Sheffield United: Slavisa Jokanovic will be officially unveiled later this week

Slavisa Jokanovic will be officially unveiled as Sheffield United manager later this week, when he is presented to the media during a behind closed doors event at Bramall Lane.
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The former Yugoslavia and Chelsea midfielder is scheduled to meet members of the media, including The Star, on Friday; 24 hours after his reign in South Yorkshire begins.

Despite being appointed as Chris Wilder’s successor last month, Jokanovic agreed to complete his contract with Qatari club Al-Gharafa before taking charge.

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Aged 52, he won promotion from the Championship with Watford and Fulham before heading to the Middle East. United were relegated from the Premier League last season, two years after climbing out of the second tier under Wilder’s stewardship.

Serbian manager Slavisa Jokanovic: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty ImagesSerbian manager Slavisa Jokanovic: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Serbian manager Slavisa Jokanovic: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

After flirting the idea of hiring Oostende coach Alexander Blessin and then handing caretaker Paul Heckingbottom the role on a permanent basis, United eventually asked Jokanovic – regarded as the outstanding candidate and obvious choice by players, supporters and commentators alike – to assume responsibility for leading them back into the top-flight.

Born in Serbia, he represented his home town clubs Novi Sad and Vojvodina before spells with Partizan Belgrade, Oviedo, Tenerife and Deportivo La Coruna.

Jokanovic joined Chelsea in the summer of 2000 before finishing his playing career at Murcia. He then returned to Belgrade with Partizan, going on to embellish his reputation as an astute tactician and man-manager with teams in Thailand, Israel, Bulgaria and Spain as well as those hugely successful spells at Vicarage Road and Craven Cottage.

Jokanovic led Al-Gharafa into the qualifying rounds of the AFC Champions League before signing a long-term contract with United, who parted company with Wilder in March.