MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 30/31 SEASON REVIEW PART 2
1896 EBOR
Top League: 2nd (IFCF CC)
National Cup: Semi final (1-0 agg. loss to FK Arsika)
International competitions: IFCF Challengers Cup Extra Preliminary Round (3-1 agg. loss to FK Armaskoye [PYA])
Summary: Zdeslav Nesic’s team might feel they should have won the league this season, but destiny – and Danek Badjkev’s supremely motivated Liria – had other plans for them. Pasargan Michael Baer was one of the signings of the summer, running the show from his central midfield position and allowing Thorvar Spinkvik’s ageing legs to focus on the defensive facets of the game. Gavrilovic and Vlahovic formed a good partnership, operating in both central areas and on the left flank. Petar Majdandzic ably brought his team mates into play; and at the opposite end Onio and Thompson formed an elite partnership, with Kitaran shot-stopper Oduor Bigombe behind them for when they couldn’t quite prevent the opposition from getting a shot off. Nesic’s team were good, probably good enough to win the title (or at least the National Cup), but once again they were staved off by teams which seemed to have slightly more of that great intangible: mental strength. Nesic might be lucky to hold onto his job over the summer, the lack of potential options to replace him perhaps falling in his favour. The Northmen have an interest in Lok. Cassia’s Edis Znidarsic but it appears Atletik might well have secured his signature. Nesic might live to fight another day, but he’s truly on his last legs, this patient fan base have waited too long for a league title and seeing Liria end their drought will only heighten that feeling.
Player of the season: Michael Baer [PAS] (MC, 22)
Young player of the season: Alexandre Onio [SVG] (DC, 21)
Top goalscorer: Brajko Gavrilovic [MYT] (AML, 29; 12 in 28 games)
High point/Best moment: Their late equaliser in the second leg of the National Cup quarter final against CDSA, away at Psenicova. Dalibor Vlahovic’s goals levelled the score at 1-1 on the night but ensured 1896 Ebor would qualify to the semis with a 2-1 aggregate victory and sent the away section at the redeveloped Psenicova into rapturous celebration.
Low point/Worst moment: It’s really a toss-up between two matches which ensured they didn’t lift a trophy this season: either the 3-1 defeat against Liria Prizren three weeks from the end of the Top League season which established the four point gap which separated the sides come the end of the campaign; or the 1-0 aggregate loss to FK Arsika in the National Cup semi-final.
Quote of the season: “The supporters think it is so easy, winning a trophy. I did it in my first season here and that perhaps raised expectations unreasonably, we’ve been a work-in-progress throughout my tenure and the other teams are good too. I invite some of those fans to come and do my job to see if they could do a better job, somehow I doubt it.” Zdeslav Nesic hardly endeared himself to the 1896 Ebor support with his comments at the end of the season, with many unhappy that the manager had been given so much time and money to try and return the club to the top of the Top League with only a couple of runners-up finishes to show for it.
1923 ESCA
Top League: 7th
National Cup: Winners! (1-0 win over FK Arsika; IFCF CWC)
International competitions: N/a
Summary: What a campaign for 1923 Esca. Sava Grgurovic has coached the team brilliant over the years and the hard work has finally paid off with the club’s first ever trophy (it’s rather ridiculous that it has taken this long!). He maintained the team’s top-half finish from last season whilst always keeping one eye on the cup and it ensured that none of the progress of his five years in charge has been lost and the players reached never seen before heights too. Some worried for 1923 Esca at the start of the season, losing Dino Racic was a big loss, but Braco Evic came in and acquitted himself well alongside the ever-reliable Mojsije Lazovic. Remy Vandendriessche – still only 23 – was as inspirational as ever, captaining the side and remaining a solid goal threat from central midfield. Marek Ladicorbic has been an excellent signing and there is a feeling that Imanuel Smiciklas still has extra gears to find too. Beating FK Arsika at Radnika – basically a home game for 1923 Esca – in the National Cup final will go down in history, ending the club’s wait for a rather overdue triumph and burnishing Grgurovic’s reputation as manager. They’ll play in the IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup next year and it’s an exciting time to be a 1923 Esca fan given that the club’s youth team won the Spirit of Youth Trophy as well!
Player of the season: Remy Vandendriessche [CRE] (MC, 23)
Young player of the season: Milos Bajic [MYT] (MR, 18)
Top goalscorer: Remy Vandendriessche [CRE] (MC, 23; 10 goals in 29 games)
High point/Best moment: Well, this one should be fairly self-explanatory, ending the club’s 31 year wait for a trophy! The National Cup triumph over FK Arsika. Vindication of Sava Grgurovic’s methods and time in charge.
Low point/Worst moment: The All-Esca Derby defeat to Litala ’93 at Sokolovny will sting, Jiahui Wang ran riot whilst scoring a hat-trick and the purple-clad crowd’s songs goaded the 1923 Esca support. It was a definite low point, but you can be sure that the end result of the season (finishing above Litala ’93 by a point and lifting the National Cup) makes up for it.
Quote of the season: “Not bad for a fella who can only manage ‘provincial sides’, eh?” Sava Grgurovic’s pointed question to journalists following 1923 Esca’s 1-0 win over FK Arsika in the National Cup final. The club’s support had had doubts about Grgurovic when he was announced as manager five years ago but in the years since he has proven the doubters wrong and gone from strength to strength as manager.
ARARAT
Top League: 5th
National Cup: Third Round (3-2 agg. loss to Nyva)
International competitions: N/a
Summary: A very good season for Misel Ravnjak’s men. As ever Ararat were very difficult to beat, conceding only 25 goals across the course of the season as Pedja Kasun secured yet another Golden Glove award. Mingrong Yuan was the real story of this season’s defensive effort, however, the Yue centre-back commanding the Ararat penalty area and marshalling his colleagues constantly – the embodiment of Ravnjak’s approach out on the pitch. His efforts were recognised with second place in the Player of the Season award, an achievement which could alert teams at home and abroad to his services. Another player who had a fine season was Omer Kuhar-Arh, the winner of the Under-23 Player of the Season award and Ararat’s best youngster this year. He scored 10 and assisted an incredible 16 goals over the course of the campaign, his passing and set-piece delivery making him a real boon to this Ararat side. Vido Mehic chipped in with goals regularly on his return to Severyan, hitting 13 goals in 27 games, a successful first season back at the club. There’s lots to build on for Ararat looking ahead to next season, although keeping hold of Yuan and Kuhar-Arh could be especially difficult, particularly with Atletik rumoured to be extremely interested in the latter.
Player of the season: Mingrong Yuan [YZH] (DC, 25)
Young player of the season: Omer Kuhar-Arh [MYT] (AMC, 21)
Top goalscorer: Vido Mehic [MYT] (ST, 26; 13 goals in 27 games)
High point/Best moment: Their Omer Kuhar-Arh inspired victory over Liria Prizren after the winter break demonstrated that this was an Ararat team back to their best under Misel Ravnjak after a couple of down years. Kuhar-Arh showed that he’s a national team talent and ran the show against the eventual Top League champions.
Low point/Worst moment: Their style of play means that they’re never really on the end of too many thrashings which means real low points are difficult to find, but to go out of the National Cup in the third round – the first round Top League sides enter the competition – always hurts. An all Top League tie against Nyva Zvornik offers some respite from the disappointment, but Ararat will have felt they could have done a bit more in the competition.
Quote of the season: “His passing is absolutely ridiculous, in all my years here I’m not sure I’ve seen anybody better.” Veteran centre-half Zelimir Apostolov was regularly in awe of his young colleague Omer Kuhar Arh, with his passing ability coming up for specific praise. The 34 year old was part of the defence which helped give Kuhar-Arh the platform for his award-winning season.
ARKA
Top League: 13th
National Cup: Third Round (1-0 agg. loss to 1923 Esca)
International competitions: N/a
Summary: Despite Luka Kostic’s additions Arka weren’t great this season, but then there weren’t too many who expected them to be vastly improved on last term. Most believed they would be able to steer themselves to safety more easily than they did in the end, though, but an exceeding expectations Lok. Cassia under Edis Znidarsic meant that at least one promoted side was going to avoid the drop. That meant the number of potential relegation victims dwindled and Arka were sucked into the dogfight due to both Rudar and FK Magevskaya offering more of a fight than promoted sides usually might. Requiring a late season run of form from the 35 year old Samir Mevzelj was perhaps not in the script but he scored his three goals of the season in the final three weeks to secure some much-needed points for the club he has spent his entire career at. Those points steered Arka to safety, leapfrogging Energija-Nuklearna and Rudar in the penultimate week of the campaign and holding them off on the final day. A lot of credit has to go to the excellent Bruno Ozmec and Anton-Dusan Straka, at different stages of their careers but both pivotal in Arka’s successful survival push.
Player of the season: Bruno Ozmec [MYT] (MC, 22)
Young player of the season: Bruno Ozmec [MYT] (MC, 22)
Top goalscorer: Anton-Dusan Straka [MYT] (ST, 31; 16 goals in 30 games)
High point/Best moment: The victory over Tekstil on the penultimate match day which put Arka into 13th was a bit of a bloodbath, seeing a red card for each side after Sime Dujmic and Domagoj Kokic were both sent down the tunnel for violent conduct, but Samir Mevzelj’s late winner ensured Arka would be playing Top League football for another season and bought manager Luka Kostic a bit of credit with the support. The club’s board are still very much in the bad books, however.
Low point/Worst moment: A bit of a tanking in the Northern Derby is never good, particularly when it is at Arka Park, 1896 Ebor stormed through the Arka defence on numerous occasions on their way to a 4-1 victory and Luka Kostic could only offer his sincerest apologies to the Arka support after they booed the side off the pitch at full-time.
Quote of the season: “I’m getting far too old for this shit.” Samir Mevzelj was succinct in his analysis of Arka needing him to be their late goal threat towards the end of the season, Aca Zivanovic’s unfortunate injury left Luka Kostic without any other options and Mevzelj – already a fan favourite at the club – only further cemented his iconic status with three important goals to ensure Arka went unbeaten over the final three weeks of the campaign.
ATLETIK
Top League: 3rd (IFCF CC)
National Cup: Third Round (4-0 agg. loss to FK Arsika)
International competitions: IFCF Champions' League group stage (4th, 2-1-3, 7 points); Rushmore Copa de Campeones first round (7-4 agg. loss to Bastion [EUR]); IFCF Cup Winners' Cup preliminary round (2-1 agg. loss to Pilken Kickers [AFT])
Summary: Any trophyless season is a disappointing one for Atletik, but their young squad – full of league winners even despite the inexperience – meant that they were always tipped to have a little bit of a down year this season. Jasno Odonelec seemed uncharacteristically inconsistent and it affected the whole team as a result, although the likes of Bigger Mbala-Ekakia and Gavril Atsev (both only 20 years of age), did try their best to push their team on. It won’t have been how Robin Hjik, the most important figure in this great club’s history, will have wanted to go out – particularly given Danek Badjkev’s fairy-tale ending at Atletik’s Klasicni rivals Liria. Hjik’s given more than enough to the club over the years though: 151 goals in 446 games as a player, captaining the side and playing a part in 7 league titles, 4 cups and two Rushmore Copa de Campeones; and leading Atletik to six more domestic trophies over two spells as manager. A real legend. Provided they can hold onto their young core there’s a lot to build on for whoever succeeds him (Edis Znidarsic has indicated he’s likely to leave Lok. Cassia, meaning various media outlets are beginning to put 2 and 2 together), with the young team qualifying to the IFCF Champions’ League group stage and acquitting themselves well at that level despite finishing bottom of the group.
Player of the season: Bigger Mbala-Ekakia [MYT] (DC, 20)
Young player of the season: Gavril Atsev [MYT] (MC, 20)
Top goalscorer: Zlatan Andrijasevic [MYT] (ST, 27; 13 goals in 25 games)
High point/Best moment: Hjik’s young team did amazingly in the IFCF Champions’ League group stage, ending up only a point off second and finishing bottom only on goal difference. The highlight had to be their 2-1 away victory over Banijan side Herzegovina City, a trip to Banija is a tough test for any side but with seven starters being under the age of 25 Hjik’s team were written off by many. Jasno Odonelec had probably his best game of the season and the youngsters played up to the occasion to secure an excellent result.
Low point/Worst moment: Their 1-0 Klasicni defeat in the first-half of the season was hard to take, especially because it came from an unforced error from a veteran player in Tihomir Feric. It probably indicated that this Atletik side weren’t quite ready to win the title with all the new faces and that their title defence was likely going to ebb away under the pressure of the more experienced Liria and 1896 Ebor sides.
Quote of the season: “Whoever takes over from me has to understand that this is the best job in football, the greatest support, the greatest stadium and a group of young players who are ready to step forward onto bigger and better things. It’s a fantastic opportunity and these young lads will hopefully be ready to take the title back with the right man in charge.” Robin Hjik was emotional upon his departure from the manager’s role at the club he has spent so much of his life at, although he was confident that the team he leaves behind will be able to reclaim the Top League title.
CDSA
Top League: 9th
National Cup: Quarter final (2-1 agg. loss to 1896 Ebor)
International competitions: N/a
Summary: CDSA were always going to find it difficult without Alen Hrdaljko, now plying his trade for the Pasargan giants CA Paulinthal. He meant so much to the club, a supporter who gave his all out on the pitch but his transfer did feel a little inevitable given that he both wanted and deserved to challenge himself at a higher level and earn a fair bit more money than he would have if he had spent his entire career in Mytanija. It still hurt, though. Slavko Jelic’s team acquitted themselves reasonably well without him, finishing only a place lower in the league table (four points worse off); and still reaching the quarter final stage of the National Cup. That represented a pretty good season in the grand scheme of things for CDSA, especially as they begin to integrate some promising young players into their team like central defender Denis Klasic, right-sided midfielder Marin Boglic and a pair of 16 year old central midfielders in Ismet Zmiric and Muamer Predojevic. Ezib Salihovic ably led the team from centre-back, he’s been a really solid player for them ever since joining from Atletik Thessia and was a great captain over the course of the campaign given the tough act he had to follow with Hrdaljko departing.
Player of the season: Ezib Salihovic [MYT] (DC, 27)
Young player of the season: Denis Klasic [MYT] (DC, 18)
Top goalscorer: Dario Gvetadze [MYT] (ST, 25; 9 goals in 28 games)
High point/Best moment: CDSA’s biggest game every single season is the North Vojovitican Derby against Energija-Nuklearna, so you’d think that playing a part in sending them down to the second tier would perhaps be against their best interests. This is football, though, so schadenfreude reigns and CDSA’s 3-0 win at the Miagostadion resulting in rioting from the home side’s ultras Grolija would have put a smile on many CDSA fans’ faces.
Low point/Worst moment: Slavko Jelic’s team were safe from relegation fairly early, after of international competition contention pretty early and had little to play for over the second-half of the season. It was a very middle-of-the-road campaign, but the manner in which they were put out of the National Cup definitely will have hurt, with Dalibor Vlahovic’s late equaliser at Psenicova putting them out 2-1 on aggregate with 1896 Ebor progressing to the semis.
Quote of the season: “He’s built like a brick shithouse ref! How’s he going down like that?!” CDSA captain Ezib Salihovic was less than impressed with the way in which Litala’s wily veteran Alen Zekic went down after bringing down a long ball and feeling Salihovic’s presence behind him. Nemanja Jovancic gave a free-kick to the target man and Salihovic let the referee know exactly what he thought of it.
ENERGIJA-NUKLEARNA
Top League: 14th (relegated)
National Cup: Fourth Round (3-1 agg. loss to FK Arsika)
International competitions: N/a
Summary: Energija-Nuklearna are a strange football club. Their ultras group Grolija have an enormous influence on all the club’s business and it often means that there isn’t people with genuine knowledge making key decisions in the best interests of the club. Ultras are very passionate, often willing to follow their club to the end of the multiverse, but they perhaps aren’t best positioned to judge who will make the best manager for their team or which players can be brought in to really make a difference. Duje Madar is a club legend as a player, but he was entirely unproven as a manager when the club decided to appoint him to replace Vasya Kanadin (with considerable pressure from Grolija). It hasn’t worked and as a result Energija-Nuklearna’s status as one of four ever present teams in the Mytanar Top League has ended (we’re now down to 1896 Ebor, Atletik and Energija-Nuklearna’s hated rivals CDSA), relegated to the second tier for the very first time. Naturally this resulted in Grolija rioting both inside and outside the Miagostadion, the Policija enforcing a closure of their section for several games when it became clear they’d be involved in another relegation battle. The eventual relegation could be an opportunity for the ultras to step back and allow football decisions to be made by those with the skills to do so, it’s a shame for this historic club to be suffering like this, but it might be what necessary medicine to solve their ills.
Player of the season: Jasmin Bertovic [MYT] (GK, 24)
Young player of the season: Zdenko Smolic [MYT] (AMC, 18)
Top goalscorer: Zdenko Smolic [MYT] (AMC, 18; 7 goals in 26 games)
High point/Best moment: Given that this is Mytanija’s fifth most successful club (and arguably the ‘biggest’ after Atletik, Liria and 1896 Ebor), a season ending in relegation – ending their ever present status as a member of the Mytanar Top League – can’t really be said to have had too many high points.
Low point/Worst moment: The Policija announcing that they would formally have to enforce a closure of Grolija’s section of the Miagostadion for the last two home games of the season for the safety of the players of the clubs involved (including Energija-Nuklearna’s!). It didn’t stop Grolija from letting everybody know just how they felt, they vandalised the team’s training ground and had pitched battles with the Policija throughout the day prior to the two games in question.
Quote of the season: “The job was too big for him, he should never have been appointed,” said one Grolija capo regarding Duje Madar being his club’s manager. Given Madar’s status as a legend of the club as a player and Grolija’s desire for somebody who ‘knows the club’ to hold the manager’s role it is perhaps necessary for those from the ultras group involved in the pressure applied on the club to appoint Madar as manager in the first place to have a few moments of introspection.
FK ARSIKA
Top League: 4th (IFCF CC)
National Cup: Runners-up (1-0 loss to 1923 Esca in final)
International competitions: N/a
Summary: A reasonable debut season for Dzvezdan Kitanchev as manager could have been a sensational debut season had his side managed to beat 1923 Esca in the National Cup final. In the end Sefir Ajanovic and Vlado Arzhentinski – two of the best performers in the league across the season – were left hustled and harried by 1923 Esca’s energetic midfield trio of Vandendriessche, Ladicorbic and Smiciklas and unable to get the ball forward into FK Arsika’s dangerous forward players. Qualifying for the IFCF Challengers’ Cup is no mean feat, though, particularly given just how challenging FK Arsika have found that previously. Kitanchev’s team seem to have a coherent identity, playing an eye-catching brand of football which could inspire plenty of young football fans to support the club. Sacha Dobruzhanski’s business plan has mostly relied on his own spending to fund the team’s improvements, but at some point you have to imagine he’ll want them to become self-sufficient. Kitanchev’s tactical input will certainly help with that, as will international club football, so the primary goal was achieved. Dobruzhanski will probably want to see a trophy soon enough, though, although you imagine Kitanchev will be afforded plenty of time due to his being hand-picked by the occasionally trigger-happy owner.
Player of the season: Sefir Ajanovic [MYT] (MC, 25)
Young player of the season: Pasha Secujac [MYT] (AMC, 21)
Top goalscorer: Juljana Chmela [SRS] (ST, 26; 19 goals in 29 games)
High point/Best moment: Their 4-0 aggregate demolition of Atletik Thessia in the National Cup third round created a feeling that FK Arsika had finally ‘arrived’ as one of the big boys, capable of defeating anybody comprehensively when they put things together. For all their money and investment they hadn’t ever quite had a result like this, with Atletik’s young squad left in disarray and FK Arsika’s confidence skyrocketing.
Low point/Worst moment: Another National Cup related one and what else can you expect? Losing a final always hurts and 1923 Esca deserved what they got out of the game with Sava Grgurovic’s excellent game plan. Kitanchev is an excellent tactician, but he got things wrong for the final, although trying to defeat a team which had 70% support in a match which is technically meant to be on neutral ground is pretty difficult.
Quote of the season: “We got our man, look at the way we played out there today, Dzvezdan is a tactical genius and one day I’m sure he’ll follow in Lev Repin’s footsteps and coach the national team. He has us playing some tremendous stuff!” Sacha Dobruzhanski wasn’t afraid of laying the praise on thick for his manager following FK Arsika’s 3-0 hammering of Atletik in the first leg of the National Cup tie at Novi Zavej Park.
