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Antic steadies Celta ship

Coach Radomir Antic's steadying influence is already being felt at RC Celta de Vigo.

By Aleksandar Boskovic

Having led FC Barcelona through a testing patch midway through last season, Radomir Antic is beginning to get a reputation as the coach to turn to in an emergency in Spain. Appointed by RC Celta de Vigo two weeks ago, it seems the Serbo-Montenegrin specialist is already making his presence felt.

League struggle
Despite their exploits in the UEFA Champions League, Celta have struggled in the Primera División this season. A 2-1 win at home against Villarreal CF on Sunday may have moved them away from the relegation zone, but the 54-year-old coach insists that his new side are not out of the woods yet.

Mid-table target
"Miracles cannot happen in a day," he told uefa.com. "We are much closer to the bottom of the table than to the top. I don't expect a relegation struggle, but we need to get out of the crisis and then we will see where we end up. My guess is we will be somewhere in the middle at the end of the season."

European pay-off
While Antic's predecessor, Miguel Ángel Lotina, managed to lead Celta to the knockout stages of the Champions League, there was a price to pay. Striker Savo Milosevic recently stated that the club's focus on Europe had had a direct and detrimental effect on league form - something that Antic is wary of.

'Magnetic appeal'
"I know that the Champions League has a magnetic appeal," said Antic. "Many players have dreamed of playing in the Champions League and find it difficult to turn to the domestic championship - great players have to have enough motivation and strength to endure all pressures."

Arsenal prospects
Antic's side will face Arsenal FC in their first knockout tie - though the coach admits he has not been paying too much attention to that challenge. "I am not thinking about Arsenal for the moment because I have a lot of work to do before that match," he said. "One thing is certain - we will do our best in the two matches and we believe we can win."

Tottenham rumours
Having coached Club Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid CF, Real Oviedo and Barcelona, Celta is Antic's fifth Spanish club. However, since he is only contracted to coach Celta until the end of the season, there has been speculation it could be his last. Rumours over the weekend suggested that Antic could be the man to take charge of Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur FC in the summer.

Spanish focus
However, when he spoke to uefa.com, Antic was not looking further afield than Spain. "Although the job of a coach is universal and does not depend on geography, I think that a coach should also be a specialist in a peculiar domain," he said. "I have tried to become a specialist in Spanish football."

Careful thought
His long-term future at Celta may be uncertain, but the former Yugoslavian international winger is not too concerned; indeed he was delighted to have earned a reputation as the kind of coach who thinks carefully before accepting a job. "I do not run after money," he said. "That is the wrong attitude. I am looking for an environment that can help me to advance. I would prefer to sit at home for two years than to accept jobs I don't believe in."

Mutual belief
For the moment, Antic believes in Celta. And they believe in him, too.

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