MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 24/25 SEASON REVIEW.
## Top League Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
01 Ararat 30 20 7 3 55 31 +24 67 C, UICA CC, RCdC
02 Atletik 30 20 4 6 74 39 +35 64 UICA GC
03 Crvena Zvezda 30 19 6 5 65 38 +27 63 UICA GC
04 Liria 30 14 9 7 43 32 +11 51 UICA GC
05 Nyva 30 15 5 10 50 35 +15 50
06 Energija-Nuklearna 30 14 5 11 53 46 +7 47
07 Olympic 30 13 4 13 44 41 +3 43
08 1896 Ebor 30 11 9 10 51 44 +7 42
09 CDSA 30 12 5 13 49 54 -5 41
10 Tekstil 30 10 7 13 33 41 -8 37
11 Arka 30 6 12 12 33 40 -7 30
12 1923 Esca 30 9 3 18 31 49 -18 30
13 FK Magevskaya 30 8 5 17 37 55 -18 29
14 Granica 30 8 5 17 24 43 -19 29 R
15 Partizan 30 6 7 17 26 49 -23 25 R
16 Pretia 30 5 7 18 27 58 -31 22 R
It might look close on the final league table but the reality was that Ararat had the title sewn up with a couple of match days to go. They went into their penultimate game - an away trip to Tekstil - knowing that unless Crvena Zvezda won, the title would be heading to Rauchnya for only the second time ever. Ararat huffed and puffed in Ibon, but couldn't blow Tekstil's defensive wall down and could only come away with a 1-1 draw. A solid enough result after Tekstil's talisman Nebojsa Aleksic opened the scoring in the 74th minute, necessitating a quickfire response which came through a Rade Loncar header. That result would be enough, though, with Crvena Zvezda falling to a 3-2 loss away to a spirited CDSA side who were looking to finish in the top-half of the table. In turn, this allowed Atletik to move into 2nd after a 6-1 crushing of relegation-threatened FK Magevskaya.
Ararat were solid throughout the league campaign, a title-winning squad built on a rock-solid foundation, their stingy back-five made-up of Kasun, Vlasic, Apostolov, Zupan and Yanev made it exceedingly difficult to score for opposition teams and allowed their more creative players in front of them to truly flourish. A special commendation must go to Drazen Zupan who is quickly making winning Top League titles his thing: it's his second in three seasons after winning it with Crvena Zvezda in the 22/23 season. They thought he was over-the-hill, but the 28 year old moved to 1923 Esca where he showed his quality once more and then moved to Ararat where he has formed a formidable partnership with Zelimir Apostolov and his performances this season were vital in winning the title. Zupan may well have even put himself back in the national team picture, with many saying he at least deserves a position in the national pool of players that Robin Hjik will select from for the World Cup qualifiers.
Mateja Stojkovic was another stand-out performer and he may have staked a claim for a starting role for the national side in central midfield. His high-energy style made him a nightmare for opposing midfielders to deal with, he constantly made late runs into the opposition area and contributed generally to the team performance. Ararat manager Misel Ravnjak described him as being 'everywhere' and he wasn't far wrong with that assessment. All-in-all Ararat were supremely drilled and consistently were the most well organised team in the Top League and this made sure that in tight games they would be able to edge out opponents - or at the very least not lose, as evidenced by losing only 3 games all season (Match Day 5: 3-2 at home to Atletik; Match Day 17: 1-0 at home to Granica; Match Day 20: 2-1 away to Atletik).
It was probably clear they were going to win the title after their Match Day 21 game against title rivals Crvena Zvezda. The two sides met at Korecky Road with Ararat a solitary point ahead and knowing that a win would put them clear. They were coming off the back of a tough away loss to Atletik whilst Crvena Zvezda came into the game having won 8 of their last 10 games (and drawing the other two!). The two sides played out the game of the season, a 6-5 thriller that was won by the odd goal in eleven by the home side. Stojkovic scored a stunning winner in injury time to put Ararat four points clear at the top of the table, despite a Jezdimir Ocokoljic hat trick for Crvena Zvezda. The result knocked the stuffing out of Crvena Zvezda completely, they went on to lose their next two games and from that point it became very difficult for them to make up ground on the eventual champions.
Ararat won their second Top League title 12 years after they last lifted the trophy, celebrations in Severyan went on long into the night and indeed the days that followed. It is a massive success for a club whose appeal doesn't really go beyond Rauchnya's borders and a victory for so-called 'provincial' clubs from across Mytanija, showing that they too can succeed at the highest level of domestic football. Looking ahead to next season they will surely look to strengthen, they have solid enough finances but the issue is often attracting players to play in Rauchnya. That can prove difficult, but coming off the back of a title-winning season ought to be persuasive.
Atletik eventually finished 2nd, but for a large part of the season they were chasing Ararat and Crvena Zvezda. The club's hierarchy will undoubtedly be disappointed that they were unable to mount a stronger defence of their title, but Adem Fejzic's side often looked a little vulnerable at the back. They were free scoring going forward, but commentators across Mytanija felt that this came at a cost for their defence that were often overrun by fast, incisive counter-attacks. Their midfield often were caught high up the pitch and this left room for opposition forwards and wingers that was exploited repeatedly. Some felt that Branko Brkljacic may not have been fulfilling the role he was brought in to fill, but others felt that time had caught up with the veteran Miro Tadic and that Miodrag Andrijasevic's youthful inexperience may have shown occasionally too.
Atletik are known to move fast when issues arise and they have already made two formal bids for Arka central midfielder Tahir Fejzuli. Fejzuli is known as more of a creative play maker than for adding steel in midfield, but his signing would add a little more clarity to the different roles in Atletik's midfield. He would be the one of the trio of central midfielders that plays a little more advanced and Andrijasevic would play more of a box-to-box/deep-lying role alongside the defensively minded Brkljacic. It is believed Arka are holding out for MC 15 million and it is likely Atletik will meet that valuation.
One thing that will have given Atletik heart this season is the way they beat the eventual champions both home and away, there is a feeling at the Novi Atletskistadion that Atletik have Ararat's number and if the two rival each other for the title next season those results could bode well in any head-to-head contests the two sides have.
Crvena Zvezda eventually came 3rd, but they were probably the second-best team for much of the season. Not too many people care at the Stadion Ljudi, though, as Jezdimir Ocokoljic pointed out: "For us, it doesn't matter whether we are 3rd or 2nd, we should have won the league title this season and our reaction after losing in our head-to-head game with Ararat was not good enough. Our results in the weeks after that game made the gap too big and from there we found it difficult to catch them again. It was disappointing to be close to them for two-thirds of the season and then allow them to get away so easily in the end."
Ocokoljic was the side's fulcrum once again, especially going forwards. He scored 16 goals in 28 games which was enough to claim runners-up spot in the race for the Golden Boot. Crvena Zvezda's issues lay mostly at the back, though, with veteran goalkeeper Dragan Antic and their gamble on potential at left-back in the form of Slaven Blajojevic. Antic has been with the club a very long time and many fans would be sad to see him leave the club, but he made a few calamitous errors this season and despite the fact he kept the second most clean sheets, an improvement is surely high on Luka Kostic's wish list when it comes to incoming transfers this summer. Blajojevic was - as stated - a gamble. Kostic was hoping that the youngster would grow into a reliable full-back and he may still do that, but this season he was often at fault for allowing players to get past him too easily and the club will surely look for someone a little more experienced ahead of next season and perhaps loan Blajojevic elsewhere to continue his development. He could still turn into a good full-back, but when challenging for the title Crvena Zvezda need someone a little more consistent.
A disappointing campaign for Liria, we at Gazeta Sporta predicted that they would be eventual champions this season but they ended up finishing a distant 4th place and were fighting it out for the final UICA Globe Cup spot with Nyva and Energija-Nuklearna for most of the second part of the season. It's difficult to apportion blame upon their squad as there are no distinct weak links, they were solid defensively (with the second-best defensive record, in fact), but it was perhaps going the other way where they had some issues. Their forwards are decent enough and they have some very good creative midfielders who are tasked with getting the ball to the strikers, so some blame must fall on manager Dino Lozancic for not getting the best from his team. It is rumoured that the board have put him under some pressure to bring a trophy to the Westfalenstadion next season as they are deeply unhappy with the club's lengthy trophy drought (zilch since the side's 15/16 Top League title).
Nyva finished 5th which is pretty much the best they could have hoped for ahead of the season. It is Sime Pandev's last season with the club as the legendary attacking midfielder retires, he will prove very difficult to replace over the summer. Nyva will be hoping to keep hold of some of their better players, but that could be even harder than replacing Pandev. Stevan Ninkovic has been linked with a move away from the club already with Crvena Zvezda reportedly being interested.
Energija-Nuklearna came 6th, a slightly above expectations performance with what appears on paper to be an extremely average squad. Branko Tolic will be pleased with what he has managed to squeeze out of his team and will be hoping that they can spend a little bit to improve the playing staff over the summer. He will also hope to keep Slavko Lalic, their mercurial attacking midfielder, he has made noises about wanting a move to a side that can 'challenge for titles now'. This would indicate that he sees his future away from the Miagostadion as Energija-Nuklearna are at least a couple of seasons away from truly being able to challenge for the Mytanar Top League title. They have some outstanding youngsters coming through the ranks, but they're all a little bit away from being ready for top-level football and it will probably take a few seasons on top of that to forge a championship-winning side.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Lalic. Only a few clubs play a formation that requires an attacking midfielder, whilst also having the financial resources to sign Lalic, whilst also having a squad that can challenge for titles now - which is what Lalic wants. Some have said that the two sides that could make the most use of the number ten are Ararat and Liria, but it's unclear whether Lalic would want to go and play in Severyan or if Liria would want to bring in a player that brings with him a lot of baggage and could upset the club culture they have at the Westfalenstadion.
Olympic once again punched above their weight with a 7th place finish. Emil Jefak is quickly establishing a reputation for being able to get his players to play beyond their level of ability and this is not going unnoticed. Some have linked him with the Liria job, despite Dino Lozancic not being sacked yet and Liria saying that they are committed to giving him one more season at least. Mojmir Anac was an outstanding presence at the back and Ivan Valjak alongside him looks to be a real talent. Vilim Kupresak was a calm presence in midfield and the future looks very bright at the Novi Kaunostadion. They have some outstanding youngsters and some more (Topgacic, Petrovic, Bijedic and Bajramovic), that look very close to being ready to play a big part for the club. A couple of clever additions could see this side consistently challenging for a UICA Globe Cup spot in a couple of years.
1896 Ebor's 8th place finish represents failure for a club that really should be challenging for the league title. Whilst Dino Lozancic's seat on the Liria bench may be getting slightly hotter, Kristijan Petricevic's at the Olujastadion is positively on fire. The board have issued the manager an ultimatum: top four as a minimum next season, or he is out of a job. 1896 Ebor must take a big step forward next year or Petricevic will be gone. The club improved the squad to the tune of MC 17,5 million last summer and it is rumoured the club are willing to spend a similar amount this summer as recognition that the club need improvements on the pitch, but the ultimatum comes due to the nature of some of the performances this season. Petricevic's side were wildly inconsistent and the club's board did not see any improvement from the season before (there was no movement in the league table, either, with the club finishing 8th for the second year in a row!). With the board willing to back him once again, tangible improvement must occur or Petricevic will inevitably be shown the door.
CDSA will be extremely pleased with their season, 9th is above where they expected to finish. Alen Hrdaljko was excellent in the middle of the park and justified his selection as club captain despite only being 18. Zvonko Nestorovski emerged as a very good young full-back, the 16 year old is an outstanding prospect and keeping him may be the best piece of business the club can do this summer. He's being linked with a whole host of clubs though, with it being rumoured that 1896 Ebor currently lead the way for his signature. They will want to improve their other defenders if possible, but funds could be tight with out selling players.
Tekstil finished 10th and were well out of the battle against relegation. They relied on Nebojsa Aleksic for goals, his 15 in 30 going some way to securing Tekstil's Top League status for another year. Tekstil rely on their youth academy and Muminovic, Milcic and Kadic were all solid performers for them this season. Muminovic in particular was crucial, his performances showing maturity beyond his years in between the posts, good enough for joint-third place in the Golden Globe award at the end of the season. They are being linked with Ilija Blagojevic, who was probably Granica's best performer this season and he would represent an upgrade in the centre of the pitch for Tekstil. They tend to only be able to make one transfer a summer given their relative lack of financial resources, but that would be a solid move for them.
Arka, 1923 Esca and FK Magevskaya all ended up surviving, just about. Four clubs went into the final game knowing that they could be relegated, with the other three all surviving. 1923 Esca were the team that occupied the final spot in the relegation zone heading into the final day. Arka travelled to the already relegated Pretia, FK Magevskaya faced a tough away game against Crvena Zvezda, Granica travelled to Atletik and 1923 Esca were away at Energija-Nuklearna.
Arka managed to win a point at Pretia to secure their Top League status, Fejzuli scoring an outstanding free kick on what was probably his final game with the club. 1923 Esca drew 0-0 against Energija-Nuklearna, a point that would yet prove vital. FK Magevskaya lost 3-0 to Crvena Zvezda, meaning that if Granica bettered their result they would go down and the tiny side from the small border town of Cieszin would stay in the Top League for another season. Granica sadly lost 4-2 to Atletik and so were unable to complete an extremely unlikely season by staying up, although their spirit throughout the season was magnificent.
Arka were disappointing this season and a lot of this was likely down to a slightly under-par showing from Tahir Fejzuli. The young midfielder had clearly had his head turned prior to the season starting and it took him some time to get into form and even then his performances weren't always of the standard we have all come to expect. He is likely to move on this summer and if he goes Arka could face an exodus, with Kamil Jernejec and Anton-Dusan Straka rumoured to be waiting to see if the club can show some ambition by fighting to keep Fejzuli before deciding their own futures. If all three of the club's most talented youngsters leave then Arka could be in trouble next year.
1923 Esca's managed to do what they set out to do ahead of this season and that was stay in the Top League. Their youngsters (Obradovic, Popovic and Evic), were all excellent and it was clear to see that the club's issues lay with their more experienced campaigners lacking real quality. They could also do with an upgrade up top, too. Evic has already been snapped up by Atletik who view him as a long-term replacement to Josip Radonic, they will loan him back to 1923 Esca next season though so that he can gain more experience - a move that suits both clubs. 1923 Esca will struggle to keep Lazar Obradovic, though, with good goalkeepers being so difficult to find. Crvena Zvezda have already made bids and it's unlikely Obradovic would say no to them. One thing is for certain at Radnika, though, and that is that there will always be some more top youth prospects coming through at the club. Strahinja Nanusevski looks to be a top talent and he will look to stake a claim for a starting spot up front next season.
FK Magevskaya stayed up on goal difference in the end, with the minuscule margin (their -18 versus Granica's -19), demonstrating that there was very little difference between the two sides. FK Magevskaya were better at scoring goals, but had the second worst defence in the league. Brajko Gavrilovic was the club's key man this season, with Maksim Malchikov on the other wing also being an important player. Gavrilovic is definitely able to play at a higher level than FK Magevskaya and the question is pretty much who will he move to over the summer? If FK Magevskaya keep him it will be a coup, but we cannot see that happening. Jiri Erisej had a solid season for the club and he could become a really important player for them over the next couple of seasons.
Granica were pipped at the post, but this could mean that we won't see them in the Top League again for a while and possibly never again. They aren't a traditional Top League side and there was a feeling in Cieszin that seeing the club in the top tier was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It's unlikely they will be able to keep their better players: Gojkovic, Tokic and Blagojevic have all been strongly linked with moves away and Drago Danchev will return to Ararat following the completion of his loan move. They just didn't score enough goals despite their aggressive 4-3-3 formation. They were able to keep things relatively tight defensively but a lack of a real goalscorer meant that whilst they often had the majority of possession they couldn't turn chances into goals. Granica played some good football but their lack of a cutting edge was clear to see and that was their downfall.
Partizan and Pretia were both expected to struggle and we at Gazeta Sporta actually got our prediction for both these clubs correct: 15th and 16th. They were just a long way off the standard necessary to stay in the Top League this season. When compared to Granica they are what you would perhaps call more 'traditional' Top League clubs. They will both come again even if they lose some of their better players, although they will both have to sign well as getting out of the Druga Liga can prove to be a difficult task.
End of Season Awards.Player of the Season.#1: Mateja Stojkovic (Ararat, MC, 27)#2: Drazen Zupan (Ararat, DC, 28)
#3: Nebojsa Aleksic (Tekstil, ST, 24)
Under-23 Player of the Season.#1. Pedja Kasun (Ararat, GK, 22)#2. Jezdimir Ocokoljic (Crvena Zvezda, ST, 20)
#3. Mojmir Anac (Olympic, DC, 22)
Manager of the Season.#1. Misel Ravnjak (Ararat)#2. Emil Jefak (Olympic)
#3. Slavko Jelic (CDSA)
Golden Boot.#1. Alen Zekic (Atletik, ST, 28; 19 goals in 30 games)#2. Jezdimir Ocokoljic (Crvena Zvezda, ST, 20; 16 goals in 28 games)
#3. Nebojsa Aleksic (Tekstil, ST, 24; 15 goals in 30 games)
Golden Glove.#1. Pedja Kasun (Ararat, GK; 14 clean sheets, 31 goals conceded in 30 games)#2. Dragan Antic (Crvena Zvezda, GK; 12 clean sheets, 38 goals conceded in 30 games)
=#3. Adel Gudelj (Liria, GK; 10 clean sheets, 32 goals conceded in 30 games); Zafer Muminovic (Tekstil, GK; 10 clean sheets; 41 goals conceded in 30 games).
National Cup Review.
First Round
NK Istina 1–2 Zenit 1–1 0–1
Slavia 2–4 BVK Dinamo 0–2 2–2
Dinamo 4–2 Lok. Cassia 3–2 1–0
JK Ebor 5–4 SK Port Jarko 0–0 5–4
Rudar 2–0 Slovan 1–0 1–0
Obalna 2–0 Obolon 1–0 1–0
Meja 2–6 Litala '93 1–3 1–3
FK Istocna Obala 2–3 MNFI 1–2 1–1
Metalist 1–4 NK Thessia 0–1 1–3
Rotor 1–4 Arsenal 1–2 0–2
Ribari 3–2 Pakhtakor 1–1 2–1
Turbine 2–8 FK Arsika 1–2 1–6
Spartak 2–2 a Torpedo 1–2 1–0
CVMZ 2–0 Zeljeznicar 0–0 2–0
Vitalia 3–1 NK Dyka 2–1 1–0
Lok. Ostrova 2–0 Padina 1–0 1–0
Perhaps the most exciting tie of the round was the one that started off by being the most dull. JK Ebor and SK Port Jarko played out a thoroughly boring 0-0 draw in the first leg of their First Round tie, but the second leg could not have been much more exciting. A 5-4 thriller, won by the odd goal in nine by JK Ebor in the dying minutes of the game. Litala '93 put in two professional performances to dispose of Treci Liga opposition in the form of Meja.
A Thessia Derby of sorts between Metalist and NK Thessia was, rather surprisingly, won by NK Thessia as they took a 1-0 lead into the second leg and promptly ran riot, smashing three goals into the Metalist net within the first 20 minutes as they booked their place in the Second Round. FK Arsika destroyed poor Turbine over two legs, a 2-1 win in the opener was turned into an 8-2 aggregate scoreline after a frankly embarrassing performance from Turbine in the second leg. Some Turbine supporters were so disgusted by the performance that they threw their season ticket books onto the pitch in front of the away sector in protest.
Torpedo sneaked past Spartak on away goals and perhaps the biggest surprise of the round came when third tier Vitalia advanced past second tier NK Dyka over the two legs, winning 2-1 at home and then edging a tight 1-0 win in Nasto to get to the Second Round and a possible tie against one of the big boys of Mytanar football.
Second Round
Energija-Nuklearna 5–2 BVK Dinamo 3–2 2–0
Vitalia 0–4 Litala '93 0–3 0–1
Liria 2–3 Nyva 2–2 0–1
Olympic 2–6 Ararat 0–3 2–3
FK Magevskaya 5–1 NK Thessia 4–0 1–1
Obalna 0–2 Atletik 0–2 0–0
Lok. Ostrova a 2–2 Pretia 1–0 1–2
1923 Esca 7–1 MNFI 5–0 2–1
Dinamo 1–0 1896 Ebor 1–0 0–0
Partizan 3–4 Granica 3–2 0–2
Rudar 6–4 Zenit 2–2 4–2
Arsenal 6–2 JK Ebor 3–1 3–1
CDSA 3–3 a Arka 3–1 0–2
Torpedo 2–2 a Ribari 2–1 0–1
Tekstil 5–2 CVMZ 1–1 4–1
Crvena Zvezda 3–0 FK Arsika 0–0 3–0
Energija-Nuklearna's quality eventually showed over lower league opposition in the form of BVK Dinamo, a solid second leg performance finally seeing the capital side off. Vitalia's heroics in the First Round were not rewarded with a tie against one of the Top League's top sides, but instead with one of the Druga Liga's leading lights. Litala '93 were too good for the Magev team though, with a 4-0 aggregate win. The tie of the round was undoubtedly Liria versus Nyva and they didn't disappoint, a 2-2 draw in the first leg set the scene for a tight, fiercely contested second leg that was finally edged by Nyva as they advanced.
Ararat demonstrated their quality by beating Olympic fairly comprehensively over the two legs, whilst FK Magevskaya had no trouble dealing with third tier NK Thessia with their 4-0 win in the first leg allowing them to rest players for the return fixture. Treci Liga Obalna were given the golden goose of National Cup ties as they drew Mytanija's most successful club Atletik Thessia and the Top League side comfortably beat Obalna in the first leg before playing little more than a youth team squad in the second leg at the Novi Atletskistadion, with that game demonstrating the gulf in class between the Top League and the third tier as Atletik's youngsters played out a 0-0 draw with Obalna's first team.
Lok. Ostrova were drawn against Top League Pretia and many felt this was the tie where a third tier side had a real chance in upsetting a Top League side and they were proven correct as Lok. Ostrova managed an away goal in Prizren which was enough for them to advance following a 1-0 win at home. 1923 Esca destroyed the national academy side MNFI 7-1 over two legs and the biggest shock of the round perhaps came where Dinamo disposed of 1896 Ebor, a solitary goal over the two legs separating the two sides. Dinamo used to challenge 1896 Ebor for a place in UICA competitions and memories of the close games they used to have seemingly galvanised their side to knock the Northmen out here. It was a result that piled the pressure on Kristijan Petricevic, but the board are giving him one more season to prove himself.
Granica edged out Partizan, Rudar and Zenit played out a thrilling tie over the two legs with Rudar advancing and Arsenal Vershina fairly comfortably disposed of JK Ebor. Ribari sneaked past Torpedo Vershina on away goals, Tekstil smashed past CVMZ after a 1-1 drawn in the first leg and Crvena Zvezda did the same to FK Arsika after their own 0-0 draw in the opener.
Third Round
Ararat 6–4 Litala '93 4–3 2–1
FK Magevskaya 3–2 Lok. Ostrova 3–2 0–0
Dinamo 5–5 a Energija-Nuklearna 5–4 0–1
Crvena Zvezda a 2–2 Arka 1–0 1–2
Arsenal 4–5 Atletik 2–1 2–4
Tekstil 5–2 Ribari 2–0 3–2
Granica 4–6 1923 Esca 1–1 3–5
Nyva 3–0 Rudar 1–0 2–0
Ararat made hard work of their tie with Litala '93, but their quality did show with the amount of chances they created, although they were unusually leaky at the back. Still, they did enough to advance. Lok. Ostrova were the last Treci Liga side in the National Cup at this stage and were hoping to advance one further in another tie they felt was winnable against FK Magevskaya. A 3-2 loss in the first leg gave them hope, with two away goals meaning they had every chance of qualifying to the Quarter Final. They were unable to score at home despite creating heaps of opportunities to score and this meant the Magev side qualified. Dinamo's heroics in disposing of 1896 Ebor were rewarded with a tough tie against Energija-Nuklearna. Energija-Nuklearna made extremely hard work of things against a very spirited Dinamo side. Dinamo won their home tie 5-4 before falling to a 1-0 loss in the second leg, meaning the Miago side advanced on away goals.
Crvena Zvezda and Arka could only be separated by away goals, with a vital Jezdimir Ocokoljic goal in the second leg sending the Tsrvena side through. Arsenal and Atletik met in a repeat of last year's final and it was last year's shock finalists Arsenal that won the first leg 2-1, with Atletik looking completely out of sorts. Normal service resumed in the second leg however and Atletik managed a 4-2 victory that saw them through to the Quarter Final. Tekstil dealt with Ribari fairly comfortably over the two legs, whilst 1923 Esca finally beat Granica after the two matching each other every step of the way in their tie, two late goals finally seeing the Cieszin side off. Nyva eased past Rudar, beating them 3-0 over the two legs in the Avnali Derby. There was plenty of trouble before both ties with both sets of supporters involved in violent altercations and this carried over onto the pitch as well, with the game often stopping for off the ball incidents.
Quarter Final
Tekstil a 3–3 Ararat 1–0 2–3
Crvena Zvezda 2–1 1923 Esca 2–1 0–0
Nyva 5–3 Atletik 3–2 2–1
Energija-Nuklearna 1–2 FK Magevskaya 0–0 1–2
It would be an all Top League affair in the Quarter Final, with no lower league sides advancing this far. Tekstil and Ararat played out a 3-3 draw over the two legs, with Tekstil advancing due to the two away goals they scored in Severyan. They won the first leg thanks to a fine Nebojsa Aleksic (who else?) strike early in the game and stuck close to Ararat throughout the second leg, never letting them get more than a goal ahead, which proved enough in the end.
Crvena Zvezda and 1923 Esca met in the second tie of the round and the result from the first leg was the final result of the tie, the Tsrvena side advancing 2-1, with two Ocokoljic goals overturning a first-half deficit and giving them a real chance of bringing some silverware to Stadion Ljudi.
Nyva and Atletik met in arguably the tie of the round and the Zvornik side's 3-2 victory in the opening leg was incredibly hard-fought and well deserved. Sime Pandev's late free kick saw off Atletik and gave Nyva a lead to take to Thessia. Nyva's first leg performance would be hard to top, but they did that and more with a 2-1 victory in Thessia to dispose of last season's National Cup winners and give Sime Pandev a chance of winning his first ever trophy in his final season with the club before retirement.
FK Magevskaya shocked Energija-Nuklearna in their tie. They managed to take a 0-0 draw away from the first leg in Miago and this gave them every chance, an away goal early in the second leg for the Miago side threatened to undo their good work but they managed to overturn the deficit with two goals from Brajko Gavrilovic as they advanced to the Semi Final for the first time in the club's history.
Semi Final
Crvena Zvezda 3–2 Nyva 0–2 3–0 (aet)
FK Magevskaya 5–10 Tekstil 3–6 2–4
Crvena Zvezda and Nyva's tie went this way and that and the two could only be separated by extra time in the end. Nyva travelled to Tsrvena for the first leg and Sime Pandev's inspired performance and brace of goals meant that they took what looked like a comfortable lead back to Avnalia ahead of the second leg. However, they did not count on Jezdimir Ocokoljic putting in one of his own inspired performances in the second leg - the young striker scoring one and setting up another to draw his side level at 2-2 on aggregate. Extra time would be necessary to separate the teams. Ocokoljic laid on an outstanding through ball for Zdeslav Zivadinovic who coolly slotted home, putting his side 3-2 ahead on aggregate and into the National Cup Final as they looked to repeat their triumph in 22/23.
FK Magevskaya and Tekstil doesn't look - on the face of it - to be the most appealing tie ever, but when it is in the Semi Final of the National Cup it adds a little bit of a different dimension to things. When the two teams play out what can only be described as two of the craziest games of football in Mytanar footballing history, that adds a completely different dimension to the tie. A 6-3 victory for Tekstil in the first leg looked to put the tie beyond the Magev team's reach, but they went 2-0 ahead in the second leg as they looked to reel Tekstil back in. Mehmet Elvahic put in a captain's performance for the Ibon side as he scored two to draw his team level and then set-up Nebojsa Aleksic's goal to win the game 3-2 and 10-5 on aggregate (which is 100% this season's most crazy aggregate scoreline!).
Final
Venue: Radnika, Esca (Attendance: 59,902)
Weather: Clear (14°C)
Referee: Nemanja Jovancic
Crvena Zvezda 3–3 p Tekstil (Tekstil win 6–5 on penalties)
An absolutely thrilling final, with the two sides being unable to see each other off through 120 minutes of football and needing the lottery of penalties to finally decide the outcome of the game. Tekstil went ahead, Aleksic nodding home a whipped cross from Mevludin Kadic. A mistake from Semir Brkaljic allowed Mirko Cerovec to race clear and equalise on the half hour mark. Crvena Zvezda then took control of proceedings, with the majority of possession for the remainder of the game, but this didn't stop Tekstil from going back ahead. Aleksic went from scorer to provider, laying the ball off for captain Mehmet Elvahic to smash home a stunning strike from the edge of the box. Drazen Ljotic scored a rare goal, making the score 2-2 and Crvena Zvezda looked to have the winner when Zivadinovic buried a header beyond Zafer Muminovic. Tekstil wouldn't lie down though and Aleksic got his second of the game to equalise late in the 90 minutes and further cement his position as a club legend despite his young age. The game would go to penalties and the nervousness on both sides was palpable.
Ocokoljic stepped up and coolly scored the opening penalty, with Aleksic doing the same for his side making it 1-1. Zivadinovic went second for Crvena Zvezda and scored, with Tekstil captain Mehmet Elvahic doing the same, 2-2. Mirko Cerovec made the long walk and looked incredibly nervous, he crashed his penalty against the cross bar and gave Tekstil their first chance to draw ahead and they did that with Mevludin Kadic putting his penalty down the middle. 3-2 to Tekstil. Grigor Todorov scored his penalty to restore a little calmness to the Crvena Zvezda players, but Eldar Novakov's penalty made it 4-3. Petr Isaev drew the sides back level at 4-4 with a perfect penalty in the top corner.
Vukasin Jelic made the long walk from the halfway line on Radnika's famous pitch knowing that if he scored his penalty Tekstil would win the National Cup for only the second time in their history. What came after can only serve to illustrate the pressure of the penalty shootout as Jelic ran up to take his penalty and smashed it about five metres over the crossbar. It was 4-4 on penalties and the two sides were into sudden death.
Obrad Jakolinic put his penalty into the bottom right corner of the net as Tekstil goalkeeper Zafer Muminovic went the wrong way to make it 5-4 to Crvena Zvezda as they went back ahead for the first time since Zivadinovic's penalty, which seemed so long ago despite only being a matter of minutes before. The enormity of the situation cannot be stressed enough as Vlado Kovac walked up to take his penalty knowing that missing would mean losing and he smashed his penalty low and hard and it crept under Dragan Antic, levelling the score at 5-5 and putting the pressure back onto Crvena Zvezda. The two sides were starting to run out of options for penalty takers at this point and it was more a case of picking whoever was left as they reached the seventh penalty takers.
Drazen Ljotic is not renowned for his technical ability, known more for being an anchorman, tackling and running hard and generally doing the dirty work for the more creative players around him. He stepped up and attempted to smash his penalty like Vlado Kovac had just done before him, he got the power on the ball, but the accuracy left a lot to be desired as his penalty was way inside the left post and at a good height for Zafer Muminovic to palm away. It was a decent save, but Ljotic made it easier than it should have been and it gave Tekstil the chance to win the National Cup.
Emir Saric must have known some things a lot of people didn't know about young left-back Damir Milcic - and so he should, being the youngster's manager - but he perhaps didn't know exactly how good under pressure Milcic could be. Milcic stepped up and a lot of Tekstil fans must have been worried, wanting someone more experienced to be taking such a vital penalty, but the youngster stepped up nonetheless. His penalty was one of the best of the lot, rifled into the top corner and way beyond Dragan Antic who couldn't get close. Milcic sank to his knees, joy overwhelming the 16 year old, he was quickly mobbed by his teammates as the Tekstil fans celebrated wildly inside Radnika and back in Ibon too.
The triumph was Tekstil's first trophy since the famous National Cup win in the 18/19 season, when they became the first and so far only lower-league side to lift the National Cup (they were in the third tier at the time!), with Nebojsa Aleksic scoring the winner that day and playing such an important role in the side's second National Cup winning side as well - further cementing his place in Tekstil folklore. Many other players did the same against Crvena Zvezda: Mehmet Elvahic, Mevludin Kadic, Zafer Muminovic and of course young Damir Milcic. Emir Saric's side were not favourites to lift the Cup prior to the season starting, but their run resulted in a well deserved victory.
Lower League Round-Up.
## Druga Liga Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
01 BVK Dinamo 30 22 3 5 66 32 +34 69 C, P
02 Litala '93 30 21 4 5 53 29 +24 67 P
03 Slovan 30 13 8 9 55 52 +3 47 P
04 FK Arsika 30 14 4 12 51 46 +5 46
05 Rudar 30 13 6 11 41 30 +11 45
06 CVMZ 30 11 8 11 44 39 +5 41
07 Arsenal 30 12 5 13 41 40 +1 41
08 Ribari 30 10 10 10 56 53 +3 40
09 Dinamo 30 11 7 12 36 41 -5 40
10 Slavia 30 11 4 15 47 51 -4 37
11 JK Ebor 30 9 9 12 40 42 -2 36
12 Lok. Cassia 30 10 6 14 49 64 -15 36
13 Zenit 30 8 9 13 34 44 -10 33
14 Turbine 30 7 10 13 38 47 -9 31 R
15 NK Dyka 30 7 10 13 42 54 -12 31 R
16 SK Port Jarko 30 6 7 17 26 55 -29 25 R
BVK Dinamo and Litala '93 fought it out for the league title following their relegation last season and both bounced straight back to the Top League in the process. BVK Dinamo edged it in the title race and both will hope to keep their better players ahead of next season when they will look to stave off relegation and stay in the top-flight. Slovan join them in getting promoted, they probably weren't the third best team in the Druga Liga but they outlasted FK Arsika and Rudar and will play in the Top League for the first time in their history next season. A massive achievement for the Eskobirsk club.
Turbine fans were distraught at the outcome of their season, historically they have been a club that has yo-yoed between the Top League and the second tier but this year they didn't have enough to stay in the Druga Liga and were relegated to the third tier of Mytanar football. Their fans were visibly angry towards the end of the season, with protests against the club's board and some violent scenes at home games. NK Dyka will be disappointed to get relegated but should be in a decent position to get promoted back to the second tier again with a young side, the club's board have outlined plans to reach the Top League within 5-10 years utilising a similar approach to the one Arka used in their rise to the Top League. That approach has seen Arka establish themselves as a Top League club and NK Dyka hope to establish themselves as Nasto's best club side ahead of FK Arsika who currently hold that title. Finally, a sad day for SK Port Jarko as they faced relegation to the third tier for the first time in their history. The club that prides itself on being the first ever Mytanar Top League champions experienced some dark days this season and many will hope to see them back in the second tier after next season, but years of mismanagement mean they could well face a long spell in the Treci Liga.
## Treci Liga Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
01 Lok. Ostrova 30 19 5 6 54 29 +25 62 C, P
02 Zeljeznicar 30 17 6 7 53 32 +21 57 P
03 Rotor 30 15 8 7 44 27 +17 53 P
04 Metalist 30 15 6 9 48 36 +12 51
05 Spartak 30 15 6 9 43 32 +11 51
06 Pakhtakor 30 12 12 6 38 26 +12 48
07 Meja 30 14 4 12 41 43 -2 46
08 Torpedo 30 10 10 10 37 37 0 40
09 Obalna 30 10 9 11 47 43 +4 39
10 MNFI 30 11 6 13 48 53 -5 39
11 FK Istocna Obala 30 12 2 16 38 53 -15 38
12 NK Thessia 30 9 8 13 32 38 -6 35
13 Padina 30 10 5 15 40 47 -7 35
14 Vitalia 30 8 6 16 32 50 -18 30
15 Obolon 30 6 5 19 27 50 -23 23
16 NK Istina 30 6 4 20 29 55 -26 22
Lok. Ostrova won the Treci Liga title by a comfortable enough margin in the end, they will hope to establish themselves back in the second tier now, they were of course fairly recently in the top-flight but a few poor seasons saw them plumbing depths they had not seen for a long time. Zeljeznicar reach the second tier for the first time in the club's history, the club that represent the workers of the rail industry in Sigurno have a promising squad and many feel they could surprise a few people next season. Finally Rotor secured the final promotion spot ahead of Metalist and Spartak in one of the tightest promotion races in recent years with all three clubs having a chance to reach the Druga Liga on the final day. Rotor won their game and will play in the second tier next season.