Surging Serb: Why Al Taawoun listed Lazetic to continue Chamusca's work

History has shown that following in the footsteps of Pericles Chamusca at Al Taawoun is a difficult task, but it is one that new coach Zarko Lazetic will surely relish.

The 44-year-old Serbian steps into the role as Wolves manager with a developing reputation. Here, we examine why his breakout three years at TSC in his homeland suggests Lazetic is the right man for the job - and what he will bring to Al Taawoun for the upcoming 2026-27 RSL season.

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Burgeoning Reputation

Lazetic is rated as one of Serbia’s best tacticians, and his work so far has not gone unnoticed, with reports in Serbia last month linking him with French Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

There have also been connections to clubs in Russia and elsewhere across Europe, while in his final season in charge of TSC, Lazetic was voted by fellow coaches and club captains as the best manager in the division.

Here is just a sample of the comments from those across the league:

Aleksandar Dragovic (Red Star Belgrade captain): “For the second time, Topol were fighting for second place [and] playing in the [UEFA] Europa League where they looked good.

“TSC plays perhaps the most beautiful football in the league. I like that style; I like how they look on the field and that's why I vote for Lazetic.”

Mihajlo Trajkovic (Vozdovac coach): “I have no doubt that Zarko Lazetic is the best coach. He is the most consistent in Serbia, and for several years now his TSC has not lost either the quality of the games nor the quality of the results.”

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Continental credentials

Competing on two fronts, as Al Taawoun are this season with their participation in the AFC Champions League Two, will be familiar ground for Lazetic, who took FK TSC to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.

While at TSC, Lazetic earned an impressive 2-2 draw with an Olympiacos side featuring the likes of Konstantinos Fortounis and Georgios Masouras, who are no strangers to fans of the RSL. His TSC side also opened the scoring in London against English Premier League outfit West Ham United.

That continental experience could prove invaluable as Al Taawoun looks to juggle twin commitments this season.

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The right balance

Lazetic’s teams seem to find the perfect blend between attack and defence.

Outside of the dominance of Red Star Belgrade, in his two full seasons in charge at TSC, no team conceded fewer goals (71), while only Partizan scored more (148 to 141). Indeed, Lazetic’s side averaged close to two goals per game and conceded less than one.

“According to the game model, it is something that I like and how I would like my team to be organised both offensively and defensively,” said former FK Radnicki Nis coach Dejan Joksimovic.

“TSC plays intense and modern football, following trends from the strongest European leagues.”

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Upsetting the applecart

Given his success at TSC, Lazetic seems perfectly suited to a club like Al Taawoun - one that loves to punch above its weight and challenge the established hierarchy.

At TSC, Lazetic took a team with little pedigree in the Serbian top flight and turned them into a club that challenged the established duopoly of Red Star Belgrade and Partizan - the two giants of Serbian football with far greater resources than their rivals. It’s the same kind of challenge he faces at Al Taawoun.

Success isn’t judged only by trophies, but wherever Lazetic has gone he has showcased how he makes teams better.