Until recently the captain of Croatia’s national football team, Niko Kovac, 37, who ended his playing career three weeks ago, will still be employed by his club, Austria’s champion Red Bull from Salzburg, in which he will take over the position of the juniors coach, the club said on Tuesday. 

Kovac captain passed a coaching course in Croatia during the spring and this will be his first coaching job.

Kovac, who played for the Croatian national football team in 83 matches, is preparing for his farewell match for July 10 when Red Bull will host another of Kovac’s former clubs, Munich’s Bayern.

During his career, Niko Kovac played for his home town’s club, Hertha from Berlin, Bayer from Leverkusen and Hamburger SV.