As the sports director of Shakhtar, Dario Srna made a difficult decision to sit on the bench in the Champions League match against Barcelona, just days after Mario Stanić had sat on the bench of the champions of Ukraine. Stanić took up the role of head coach while the legendary “fireman” sat on the bench in his first assistant position.
Srna explained that he made this decision with his heart and everything happened very quickly. He didn’t even have time to think about it because they were in a rush to take over the team before their game against Barcelona. He thinks he decided within half an hour, and when he was called by Mario Stanić, he asked if it was sure and if his decision was final. Feeling something inside him, Srna told Stanić that he would come.
Stanić and Srna have known each other since their time together on the Croatian national team. Dario Srna replaced Stanić in the position of right back for Croatia, and Stanić said that he knew him for 30 years and had played for Croatia in his position for six to seven years, where they won a bronze medal at the World Cup in 1998. He said that Srna was younger than him but more technically sound, faster and helped his decision to leave the national team after playing there for only two or three months.
Srna went on to play for Croatia for ten years and became captain of their team which is a great story according to Stanić who concluded by saying that it is new experience for him and a new way of life as he’s happy to be here at Shakhtar and part of this club