Paunović began working as a manager with theSerbia national team, being in charge of theirunder-18,under-19 andunder-20 sides. While with the latter, he won the2015 FIFA World Cup.[24]
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On 24 November 2015, Paunović was appointed head coach ofChicago Fire inMajor League Soccer.[25] He led the team tothe playoffs in2017, which happened for the first time in five years.[23] In the same year, he coached in theAll-Star Game againstReal Madrid.[26]
Paunović also reached the semi-finals of theU.S. Open Cup in2016 and2018.[27][28] He and the Fire parted ways on 13 November 2019.[29]
Paunović replacedMark Bowen as manager ofReading on 29 August 2020.[30] On hisEFL Championship debut on 12 September, the team won 2–0 atDerby County;[31] he ended September as the division'sManager of the Month for winning all three games.[32] They missed out on aplayoff place with two games remaining, after a 2–2 draw againstSwansea City at theMadejski Stadium.[33]
In November 2021, during Paunović'ssecond season, the team received a six-point deduction for breaching profitability and sustainability rules across the previous three seasons.[34][35] The following January, the Royals were knocked out of theFA Cup in thethird round byNational League North sideKidderminster Harriers.[36]
Following a 3–2 away victory overPreston North End on 19 February 2022, Reading announced that Paunović had left his role by mutual consent.[37]
On 31 October 2022, Paunović was named manager atLiga MX clubGuadalajara.[38] He made his debut the following 7 January in a 1–0 win atMonterrey.[39]
Paunović left in December 2023 by mutual agreement.[40]
On 9 June 2024, Paunović became head coach ofTigres UANL in the same country and league.[41] On 2 March 2025, he was dismissed.[42]
Paunović returned to Spain on 26 March 2025, being appointed at second-tierReal Oviedo.[43] On his debut four days later, he oversaw a 2–1 home victory overMálaga thanks to anown goal in injury time.[44] He ultimately guided theAsturians to athird-place finish,[45] and secured top-flight promotion for the first time in 24 years with a 3–1 extra-time defeat ofMirandés in the second leg of thepromotion play-off final.[46]
On 9 October 2025, even though his team was placed outside the relegation zone, Paunović was sacked; he was the first manager to be shown the doorthat season.[47][48]
On 30 October 2025, Paunović replaced the dismissedDragan Stojković at the helm of the Serbia national side, who stood third in their2026 FIFA World Cupqualification group with two games remaining.[49] On his debut on 13 November, a 2–0 loss againstEngland atWembley Stadium ended all hopes of reaching the finals.[50]
Paunović experienced hardships while training for football, such as walking for hours to practice and sometimes going without food.[51] His father,Blagoje, was also a footballer; adefender who inspired him, he also played for Partizan and represented Yugoslavia atUEFA Euro 1968, before beginning a managerial career.[51]
Paunović is married and has four children.[52] He is fluent in six languages:English,Spanish,Serbian,Macedonian,Russian andGerman.[23]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Partizan | 1994–95 | First League | 13 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Marbella (loan) | 1995–96 | Segunda División | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| Atlético Madrid B | 1996–97 | Segunda División | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| 1997–98 | Segunda División | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | |
| Total | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 11 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 1996–97 | La Liga | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 1997–98 | La Liga | 14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 6 | |
| 1999–00 | La Liga | 30 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 7 | |
| 2000–01 | Segunda División | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 52 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 63 | 10 | ||
| Mallorca (loan) | 1998–99 | La Liga | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 6 |
| Oviedo (loan) | 2000–01 | La Liga | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
| Mallorca (loan) | 2001–02 | La Liga | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 41 | 3 |
| Tenerife | 2002–03 | Segunda División | 38 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 18 |
| Atlético Madrid | 2003–04 | La Liga | 25 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 |
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 2 | |
| Total | 35 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 42 | 9 | ||
| Hannover | 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Getafe | 2005–06 | La Liga | 30 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 13 |
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| Total | 44 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 14 | ||
| Rubin Kazan | 2007 | Russian Premier League | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 |
| Almería | 2007–08 | La Liga | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Partizan | 2008–09 | Serbian SuperLiga | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 2 |
| Philadelphia Union | 2011 | Major League Soccer | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| Career total | 358 | 76 | 21 | 6 | 32 | 5 | 411 | 87 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 April 2004 | Windsor Park,Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Northern Ireland | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly[22] |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Serbia U20/U19/U18 | 1 October 2012 | 30 June 2015 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 062.50 |
| Chicago Fire | 24 November 2015 | 13 November 2019 | 148 | 46 | 39 | 63 | 031.08 |
| Reading | 29 August 2020 | 19 February 2022 | 83 | 29 | 18 | 36 | 034.94 |
| Guadalajara | 31 October 2022 | 15 December 2023 | 50 | 27 | 8 | 15 | 054.00 |
| Tigres UANL | 9 June 2024 | 2 March 2025 | 35 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 057.14 |
| Oviedo | 26 March 2025 | 9 October 2025 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 050.00 |
| Serbia | 30 October 2025 | Present | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.00 |
| Total | 356 | 144 | 78 | 134 | 040.45 | ||
Serbia
Individual
