The 34-year-old midfielder’s expiring contract will not be renewed after this season, the club announced on Thursday. Junuzovic has been sidelined for months after suffering a heel injury in August and has only made five appearances this season.
The midfield motor came to Salzburg free of charge from his youth club GAK via Austria Kärnten, Austria Wien and Werder Bremen in the summer of 2018. With the Bulls, he won the championship and cup double in 2019, 2020 and 2021, but the cooperation will end after the fourth double he is aiming for.
“It was anything but an easy decision for us,” said Salzburg’s sporting director Christoph Freund. “For reasons of fairness, we informed him of this decision at an early stage to give him enough time to reorient himself. Sladdi never let himself down even in the last few months, which were difficult for him, and did everything to get his injury under control I hope that he will soon be his old self again and that we can find a perfect conclusion together with him and celebrate two more titles,” said Freund.
Junuzovic, Austria’s footballer of the year 2010, is not easy to say goodbye. “Of course I regret this decision because I really like being here in Salzburg and I had a great, successful time. But it’s the way it is and I don’t just look back positively on my years at FC Red Bull Salzburg, I look back positively into the future,” said the veteran.
He doesn’t yet know what that future will look like. “I’ll think about that in the near future and decide together with my family what’s best for us,” said the 55-time team player, who ended his team career in October 2017.
Source: Nachrichten
