Slavisa Jokanovic Signs Two Year Contract Extension

In a flurry of activity on Thursday evening, Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic signed a new contract that keeps him at the club until 2019. In addition, Tony Khan (son of Fulham owner Shahid Khan) was appointed Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations.

Jokanovic, who joined the Whites in December 2015, had been intermittently linked with moves away from Craven Cottage in recent months. Rumors connected him with continental clubs such as Malaga and Werder Bremen; yet Jokanovic put these worries to bed and signed a two-year contract extension.

The Serbian is finally starting to implement his managerial ethos at Craven Cottage and has Fulham playing their best football in years this season. The Whites now sit seventh, one place off the playoff spots, and are on their best run of form all season.

In an interview with the club website, Jokanovic spoke in glowing terms about Fulham and his hopes for the future.

“This is a fantastic Club full of history and tradition and I am proud to be part of that and hopefully to add a little to the story,” Jokanovic told fulhamfc.com. “We’ve built an identity our fans can relate to which has brought us closer to our targets, which is exciting for the future of the Club and for those fans who deserve to see the good times of elite football being played back at the Cottage again.”

However, Jokanovic’s extension was not the only new development in the club’s set-up on Thursday. Tony Khan, the American son of owner Shahid Khan, was promoted to the role of Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations.

Tony Khan had previously advised the club’s scouting department, offering his expertise with his knowledge of statistics. His analytical brand of scouting was implemented over the summer, leading to the Cottagers’ impressive offseason transfer window.

Furthermore, Khan’s friend Craig Kline (who had clashed with Jokanovic in the past) was also appointed Assistant Director of Football Operations and Director of Statistical Research. Brian Talbot was also promoted to the role Assistant Director of Football Operations and Chief Scout; both Talbot and Kline will report to Khan, according to the club website.