Josip Juranovic life after Celtic turns sour as defender faces ultimate Bundesliga nightmare

Celtic fans say the green isn't always greener when players leave Parkhead. And those words are certainly true for Josip Juranovic.

The right-back quickly established himself as a big favourite amongst the green-and-white faithful after Ange Postecoglou plucked him from Legia Warsaw in 2021. But after helping Celts wrestle back the title from Rangers in his debut season, Juranovic cut short his time in Glasgow after just 18 months by upping sticks for Union Berlin.

The Croatian World Cup semi-finalist had long been touted for an exit in January 2023 following a stunning tournament in Qatar and was even linked with European heavyweights Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United. In the end, he opted for a £10million move to Germany with a team who were threatening to become one of the biggest shocks in Bundesliga history by challenging Bayern Munich for the title.

Set-piece specialist Juranovic hit the ground running too, netting a series of sensational free-kicks during the club's Europa League run. And while his new club's title challenge eventually fizzled out, Juranovic did help Union Berlin clinch a Champions League spot by finishing fourth in the German top-flight ahead the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt.

It was an incredible achievement for a club who were playing in 2. Bundesliga only a few years earlier and the challenge was to build on that success for 2023/24. Unfortunately for Juranovic, the opposite has transpired. Their European group stage campaign proved a damp squib after failing to win any of their six games and their domestic form plummeted, leaving them 16th and in the relegation play-off zone.

Manager Nenad Bjelica paid the price for a calamitous run of form last week as he was sacked from the Stadion An der Alten Försterei hotseat. Interim boss Marco Grote has been tasked with steering the club to safety ahead of their final game at home to SC Freiburg.

Depending on results elsewhere, a victory could see them leapfrog relegation rivals Mainz and VfL Bochum and guarantee their safety. But a defeat coupled with a victory for 17th placed Koln - who play away to Heidenheim - would likely see them relegated on goal difference.

Should Union Berlin end the campaign in their current position as third bottom, then they'll face a relegation play-off with Düsseldorf, who achieved third in the second-tier. It's fair to say the prospect of dropping down a division is not how Juranovic would have envisioned his career panning out just a year and a half after finishing third in the World Cup with Croatia.

On a personal note, it's been a frustrating year for the player too, who has made just 13 starts in the league due to form and fitness issues. He's yet to find the back of the net either, but has at least contributed three assists.

Speaking to Football Scotland in March 2023, the 28-year-old opened up on his reasons for leaving Celtic and the moment he knew the writing was on the wall.