Former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Zarko Lazetic has found a new club about five months after being dismissed, according to a report in the Russian media. The report says he has finalized terms with Al Taawoun of the Saudi league, after drawing interest from several respected European teams.
The article says Saudi Arabia made an offer “impossible to refuse,” with the club’s management strongly pushing to bring him in and giving him complete freedom to build the squad. Lazetic is expected to receive a net salary of more than $2 million per season, and the club is also said to promise him and his family a very high standard of living.
Lazetic reportedly insisted that his entire professional staff join him, and the deal was completed after the club agreed and also promised high salaries for his people. A special clause was added to the contract stating that he will receive at least one proven reinforcement from Serbia in the upcoming transfer window, according to his choice.
Lazetic coached Maccabi Tel Aviv for a year and a half and won the league title with the team, but his final season was disappointing. Heavy defeats, including 6-2 to Beitar Jerusalem, 6-0 to Lyon, 4-1 to Maccabi Haifa, and a 2-1 derby loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv, led to the end of his spell in Israel.
