Josip Juranovic was an absolute fan favourite during his time at Celtic. Thus, it was seen as a blow by most people, that he ended up leaving the club in the middle of the season. But then, with the Croatian full-back being 27 years of age and enjoying a standout World Cup campaign, there was a feeling of inevitability about the move.
Juranovic’s destination did come as a bit of a surprise to many. The Croatian was linked with the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, AS Roma, Manchester United and several other big European names but ultimately, he ended up at Union Berlin.
While Union Berlin might not be one of the traditional big names in European football, they are certainly enjoying a great campaign. The club are putting up an unlikely Bundesliga title challenge and they are also still in the UEFA Europa League.
While Juranovic might not have been a Celtic player for long, having joined in the summer of 2021 and left in January of 2023, he certainly seems to have enjoyed his time at the club. As reported by The Scotsman, the Croatian international said about his time at Parkhead:
"“My 18 months there was unbelievable. What can I say about Celtic? It’s one true love.”"
Juranovic makes beautiful claim about his time at Celtic
Juranovic joined Celtic in the summer of 2021. It was a difficult time for the team and the future looked uncertain.
Celtic had finished trophyless and 25 points behind the Rangers the season before. Also, several key players had left in that summer. Thus, the squad was in need of a complete rebuild and it was unclear how long it would take them to start competing for the major honours again.
It did not take long, as Ange Postecoglou transformed the club in a short amount of time and guided them to a Premiership and League Cup double that very season. Players like Juranovic certainly played their part in that, establishing themselves as starters and leaders from day one.