When asked whether he would like to return to Dinamo Zagreb, Jakirović candidly admitted that his ambitions have grown significantly—he stated that he wants to manage Man Utd and aspires to coach Europe's top elite clubs.

Jakirović was appointed Hull City manager in June 2023 and led the team back to the Premier League. In the Championship playoff final, Hull City defeated Middlesbrough with a late goal from Oli McBurnie in the final minute, securing promotion to the top flight.

The Croatian manager is frequently interviewed by Croatian media, and when asked if he would like to return to Dinamo Zagreb, Jakirović candidly admitted that his ambitions have now grown considerably.

"Me? My goal now is Man Utd, haha! Anything is possible, and if I can get to Man Utd, I will be in my element. I had a wonderful time at Dinamo Zagreb, and I have no hard feelings towards the people there. The hypocritical faces of some people have finally been exposed... But now I aspire to coach Europe's elite clubs."

The Tigers started the new season with a 2-0 home victory over Man Utd, followed by a 1-0 win against Coventry. With these performances, Sergej Jakirović won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for August. Hull City then drew 0-0 with Aston Villa and drew with Chelsea to secure an additional point.

Reflecting on this personal honor, he said: "Just yesterday, I was still watching these famous managers on TV, and now I can communicate directly with them before and after matches. They are all ordinary people, and that is the secret to success."

"This is incredible; I am extremely proud of this award. Wake me up, it feels like a dream. Just standing on the same stage as these outstanding managers was already a dream, let alone winning an award. None of this would be possible without the players; they have turned tactical ideas into actions, and this honor belongs to them as well; they are as proud as I am."

Hull City are currently fourth in the table with 8 points and are one of four unbeaten teams in the Premier League.

On the team's recent form, Sergej Jakirović said: "It's been an excellent start. When the fixture list was first released, some people texted me expecting us to do well, but there are no easy matches in the Premier League. My job is to convince the players that we can absolutely do this and to trust in our training and hard work."

"This season, many new managers and players have joined the league. I've found a balance between last year's squad and new signings. The team atmosphere is united, and our style of play will make all opponents uncomfortable. If someone had told me four rounds ago that we would have 8 points after four matches... I couldn't have imagined it. But I am an optimist, and I believe the team still has room for improvement."

On His Coaching Philosophy

The 49-year-old manager emphasizes that his coaching philosophy is to flexibly adapt tactics to suit the characteristics of his available players.

"A year ago, someone asked me about my coaching philosophy. My philosophy is to adapt to the players' characteristics. I won't delude myself into thinking I have a €500 million budget to buy players that perfectly fit my ideal style of play. Simplicity is a good quality. Nowadays, football is made as complicated as science fiction, but the essence of football is actually very simple," he added.

"When I was a player, football was very simple, and the basic logic has never changed—only the pace of the game has become faster. You have to convince the players to give everything for you. The key is consistency, fairness, letting players know their position, and a manager cannot show favoritism."

When asked how he prepares for strong opponents like Man Utd and Chelsea, Sergej Jakirović shared his preparation approach.

"We will selectively build our match strategy. Our players will find it easier to adapt to opponents than Chelsea will adapt to us."

"I have managed Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb, and Zrinjski, and in some matches, you need to especially motivate the players. You have to face reality; often we will have to defend, and that's not a problem for us; we are used to playing above our weight in the Championship."

"I notice that Coventry and Ipswich are currently struggling because they are used to controlling matches. The secret to football is building a complete team, like a jigsaw puzzle. There are 11 people on the pitch, and we try to bring everyone onto the same wavelength, though there will always be players who have moments of brilliance and stand out."

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