Ex-Norwich and Stoke man Vrancic on clash of former clubs

The Bosnian midfielder, now playing as an overaged player for Eintracht Frankfurt II, was a pivotal figure in the heart of Daniel Farke and Stuart Webber's footballing revolution at Carrow Road that culminated in the exhilarating Championship title win in 2018/19. 

Vrancic was the first signing of Farke's era in Norfolk and took time to warm up before exploding into life in year two under the German at Carrow Road - much like the project as a whole. 

Norwich are on a new and different journey now under Johannes Hoff Thorup and Ben Knapper, and Vrancic is watching closely as a supporter of the Canaries rather than in the heart of their midfield. 

"I follow them every weekend and in every game," the Bosnian says in a chat with the Pink Un ahead of his two former sides meeting this weekend. 

"I was there for years and it was the best time in my career. I love the club and team, and I'm still in touch with some of the players, so I follow them a lot. There were a few changes. It always takes time, and you need players capable of fitting into the style.

"I usually watch the highlights. Borja Sainz is a bit like Emi [Buendia], Josh Sargent is a great striker also I still know Grant [Hanley] and Kenny [McLean] and they are great players.

"The results in recent weeks have been amazing, and I'm sure the style of play is as well. You can have philosophy and a special style, but you also need results.

"For that, you also need luck. In the season we got promoted, we won a lot of games by one goal and a lot in the last minute. People don't talk about luck."

Norwich have undergone significant changes in the last 12 months, from the top at ownership level right down to academy structures. 

Mario Vrancic played a key role in the Daniel Farke era at Norwich City. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) From his experience in a turbulent opening season under Farke, Vrancic knows all too well the importance of time and buy-in from both club and supporters when implementing a new style of play and approach. 

"I was the first signing [under Daniel Farke]. In football, I wouldn't talk so much about projects.

"At some point in football, there are always some changes. Delia and Michael are standing down, new coach from Denmark, new sporting director - there are some really big changes there," the 35-year-old said. 

"Changes in football usually happen a lot faster than at Norwich. People get sacked sooner than they do at Norwich. The first season with Daniel and Stu [Webber] wasn't great, right? But the club was patient.

"Even at the start of the second season, coaches and sporting directors are usually sacked at this time, especially at a club with big ambitions. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Daniel got so much time, and people still like him at Norwich."

Vrancic ended his spell at Carrow Road in 2021 as a two-time Championship title-winner who made 134 appearances whilst producing some memorable moments, from his free kick against Sheffield Wednesday to the stunning strike that secured promotion on home soil against Blackburn. 

As he winds down his career at Frankfurt, the midfielder is still grateful for the affection he receives from the Canaries faithful. 

"When you get older and, in my case soon, finishing with football, you are looking back to great experiences and games," Vrancic said.

"I just think about the Norwich fans, games and times. In the beginning, my performances weren't great, but afterwards, they gave me so much love. When you get that, it's easier to pay it back. That's what I did."

After his departure from Norwich, Vrancic joined Stoke in the Championship and remains popular despite only remaining in the Potteries for a season. 

"Stoke are a big, big club. They have high ambitions. I had a good season there. I was a bit injured during my time there, but I made 35 appearances, which is okay, and I had a good time there," Vrancic recalled. 

"Michael O'Neill was my coach and they were great people. I really enjoyed playing for Stoke, but you know how it is in life; at some point, you know it's enough. It didn't have anything to do with the club, I just wanted a change to see something new.

"This is why I went to Croatia. But Stoke is a great club, and I had nothing to complain about."

Vrancic played 35 times for Stoke during a season at the club. (Image: PA Images) Stoke have failed to discover an upward momentum since relegation from the Premier League in 2018 and ex-City man Narcis Pelach is the latest coach attempting to arrest their slump down the Championship table year on year. 

Vrancic has played for the club during that spell and pondered when the inevitable question arises about why Stoke have struggled to find a consistent rhythm. 

"In my season that I was there, in November or December, we were in the top three, and then our best defender, Harry Souttar, got an ACL injury and was out for six or seven months," he said.

"After that, we struggled so much. You lose some games and lose confidence, and then we can't turn things around. We finished 14th, which is not great for the size of this club. You can have philosophies and great players, but you also need luck. We didn't have that.

"This is when things turned, and we struggled afterwards. It's hard when you are down once to get back, even if you're a big club. The smaller clubs are not sleeping, but they are developing. 10 or 15 years ago, you beat those clubs easily, but it makes it harder to get promoted when that is the case." 

The stereotype for travelling teams heading to Stoke is to overcome the conditions, which are notoriously mentioned in the build-up to encounters at the bet365 Stadium, as will be the case for Norwich on Saturday afternoon.

Vrancic has been on both sides of that football adage - and thinks there is some truth to Stoke's unique difficulty. 

"There is no secret [to winning at Stoke]," Vrancic said. "You need to have some gloves or a hat! Adapt to the conditions as soon as possible, because especially when it was raining, even a little bit, if you play a long ball, once it is bouncing then the ball is gone.

"The pitch is so super fast with the wind, so you need to adapt to the conditions in the warm-up. If you're not there with your head, then you lose because the players at Stoke are used to it and they have a little advantage."