Sergej Jakirovic admitted he was sorry to see compatriot Ivor Pandur leave Hull City, but admits it was a necessity to ensure the Tigers were not hit with a potential points deduction.
Pandur was sold to Rangers in a £6m deal at the end of last month, while Akin Famewo joined Bolton Wanderers for £500,000 and Under-21 starlet Aidon Shehu moved to Greek giants Panathinaikos for £2.6m.
Those deals ensured the Tigers complied with Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules despite going into the Premier League. Had they been found guilty of a breach, then they could have been hit with a points deduction.
That, Jakirovic says, would have been unthinkable for a newly promoted team that will be scrapping for every single point in a bid to remain in the world's toughest league.
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"On the one hand, I'm sorry; on the other hand, I'm happy for him because he got good terms, and it's no small thing to defend for Rangers," Jakirovic told Germanijak.hr. "We had to sell him because we had a sword hanging over our head due to financial fair play and a potential loss of six points. I wish him all the best, and may he continue on this path."
Jakirovic again delivered an insight into his relationship with owner Acun Ilicali, who greeted the Croatian and the Tigers' squad on their return to pre-season training at Cottingham on Monday.
The City head coach also had the chance to go out to the World Cup with Ilicali, but opted to kick back and enjoy a prolonged period in Croatia.
"He's been like that since day one. We clicked since we met. I like to communicate with him directly because I think that's the best way. If there's a problem, we solve it right away and don't sweep it under the rug. The relationship is great, and trust is maximum.
"It was just for the players. We talked about going to Miami during the World Cup and flying to the games of Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, but in the end we gave up on that idea. I simply needed to be with my family. In the end, the boss called my family, but we stayed in Croatia," he added.
As for City's chances in the Premier League when the campaign kicks off next month against Manchester United, Jakirovic is realistic, but certainly not defeatist.
"We have to be realistic," he added. "We have a very tough fight ahead of us. I looked at the numbers, and you can see that Burnley and Leeds both had a hundred points in the Championship, and then Burnley finished with 22 in the Premier League. That tells you everything. They already have a base, they invest a lot of money, and again, the difference is brutal. Today, even weaker teams are worth 250 to 300 million euros, and we are around 80 because we lost some players.
"We have no room for error. We have to put together the best possible team within that framework and then fight with the stronger and richer ones. I will do my best to stay in the league because, honestly, I can't imagine being relegated. It will be the toughest challenge of my career, but I am ready for it."
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