June 20, 2022 - Former Istra 1961 coach Fausto Budicin will lead Rijeka in the upcoming season, the club announced on Monday. 

Croatian First League football club Rijeka announced on Monday that Fausto Budicin (41) has been appointed the new coach, replacing Goran Tomić, while Dragan Tadić (49) will be the technical director, who will also be in charge of the professional staff.

Both Budicin and Tadić are former players of Rijeka. Budicin wore the jersey of the Rujevica club from 2005 to 2011, while Tadić was a member of Rijeka from 2003 to 2007.

"Thank you to President Damir Mišković and the entire Administration for the trust they have shown us. We are looking forward to the new challenge and we believe that we will justify their trust with the results on the pitch," Budicin said.

In his coaching career so far, Budicin led Orijent 1919 in the 2019/20 season and reached the qualifications for a spot in the First HNL. From August 2020 to February 2021, he was on the bench of Istra 1961.

Budicin replaces Goran Tomić on the Rijeka bench, who amicably terminated his contract with the club after the end of last season, in which the club finished fourth place in the Croatian Championship and reached the Cup final where they lost to Hajduk 1:3. 

At the end of last season, Tadić led Hr. Dragovoljac. 

Rijeka also recently signed Mario Vrančić. Last season, Vrančić played for Stoke City in the Championship. Mario plays as an offensive midfielder and arrived in Rijeka on a one-year loan with the possibility of buying his contract.

Behind Vrančić is an impressive career in which he wore the jerseys of Mainz, Paderborn, Darmstadt, Norwich City, and Stoke City. Rijeka is a new station, a new opportunity to prove himself, and a great challenge. Vrančić played with Josip Drmić, Antonio Čolak, and Roman Bezjak in his career.

"I am very happy to be a new player of Rijeka. This is a new challenge for me, I chose Rijeka because I have a very good feeling," said Mario Vrančić.

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