Mytanski sportski mediji

[Mytanija]

RSM TOP LEAGUE HANDBALL 32/33 SEASON REVIEW

RSM Top League Handball History

Year   Champion        
00/01  Litala ’93
01/02  Litala ’93
02/03  Litala ’93
03/04  Litala ’93
04/05  Litala ’93
05/06  Litala ’93
06/07  Litala ’93
07/08  Litala ’93
08/09  Litala ’93
09/10  Litala ’93
10/11  Atletik
11/12  GK Magevskaya
12/13  Litala ’93
13/14  GK Magevskaya
14/15  Litala ’93
15/16  Litala ’93
16/17  Dinamo
17/18  GK Magevskaya
18/19  Dinamo
19/20  Litala ’93
20/21  Litala ’93
21/22  Litala ’93
22/23  GK Magevskaya
23/24  Litala ’93
24/25  Litala ’93
25/26  Litala ’93
26/27  Litala ’93
27/28  Litala ’93
28/29  Litala ’93
29/30  GK Magevskaya
30/31  GK Magevskaya
31/32  Atletik
32/33

Team           Championships
Litala ’93     22
GK Magevskaya   6
Dinamo          2
Atletik         2

Handball is a popular sport in Mytanija, with great participation among both men and women. The national side is one of the few that includes both men and women, too, with no split based on sex. Domestically handball is organised by the national governing body the RSM who run the Top League and Druga Liga. They have a similar set-up to their footballing equivalents, with promotion and relegation between the two leagues, with two going up and two going down. They both have 12 teams and it is run under a quadruple round-robin format, so each team plays every other team twice at home and twice on the road. The Top League has been dominated by Litala ’93 over the years, with the Esca-based club monopolising the title over the first decade, since then GK Magevskaya, Dinamo and Atletik have all won at least titles. None have come anywhere near breaking Litala's dominance though, with the club having an incredible 22 titles over the years (and nine of the last thirteen!). They have such history in the sport (and in volleyball, too), that they attract all the best players and build strong teams. It is very difficult for the others to come close. The likes of GK Magevskaya, Atletik and Dinamo all run productive youth systems which allow them to occasionally compete, but they're often fighting a losing battle against the all-conquering behemoth that is Litala ’93, although in recent years it has become more open and last season was a great demonstration of this with no fewer than six teams involved at the top throughout the campaign and Litala eventually falling to 5th. Atletik may have won an RSM Top League title before but it is still something of a novel winner. Let's see what happened in the latest season:

## Top League            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Atletik                44   36   2   6  1289 1046 +243   110  C
02 Dinamo                 44   30   3  11  1208 1107 +101    93
03 Litala ’93             44   29   2  13  1232 1103 +129    89
04 GK Magevskaya          44   28   4  12  1225 1095 +130    88
05 RK Prizren             44   26   7  11  1213 1110 +103    85
06 RK Avnalia             44   25   5  14  1187 1092  +95    80
07 RK Miago               44   14   4  26  1130 1210  −80    46
08 Crvena Zvezda          44   12   1  31  1075 1200 −125    37
09 Centralni              44   11   4  29  1117 1248 −131    37
10 Arka                   44   11   4  29  1080 1255 −175    37
11 CDSA                   44   10   4  30  1100 1220 −120    34  R
12 NK Dyka                44    9   6  29  1086 1256 −170    33  R

After all the excitement of last season’s title race, with a novel winner and different teams involved and managing to take it the distance, this season was something of a return to the norm – albeit with Atletik taking up the role of dominant performer rather than historic top dogs Litala ’93. It’s for good reason, too, as Atletik’s stacked roster allows them to lead the league in both scoring and defensive performance – usually when that is the case you can tell who the league champion will be. Mahir Stojanovic and Lamija Halilovic were the team’s top performers, both eternally dangerous from the flanks and the sniper-like play from Alem Nozic and Azrena Pasalic only served to reinforce that. Nozic and Pasalic were ideal in defensive situations which could lead to transitions, with good shooting from the outside and excellent anticipatory skills.

Dinamo were Atletik’s nearest challengers, but truth be told they weren’t able to put much pressure on the Thessians after the halfway point as Atletik stretched their lead and slipped off into the distance. Litala ’93 did manage to recover from a disappointing campaign last season, moving a bit closer to the top as they finished 3rd. GK Magevskaya might be a bit frustrated with their season, Zina Kazantseva hasn’t had the most impressive results since becoming coach and their roster has players in it who could achieve a little more. Once again the league was split into a top six and a bottom six with RK Miago finishing nearly forty points behind 6th placed RK Avnalia.

At the bottom it was CDSA and NK Dyka who ended up in the relegation spots, meaning that both promoted sides – Centralni and Arka – managed to retain their places in the RSM Top League for another year. Coming up from the Druga Liga are Olympic and RK Rauchnya, the pair who were relegated from the Top League at the end of last season, a swift return to the big time for both of them.

## Druga Liga            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Olympic                44   31   1  12  1211 1106 +105    94  C, P
02 RK Rauchnya            44   30   2  12  1239 1121 +118    92  P
03 NK Thessia             44   27   4  13  1221 1136  +85    85
04 Tekstil                44   22   5  17  1141 1133   +8    71
05 RK Vershina            44   21   4  19  1176 1187  −11    67
06 Partizan               44   20   3  21  1167 1188  −21    63
07 Obolon                 44   18   5  21  1121 1133  −12    59
08 Rotor                  44   18   4  22  1158 1180  −22    58
09 NK Istina              44   17   4  23  1194 1202   −8    55
10 Slovan                 44   13   4  27  1101 1196  −95    43
11 Akademija              44   13   3  28  1131 1202  −71    42
12 Zenit                  44   13   3  28  1127 1203  −76    42

[Mytanija]

SHLM LIGA ICE HOCKEY 32/33 SEASON REVIEW

SHLM Liga Ice Hockey History

Year   Champion      
00/01  Tekstil
01/02  KK Magevskaya
02/03  Tekstil
03/04  HK Prizren
04/05  HK Prizren
05/06  HK Prizren
06/07  Hajerek
07/08  Tekstil
08/09  HK Prizren
09/10  NK Thessia
10/11  HK Prizren
11/12  HK Prizren
12/13  Zavolja
13/14  Zeljeznicar
14/15  Tekstil
15/16  HK Prizren
16/17  Zavolja
17/18  Zavolja
18/19  KK Magevskaya
19/20  Zeljeznicar
20/21  NK Thessia
21/22  Hajerek
22/23  NK Thessia
23/24  Torpedo
24/25  NK Thessia
25/26  Hajerek
26/27  NK Thessia
27/28  Tekstil
28/29  Zavolja
29/30  Zavolja
30/31  HK Prizren
31/32  NK Thessia
32/33

Team           Championships
HK Prizren     8
NK Thessia     6
Tekstil        5
Zavolja        5
Hajerek        3
KK Magevskaya  2
Zeljeznicar    2
Torpedo        1

Ice hockey is probably the least popular of the so-called 'major' team sports in Mytanija (i.e. football, basketball, handball, ice hockey and volleyball), with this mostly being due to its significantly restricted geographical range when compared to the others. This is mainly down to one of the key components of the sport - ice - not being in high supply in certain regions. Historically ice hockey teams were founded in cities that experience wintry conditions for longer periods of the year and often played on outdoor rinks, this ruled out lots of major cities from hosting teams in the SHLM Liga. Of course in the modern day this isn't as big an issue due to indoor ice rinks and the like, but the governing body are notoriously conservative and refuse to expand the league to feature teams from potentially lucrative markets such as Ebor, Tsrvena, Arsika or Severyan (indeed there are no teams in the league from Visoravna, Rauchnya or Nasto and Avnalia).

The sport's heartland within Mytanija is undoubtedly within the region of Thessia with teams from there having won the championship in over half (18 out of 32) of SHLM Liga seasons. NK Thessia, Tekstil, Zavolja and Zeljeznicar are all strong outfits from the region and will usually be in the upper echelons of the league table come the end of the season. With this being said, the single strongest team in SHLM Liga history is HK Prizren who have won 8 championships down the years - they hadn't won one since 15/16 but ended the fifteen year drought with glory in 30/31, extending their lead over the rest to three titles more. They're always a strong team due to the size of Prizren's population and they also draw players from throughout Vojovitica such is their reputation in ice hockey. The other Vojovitican teams (CDSA and HK Miago) cannot hold a candle to HK Prizren.

Outside of this Esca has a few teams (Akademija, BVK Dinamo, Dinamo and Zenit), but none of them have ever succeeded in winning the league title, perhaps accurately demonstrating the capital's preference for other sports. More widely in Zentria there is Hajerek and Torpedo who have both won the league title at one point or another, Obolon have surprised people a few times in recent seasons by finishing near the top of the table but they haven't managed to turn their good performances into a championship. KK Magevskaya are Magevskaya's sole representatives (perhaps unsurprisingly), and have a couple of championships which were won a long time apart. They often flatter to deceive, having good line-ups but also a tendency to self-destruct when it looks like they may be on their way to a title.

Let's see what happened this season:

## SHLM Liga             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 HK Prizren             34   27   5   2    90   26  +64    86  C
02 Zavolja                34   24   6   4    76   27  +49    78
03 NK Thessia             34   21   7   6    69   35  +34    70
04 CDSA                   34   18   7   9    65   42  +23    61
05 Tekstil                34   17   7  10    63   45  +18    58
06 Torpedo                34   15  10   9    50   40  +10    55
07 Hajerek                34   16   6  12    52   53   −1    54
08 HK Miago               34   15   7  12    55   41  +14    52
09 KK Magevskaya          34   10  14  10    49   44   +5    44
10 Obolon                 34   13   5  16    44   48   −4    44
11 Zeljeznicar            34   11  10  13    48   53   −5    43
12 Dinamo                 34   11   8  15    42   49   −7    41
13 Slovan                 34   12   5  17    45   55  −10    41
14 Atletik                34   10   7  17    41   60  −19    37
15 Olympic                34   10   4  20    34   68  −34    34
16 Akademija              34    5   8  21    28   69  −41    23
17 BVK Dinamo             34    4   6  24    25   76  −51    18
18 Zenit                  34    5   2  27    30   75  −45    17

SHLM Liga titles seem to be a little like buses, HK Prizren waited a very long time for one and then they get two in very close succession. That’s where the bus simile ends, because it was HK Prizren’s 8th and 9th titles after a fifteen year drought and it reinforced their position as Mytanar ice hockey’s most successful team. Lucijan Bilobrk continues to establish himself as the best goalie in the country; and Sliskovic and Vuletic were back to their very best on the attack, too, leading the league in scoring and powering HK Prizren to fourteen more goals than anybody else. An excellent campaign for everybody involved as they won the title by eight points from Zavolja.

Zavolja will be pleased to get back into the top four, their 5th place finish last season was considered a major underperformance given the quality of their squad. This represents a return to where they should be, though they will want to capitalise on it next season and make a more concerted title push. NK Thessia drop down to 3rd after their title win and CDSA drop down the same number of spots as last season’s champions as they go from 2nd to 4th. They might have been Vojovitica’s top dogs last season but HK Prizren certainly showed them how it is done this year. They will need to become more consistent if they want to win a first ever league title.

[Mytanija]

MOF TOP LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL 32/33 SEASON REVIEW

MOF Top League Volleyball History

Year   Champion      
00/01  Olympic
01/02  Litala ’93
02/03  Litala ’93
03/04  Olympic
04/05  Litala ’93
05/06  Litala ’93
06/07  Litala ’93
07/08  Olympic
08/09  Olympic
09/10  Litala ’93
10/11  Olympic
11/12  Olympic
12/13  OK Rauchnya
13/14  Olympic
14/15  Olympic
15/16  Olympic
16/17  OK Rauchnya
17/18  Olympic
18/19  OK Rauchnya
19/20  Olympic
20/21  Olympic
21/22  Litala ’93
22/23  OK Rauchnya
23/24  OK Rauchnya
24/25  Litala ’93
25/26  OK Rauchnya
26/27  Olympic
27/28  Olympic
28/29  Litala ’93
29/30  Litala ’93
30/31  Dinamo
31/32  Litala ’93
32/33

Team         Championships
Olympic      14
Litala ’93   11
OK Rauchnya  6
Dinamo       1

International honours
Litala ’93 - Volleyball Champions League 4
Litala ’93 - Volleyball Champions League 5

Volleyball is an extremely popular sport within Mytanija, particularly among women, with it enjoying the largest participation numbers for women out of any team sports. The MOF Top League is seen as the equivalent of football's Top League for Mytanar women, with wages not being significantly below those that footballers take home. The MOF Top League has been traditionally dominated by the sports' so-called 'big three': Olympic, Litala ’93 and OK Rauchnya. This represents quite a dramatic geographic spread of teams, with Olympic being based in Thessia, Litala ’93 in the capital Esca and OK Rauchnya in the region's second city Severyan. Due to the popularity of the sport there are teams throughout Mytanija, but only those three have ever managed to win a championship. Olympic and Litala ’93 split the first twelve seasons with 6 title apiece before OK Rauchnya burst onto the scene and since then it has pretty much always been a three-horse race for the Top League title. The three have fostered excellent youth systems for the sport, drawing the best talent from their local area and this means they consistently produce some of the nation's top volleyball stars. They often produce so many good players that some cannot actually get a game with the club's first team and therefore some women have had to leave the 'big three' clubs to leave to smaller teams in order to compete in the Top League. A team from outside the 'big three' finally won the national title in the 30/31 season with Peruna Zivic's Dinamo taking the championship with a team devoid of real stars. Radina Ristic's Litala ’93 continued their dominance of the sport with a second IVF Champions League, going back-to-back in historic fashion, demonstrating that Mytanar teams still dominate the sport internationally.

In the past national team players have almost exclusively come from the 'big three' clubs, but in recent years that has changed and more teams now have a realistic chance at a league title. Atletik have developed a young team which has plenty of talent, whilst Avnalia Odbojka, Dinamo Esca and VK Magevskaya are following a similar trajectory. Akademija, the national academy team, is constantly producing new talent too and it means that they can be very competitive. Those players then move on to other teams once they reach the age of 22 at Akademija. It has made a for a more competitive league and that has led to greater investment, with television companies eager to pay for exclusive rights to show one of the strongest volleyball leagues. Greater foreign investment has only furthered this and it means that international stars are increasingly choosing to play volleyball in Mytanija due to the better wages on offer. The MOF are optimistic that a strong domestic game will only help the quality of the national team, something everybody can get behind as Mytanija look to build on the VWE 11 victory and Olympic gold with more success. Let's see what happened this season:

## Top League            Pld    W   L    PF   PA  S. Avg
01 Atletik                60   52   8   168   67   2.507  C
02 Avnalia Odbojka        60   46  14   150   74   2.027
03 Dinamo                 60   42  18   148   81   1.827
04 VK Magevskaya          60   42  18   144   95   1.516
05 Olympic                60   39  21   142  100   1.420
06 Litala ’93             60   32  28   125  112   1.116
07 CDSA                   60   32  28   129  120   1.075
08 OK Rauchnya            60   31  29   118  120   0.983
09 Meja                   60   29  31   123  125   0.984
10 Akademija              60   27  33   108  125   0.864
11 Arka                   60   23  37   101  139   0.727
12 Crvena Zvezda          60   22  38    98  137   0.715
13 NK Dyka                60   21  39    99  144   0.688
14 NK Thessia             60   21  39    96  143   0.671  R
15 Centralni              60   11  49    83  158   0.525  R
16 Ribari                 60   10  50    71  163   0.436  R

A historic season for Atletik across three different sports ended with a championship in volleyball to go along with their domestic titles in football and handball. Real domination across the board at a club which has the resources to do that but has most impressively used them to invest in Mytanar youth and that approach has paid dividends enormously. They were sensational this season, losing a mere 8 games and finishing six wins ahead of their nearest rivals Avnalia Odbojka. This was a real season of change domestically with a lot of big name players retiring from the sport, but Atletik showed that they were ready to take the opportunity to step forward and a team led by Sara Gemac and Majda Omeragic was able to pick apart the league over the course of the season. There were strong performances from Soo-Gyeong Yang, the Quebecois opposite, and Devleta Besic too. Coach Fatima Jovic was delighted come the end of the season, as much relieved that Atletik had finally won a title on the volleyball court – a domain dominated for a long time by their neighbourhood rivals Olympic.

Avnalia Odbojka had an excellent campaign, finishing in the top two and being Atletik’s closest challengers for the title. They have an experienced team now, for years they had been waiting on players to grow into big time players but this season seemed to mark a real coming of age moment for some – whilst the opportunity presented by the loss of personnel at other clubs really seemed to help too. Licentian outside hitter Pippa McCabe was a fan favourite for her aggressive scoring, though consistent performances from Tamara Duleva were arguably the key reason for their good season, even if they were a little less eye-catching.

Peruna Zivic’s Dinamo end up in third and Tea Knapic-Hren was quoted as being very disappointed with her team’s season. They have the squad to win more titles and this could have been a big opportunity for them, you feel that the big names will reload given their disappointment and that could make things more difficult for Dinamo. Although with Zivic and Knapic-Hren they should be set for a few years to come. VK Magevskaya’s young team ended up in 4th, an outstanding season for them and given the age of their team they might end up seeing this as the year which really prepared them for fighting for trophies. Chernyshyova, Kaganovich, Ustyuzhanina will all still be only 23 when the new season starts, Hanna Collins will be a year older. There’s a lot of potential to fulfil yet.

Mytanar volleyball’s two biggest clubs, Olympic and Litala ’93, come next. Olympic seem to be really stuck in a rut despite a roster packed with talent. A coaching change could be in the offing for them and veteran setter Safija Bojic, a former national team player, might end up retiring and taking over as coach. Litala ’93 struggled to deal with the impact of Dobrila Pavlovic and Radoslava Radic retiring after the title win in Radina Ristic’s last season as coach. Marovic always had a tough task on her hands to follow in the footsteps of a coach who had won 4 Mytanar Top Leagues, 2 IVF Champions’ Leagues (back-to-back no less); and a Volleyball World Expo, IVF WorldLeague and Olympic gold with the national team. Given the circumstances this was a really difficult start, but she now has to dust herself down and help the team to raise their level once again. Signings will be needed in the off-season.

At the bottom of the table it is all three promoted sides who will be heading back down to the Druga Liga. The jump up to the Top League is always difficult, but with how some of the teams have grown in quality in recent years that gap is even larger now. Thankfully we will have at least one new team in the Top League for next season, JK Ebor and NK Istina are able to return at the first time of asking but Padina are coming up and will provide a new set of faces for our perusal.

## Druga Liga            Pld    W   L    PF   PA  S. Avg
01 JK Ebor                60   52   8   160   72   2.222  C, P
02 NK Istina              60   42  18   146   90   1.622  P
03 Padina                 60   38  22   141  103   1.369  P
04 Zenit                  60   36  24   128  104   1.231
05 Eskobirsk              60   35  25   137  103   1.330
06 OK Prizren             60   32  28   124  120   1.033
07 Rudar                  60   30  30   126  123   1.024
08 OK Miago               60   30  30   121  120   1.008
09 Vitalia                60   29  31   125  126   0.992
10 Ostrova Odbojka        60   29  31   111  126   0.881
11 Obalna                 60   26  34   109  132   0.826
12 Slavia                 60   25  35   108  137   0.788
13 OK Visoravna           60   24  36   117  129   0.907
14 Sigurno Odbojka        60   22  38   107  137   0.781
15 Rotor                  60   18  42    92  146   0.630
16 Partizan               60   12  48    78  162   0.481

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 33/34 SEASON PREVIEW PART ONE.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

ATLETIK

Location: Zenit Toranj, Thessia, Thessia
Stadium: Novi Atletskistadion (Capacity: 67,000)
Manager: Edis Znidarsic, 45, 3nd season in charge; T: philosopher, R: resourceful, P: ambitious

Club synopsis: Mytanija's biggest club and boy do they let everybody know about it. They have an unparalleled level of success domestically although they are a bit sore about the fact they haven't won any international competitions outside of Rushmore (unlike Liria and 1896 Ebor). In the past they have largely tried to combine the best foreign talent with bright young stars coming through the club's youth system, but in recent years have turned to domestic talent more and more often. That has meant them buying up the best domestic talent and weakening their rivals even more often though, something they are resented for across the country. Atletik are generally expected to play attractive forward-thinking, attacking football given their history. Fans of other clubs often bemoan 'Atletik luck' whereby they seem to get big decisions at key moments or excessive amounts of added time, but they are treated with a grudging sense of respect by many.
Fanbase: The biggest club in the country and with a fanbase to match as they draw fans from all over Mytanija as well as in Mytanar immigrant communities all over the multiverse. Their traditional local supporters are fiercely working-class and left-wing and given Thessia's history of being repressed the club is a point of pride for many citizens as the club regularly get one over Zentrians, Vojoviticans and Magevs for the city and region. Despite being such a huge club Atletik do a lot of good work in Thessia and maintain their links with the local community. Their fanbase is extremely loyal but given the club's history there is an expectation of success that other clubs just don't experience and this can mean a lot of pressure on the manager. Atletik's ultras are known as the Kippax Ofras and are notable for their size and their left-wing political principles which mean they can often be found skirmishing with right-wing groups.
Rivals: Olympic Thessia (Eternal Derby); Liria Prizren (Klasicni); Tekstil Ibon (Rijeka Derby); 1896 Ebor (competitive); Energija-Nuklearna (political); SK Port Jarko (historic)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★★
Sponsors: Guinec (brewery)

Major honours: 13 x Mytanar Top Leagues (01/02, 02/03, 03/04, 04/05, 05/06, 10/11, 11/12, 21/22, 23/24, 26/27, 28/29, 29/30, 32/33); 8 x National Cups (00/01, 02/03, 03/04, 07/08, 13/14, 21/22, 23/24, 29/30); 2 x Rushmore Copa de Campeones (7, 11)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Atletik stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Edis Znidarsic knew that his side had to seal a trophy in his second season at the club and it would be preferable if it was the league title, too. He duly delivered the club’s 13th Mytanar Top League triumph on the back of some exceptional football, his 3-4-1-2 formation gave opponents issues all over the pitch, with the creativity of Gavril Atsev and captain Jasno Odonelec in the centre of the pitch and Nahia Legarra’s clinical finishing at the top end ensuring they had the most prolific attack in the league. They were also second tightest at the back, only behind Misel Ravnjak’s Ararat in that regard. A young central defensive three of Evelyn Cassidy, Denis Klasic and Adnan Sulejmanovic received major plaudits for their efforts; and new signing Deliang Zhao ended up finishing second in the Golden Glove award with 13 clean sheets over the course of the campaign.

The challenge for Atletik now is to maintain the same level in the league, attempting to go further in the National Cup (they were knocked out in the Fourth Round by their friends CDSA last season); and compete at both international and regional level in the IFCF Champions’ League and Rushmore Copa de Campeones. They will have to do that without last season’s Player of the Season Gavril Atsev, the playmaker moves on to Chromatik side Myana for a cool NSD 10 million, it’ll be a big loss for Atletik but their production line seemingly never stops. Jasno Skenderovic will take up Atsev’s starting spot alongside his namesake Jasno Odonelec, he’s a little more box-to-box than Atsev but is extremely highly-rated by everybody at the club. There’s two more outgoings, both on loan, with 17 year old attacking midfielder Alija Kulenovic heading over to Ararat and target man Miralem Malobabic going to Druga Liga side Ribari. Only one incoming move, 20 year old central defender Elmedin Suljic impressed with relegated Zeljeznicar last year and he moves across the region of Thessia for a paltry NSD 300,000. Atletik have had a lot of success with bringing in players who have played a lot of games for relegated sides over recent years, so they’ll hope the trend continues with Suljic.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 1ST - Znidarsic will be ecstatic that he’s managed to retain so many of his squad. Atsev will be a loss, make no mistake, he’s really started to impress with the national side and will be a top player for both country and club (wherever that may be) for a long time. However, Atletik still have their starting back three, despite interest in Adnan Sulejmanovic from overseas. Both Cassidy and Klasic could be with the club for a long time, too. Omer Kuhar-Arh is still there as the side’s number ten and the veteran Jasno Odonelec hasn’t shown too many signs that he’s slowing down yet either. Jasno Skenderovic could be the next to follow Atsev overseas if he lives up to the hype too. Nahia Legarra won the Golden Boot for the second time and his record in the last two years is 34 goals in 53 Top League games. Some in Astograth believe he’s little more than a glorified poacher, but his knack for getting on the end of chances is valuable at any level. If he keeps up his scoring streak Atletik will be well set, though some believe that he and Galib Terzic may be a little too similar as forwards, that they might occupy the same positions – good thing Znidarsic still has the iconic Chiki Larrimbe to call upon if necessary, then.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Deliang Zhao          21   YZH      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Zahir Ivankovic       24   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Evelyn Cassidy        21   TLI      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Denis Klasic          23   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Adnan Sulejmanovic    23   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DR/DMC  Julij Svensek         28   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Jasno Skenderovic     21   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC/AMC  Jasno Odonelec (c)    34   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
AMC     Omer Kuhar-Arh        26   MYT      ✪✪✪✪✪
ST      Nahia Legarra         24   ASG      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Galib Terzic          24   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Nurija Jasarevic      30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Luka Karadordic       23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Demir Bruncevic       23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Foma Koshkin          19   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Elmedin Suljic        20   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Safet Osojnic         23   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Elías Pozo            18   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪
MC      Ilija Patrnogic       16   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Badara Thiam Ngagne   21   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Chiki Larrimbe        35   ASG      ✪✪✪
ST      Gustavo Alcocer       18   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪

IN
Elmedin Suljic [MYT] from Zeljeznicar to Atletik, NSD 300,000

OUT
Gavril Atsev [MYT] from Atletik to Myana [CMT], NSD 10 million
Alija Kulenovic [MYT] from Atletik to Ararat, loan
Miralem Malobabic [MYT] from Atletik to Ribari, loan

Legends: Marius Sadowsky (manager); Robin Hjik (player/manager); Dobroslav Stojanovic (player); Laze v Tuhinju (player); Ismet van Huijgevoort (player); Alex Gannot (player/coach); Snerik Oiskha (player); Josip Radonic (player/coach); Jasno Odonelec (player)
Icons: Rob Fridrich (player); Lijenost Klinicki (player); Ibai Kiriano (player); Ildar Patreljak (player); Eligiusz Gorski (player); Kjartan Dagfinnursson (player); Thorvar Prijholm (player); Jezdimir Ocokoljic (player); Chiki Larrimbe (player); Bigger Mbala-Ekakia (player); Gavril Atsev (player)

LIRIA

Location: Prizren, Vojovitica
Stadium: Stadion Prizren (Capacity: 84,000)
Manager: Adel Gudelj, 46, 3rd season in charge; T: tinkerman, R: resourceful, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: Largely thought to be the second biggest club in the country despite being the third most successful, Liria hail from arguably the most beautiful city in Mytanija and one of huge cultural and philosophical importance too. They generally pride themselves on playing possession-based football and a lot of that is down to Badjkev's influence in his two spells at the club. Liria have always had a preference for buying Mytanar talent over foreign players and this policy has largely served them well over the years as they have established themselves as one of Mytanija's 'big three'. They were the first Mytanar club to win a non-Rushmori international trophy when they won the UICA Globe Cup and that triumph is still celebrated in Prizren. Other clubs often see Liria as being a bit pretentious and aloof; as a club which lives off what are now semi-distant past glories, Liria of course happily ended that with their 30/31 triumph.
Fanbase: Liria have one of the largest fan bases in Mytanija due to their history and they can draw on fans from all over the country as a result of this. Their local support is often characterised as university professors and misunderstood artists but this obviously isn't true, the Liria neighbourhood of Prizren from which they draw their name is historically a working class area but the club draw their support from all socioeconomic backgrounds. They are an expectant bunch that want trophies but also want their team to play a specific way, usually in their classic 4-3-1-2 formation with lots of possession. Their main ultras group is known as Žuti Zid and they are officially apolitical but are unfortunately made-up of different groups who all have their own political stances and can be found battling for control of the sector as much as they can be found battling with opposition groups. When they come together their choreographies are second-to-none, the size and creativity of the flags they create is unrivalled in Mytanija.
Rivals: Atletik Thessia (Klasicni); Pretia Prizren (local); Energija-Nuklearna (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★★
Sponsors: Petromok (Astograthian oil and gas)

Major honours: 4 x Mytanar Top Leagues (13/14, 14/15, 15/16, 30/31); 4 x National Cups (10/11, 11/12, 14/15, 31/32); 2 x UICA Globe Cups (43, 44); 1 x Rushmore Copa de Campeones (21)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Irma Simunec
• Where do Liria stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Liria pushed Atletik as hard as they could but still came up short in the final weeks last term. Many interested in Mytanar football might say that that is the story more often than not in the Top League, though under Adel Gudelj Liria feel like they’re on the right track and there is a real sense of positivity around the club. Winning the Top League in Danek Badjkev’s final season and then followed up by a National Cup triumph in Adel Gudelj’s first season as manager will do that and last season is regarded as a bit of a bump in the road. Being knocked out in the Fourth Round by Rudar Uchenik as they looked to defend the National Cup left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. Liria will want a renewed challenge to Atletik this season. Mijat Simic’s scoring form will help, he hit 16 goals in 28 games last year to take his overall tally in the Top League to 94 in 167. He’ll want to break the 100 goal mark this season.

Adel Gudelj has not been active in the transfer market as Liria have chosen to stick with those already at the club for the new campaign. They have lost promising centre-back Mahir Kapetanovic, though, as he completed an NSD 6 million move to Nepharan side Coret Hawks. Kapetanovic is one of a selection of young defenders which Mytanija has produced in recent years that are extremely comfortable with bringing the ball out from the back and Gudelj has decided to entrust another, 17 year old Filip Mlinarevic, with continuing Kapetanovic’s fine work. That explains part of the inactivity in the transfer market, though the club did want a left-back in over the summer too and failed in their pursuit of both 1923 Esca’s Armoni Okombo and Ararat’s Asmir Milosevic. Milomir Pesic will continue there, but he’s 31 now and Bruno Zganec appears to be at a similar level when it’s a position that the Prizren club could really do with improving on if they really want to challenge Atletik for the title. Only one other move out of the club, though, with Ante Ciabok leaving for Partizan Tsrvena on a free transfer at the conclusion of his contract.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 3RD - The failure to bring in a left-back will both sting the Liria board mentally and philosophically; and sting them out on the pitch by failing to improve their squad. Liria for a long time have regarded themselves as the biggest attraction for any players who Atletik have not yet gone in for, but with Okombo and Milosevic deciding to stay put given both their clubs are in a very good position themselves, it means Liria are left looking a little foolish quite publicly and without a real improvement in a position they wanted an upgrade. Filip Mlinarevic will have to learn on the job alongside the excellent Hurko Germain and he might find the inevitable comparisons to Kapetanovic a little difficult early on, every error will be met with a ‘Kapetanovic wouldn’t have done that’ and Gudelj will have to field questions on the subject in press conferences. Liria’s midfield is still fantastic and with Mijat Simic they’ve got one of the best goal scorers in the league, but they are just a step or two behind Atletik still and require improvements. Watch out for Filip’s twin brother Stipe Mlinarevic off the bench, too, he’s a talented striker who will be a handful for defenders with his physical presence.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Lazar Obradovic (c)   33   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Milomir Pesic         31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Hurko Germain         24   ASG      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Filip Mlinarevic      17   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Iosif Chervonskiy     24   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Emil Kitinov          25   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Bruno Ozmec           27   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Davor Mahovlic        27   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
AMC     Mirko Kosic           29   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Strahinja Nanusevski  30   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Mijat Simic           29   MYT      ✪✪✪✪✪

GK      Obren Vujic           28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Bruno Zganec          25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Nermin Crnkic         17   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Osman Muhic           36   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Alen Komadina         28   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Duro Galovic          29   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Zvonimir Rendulic     23   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Bozo Mihic            19   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Alen Gvetadze         28   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Stipe Mlinarevic      17   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Guv Culak-Forzu       25   QUS      ✪✪✪

OUT
Ante Ciabok [MYT] from Liria to Partizan, free transfer
Mahir Kapetanovic [MYT] from Liria to Coret Hawks [NPH], NSD 6 million

Legends: Danek Badjkev (manager/player); Miki Sipilainen (player); Yuri Matveyev (player); Tikhon Voronin (player); Stefan Wallinaar (player); Niksa Obadko (player)
Icons: Miro Obad (player); Lavrentii Aliev (player); Tyko Rissanen (player); Adel Gudelj (manager/coach/player); Bernd Schulz (player); Jeda Mehmedic (player); Mersudin Smajic (player); Lazar Obradovic (player); Mijat Simic (player)

1923 ESCA

Location: Centralni, Esca, Zentria
Stadium: Radnika (Capacity: 60,000)
Manager: Sava Grgurovic, 63, 8th season in charge; T: regimented, R: developer, P: loyal

Club synopsis: Perennially underachieving club from the capital, 1923 Esca have all the infrastructure of a would-be big club but have always found a way to shoot themselves in the foot to prevent them from competing like that infrastructure suggests they should. Due to their links with Mytanar financial institutions in the country's capital they used to have a habit for being a little free-spending which at times left them in financial trouble, they have moved away from this approach in recent years and now tend towards decent scouting and strong youth recruitment. 1923 Esca are seen as being the emblematic capital club and the club of the establishment, thought of as aloof and even snooty, this does mean that they aren't particularly well-liked around Mytanija. The dichotomy between how important the club and its fans believe 1923 Esca to be within Mytanar football and the club's relative lack of success is widely regarded as proof of the capital's detachment from the reality of the rest of Mytanija.
Fanbase: A large, loyal and extremely passionate fanbase which only serves to add to the sense of underachievement for 1923 Esca. The self-importance many Escans feel is evident in the expectations the club's supporters have for the club with 1923 Esca's fanbase being one of the most demanding in Mytanija. They have a huge role in the running of their club too and if the fans aren't happy with how the club are doing managers will be sacked and board members will be removed from their posts. Odeljak 1-11 is the club's ultras group and they possess an outsized influence at the club, acting as the voice of the supporters on all sorts of decisions. They are notoriously nationalistic and were supportive of the Kalinina regime and this leads to them getting in all sorts of clashes with clubs in Thessia, Rauchnya and Visoravna; and especially clubs with left-wing ultras groups. In the they stadium are known for producing good choreographies and their loud presence behind one of the goals at Radnika.
Rivals: Litala ’93 (All-Esca Derby); Ararat Severyan (political); CDSA (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: IOK (finance)

Major honours: 1 x National Cup (30/31)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do 1923 Esca stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Sava Grgurovic has written himself into 1923 Esca folklore, for such a long time the club had issues with managers. The club’s fan base were often alienated. They didn’t have much time for Grgurovic when he was appointed, but he has transformed them, delivered their first ever trophy (finally!) and has now coached them to 3rd in the Top League alongside a run to the Quarter Final of the National Cup. A great campaign and one which demonstrates the progress 1923 Esca have made under Grgurovic, he has been crucial to their recent success. The emergence of Armoni Okombo has been beneficial too, the Kitaran left-back is the best in his position in Mytanija and his marauding runs forward help them creatively whilst his defensive solidity does the same at the other end. Drazen Skara won the U-23 Player of the Season award, too, his 15 goals in 27 games put the rest of the league on notice last season.

The key for Sava Grgurovic was to retain his players and the 1923 Esca board did a good job in helping him do that. There was interest from Liria Prizren for Armoni Okombo, there was interest from Farfadillis for Sargossan-Mytanar central defender Nicolás Riesgo (he finished third in the U-23 Player of the Season award behind teammate Skara and CDSA’s Pierre-Karl Cizeron); and also overtures from Atletik Thessia for Drazen Skara. The board resisted all of them, keeping hold of three of their stars and really allowing Grgurovic to continue to build. There was one transfer in, 21 year old midfielder Mitse Gioshev joining from Rudar Uchenik for NSD 250,000. Grgurovic will want him to grow into a starter eventually, perhaps one day replacing Vandendriessche or Smiciklas in the starting line-up, though his quality in reserve will be useful right now as they try to balance league, cup and IFCF commitments this year. Look for Nenad Tejic and Lacina Issoumou to impress this season, they could well be the next youngsters who help to push the capital club up a level.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 5TH - Finishing in the top five would not be a drop down for 1923 Esca, they should not be disappointed if they can’t repeat the heroics of last term with a place on the podium, Sava Grgurovic has always said that he wants to build a club which can consistently bank on being one of the best in the country and repeated IFCF qualifications will help them to do that. Retaining their best players is key in this goal, it’s incredible that they’ve kept captain Remy Vandendriessche at the club for so long, but even more impressive that they’ve held onto all three of Okombo, Riesgo and Skara this summer too. A number of their team showed improvements last year, including Imanuel Smiciklas and Milos Bajic, a real triumph of the exceptional coaching on show at Radnika. Grgurovic’s football has unfairly been branded as being purely functional in the past, but last season demonstrated that to be nonsense as they finished as joint-second highest scorers and Skara finished third in the running for the Golden Boot. More of the same and improvement defensively will show they’re headed in the right direction, even if they end up dropping down a couple of league positions.

---

Pos.    Name                      Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Isak Vennerod             28   OPP      ✪✪✪
DL      Armoni Okombo             30   NYK      ✪✪✪✪✪
DC      Nicolás Riesgo            19   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪✪
DC      Braco Evic                30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Petar Pejakovski          23   MYT      ✪✪✪
ML      Nenad Tejic               19   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Remy Vandendriessche (c)  28   CRE      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Marek Ladicorbic          27   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Imanuel Smiciklas         27   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MR      Milos Bajic               23   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Drazen Skara              19   MYT      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Rade Nikolic              24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Srdan Vukovic             36   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Val Nexev-Pilta           25   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Mojsije Lazovic           30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Bors Neitzel              27   NPH      ✪✪✪
ML      Sava Karanovic            32   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Evandro                   26   LOR      ✪✪✪
MC      Mesud Erjavec             25   MYT      ✪✪
MC/AMC  Mitse Gioshev             21   MYT      ✪✪✪
MR      Milan Bojevic             30   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Lacina Issoumou           17   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Zeljko Kuzmanovic         30   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Mitse Gioshev [MYT] from Rudar to 1923 Esca, NSD 250,000

Legends: Sava Grgurovic (manager); Remy Vandendriessche (player); Milos Funda (player)
Icons: Miroslav Filo (player); Igor Artemiev (player); Dino Racic (player); Mojsije Lazovic (player); Armoni Okombo (player)

ARARAT

Location: Severyan, Rauchnya
Stadium: Korecky Road (Capacity: 25,000)
Manager: Misel Ravnjak, 59, 10th season in charge; T: defensive, R: resourceful, P: spirited

Club synopsis: A provincial club that have punched well above their weight over the years, Ararat are mostly known for being a horrible team to come up against on the pitch (especially in Severyan); and for the carnival atmosphere their supporters create on the terraces. Ararat as a football club and Rauchnya as a region more generally have been on the receiving end of some of the worst examples of ethnic discrimination in Mytanija, anti-Rauchik sentiment still pervades in some of the other regions and footballers have refused to sign for Ararat because of their views in the past. Severyan as a city mirrors Rauchnya as a whole by being slightly poorer than the national average and Ararat and their supporters mirror this too. The club have links to Catholicism - evident in the team's name - but this is less relevant than it used to be and they are perhaps defined more by their links with Severyan's fishing industry than anything else. The authors' of arguably Mytanar football's greatest (and most unlikely) story - their Rushmore Copa de Campeones and National Cup double in the 32/33 campaign.
Fanbase: Ararat are well-supported within Rauchnya but their support does not go beyond Rauchik territory, a situation which perhaps says more about those in other regions (except Thessia and Visoravna who have always stood alongside Rauchnya) than it does about Ararat and Rauchnya. Their supporters are known for being welcoming once their hard-nosed, distrusting exteriors are broken (an unsurprising symptom of historical ill-treatment). As a fanbase they are quite reasonable with their expectations and if you speak to an Ararat supporter they often cannot believe their luck that their team is regularly fighting it out towards the top of the Top League nowadays. Cirkusgrupa are their ultras group and they are known for being active regarding social issues: often creating displays relating to anti-racism, LGBT rights, immigration issues and Mytanar unity (they're particularly involved in this due to Rauchnya historically being painted as non-Mytanar, particularly under Kalinina's regime). This is in direct contrast to their great rivals Lok. Cassia who are fierce Rauchik nationalists, right-wing and massively racist towards outsiders.
Rivals: Lok. Cassia (Rauchik Derby); 1923 Esca (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★ / Pitch ★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: Air Rauchnya (airline)

Major honours: 3 x Mytanar Top Leagues (12/13, 24/25, 31/32); 1 x National Cup (32/33); 1 x Rushmore Copa de Campeones (55)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Irma Simunec
• Where do Ararat stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Just a year on from a famous Mytanar Top League title, Ararat Severyan experienced their greatest ever season, combining the club’s first ever National Cup with a miraculous run in the Rushmore Copa de Campeones which took them all the way to the final and saw them lift the trophy in Jiangdong. The past few years have seen so many players write themselves into club folklore (and Mytanar football history more widely), and Misel Ravnjak rightly has a claim to being Mytanija’s greatest ever coach due to his exploits with what many in the media regard as one of the country’s provincial clubs. The 59 year old has long been spirited, always ready with a witty putdown, but even he was lost for words at his team’s Copa de Campeones triumph. Amazing days to be an Ararat supporter and you find yourself wondering what might happen next for this wonderful team.

Zelimir Apostolov followed the decision of his long-time teammate Mateja Stojkovic from the season before, going out on a high and retiring. He too has decided to join the coaching staff alongside his old friend, the two will hope to help their side repeat the exploits of the last few years in the future. Ararat were not hurt by sales in the transfer market, though the loss of Lindse Kvasina might well feel a bit like a major sale such was the effect she had on the club in her two years on loan. She is a club legend, the fans adore her, but her loan spell was over and she has moved on to Banijan side Istria City for nearly NSD 20 million. A little out of Ararat’s price range, that’s for sure. Without her they will have to rely on Tine Prijatelj, he’s been an option off the bench for a while but this is the first time he’ll be a starter and Ararat’s creativity may suffer a little as a result. Alija Kulenovic has been brought in on loan from Atletik to act as Prijatelj’s back-up and the only other move was signing of Tikariotian central defender Ásgeir Steingrímsson from Fort Viljan Northern for an undisclosed fee.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 4TH - We thought it would be difficult for Ararat to top their league win, but then they did a cup and regional title double, so we might have to stop making predictions like that for them. This club continues to surprise, though we might correctly expect a bit of a step down with the loss of Lindse Kvasina. She was a real driving force for them and will be missed. They still have Mingrong Yuan marshalling the defence, with Chloe Koppenol an expert partner for the Yue defender. Pedja Kasun might not be the top goalkeeper in the country anymore but he’s not far off it even at the age of 36. Vido Mehic will still expect to take his chances consistently when they come to him, though there will probably be less due to the lack of a Kvasina – we might see more of Petra Hall this season to support Pogaenik with the side’s creative burden as a result. Vasja Vansek is an exciting young winger who has been drilled in the Ararat system, too, he was crucial last year and he could take a step further this season. It’ll be hard for them to follow last season, but given that the two trophies completely overshadowed an impressive and consistent league performance to finish 4th how can we doubt them? Ravnjak’s a genius.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Pedja Kasun (c)       36   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Asmir Milosevic       23   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Mingrong Yuan         28   YZH      ✪✪✪✪✪
DC      Chloe Koppenol        26   TLI      ✪✪✪✪
DR      Neo Susec             20   MYT      ✪✪✪
ML/R    Viggo Sjostrom        30   OPP      ✪✪✪
MC      Radovan Pogaenik      31   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Jonatan Rebernik      27   MYT      ✪✪✪
MR      Vasja Vansek          21   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Tine Prijatelj        23   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Vido Mehic            31   MYT      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Lin Ipavec            27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Goran Stojkov         29   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Ásgeir Steingrímsson  17   TKT      ✪✪✪
DC      Josip Cermelj         29   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Belmin Kodrie         30   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Fernando Moruga       21   SRG      ✪✪✪
ML/R    Rajmund Krizman       33   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Petra Hall            19   TMB      ✪✪✪
MC      Miralem Mazar         30   MYT      ✪✪
MR      Mevludin Kadic        35   MYT      ✪✪
AMC/ST  Alija Kulenovic       17   MYT      ✪✪✪    (on loan from Atletik)
ST      Maurizio Scianna      32   AUS      ✪✪
ST      Slavoj Okec           17   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Alija Kulenovic [MYT] from Atletik to Ararat, loan
Ásgeir Steingrímsson [TKT] from Fort Viljan Northern FC [TKT] to Ararat, undisclosed

RETIRED
Zelimir Apostolov [MYT], DC, 39

Legends: Misel Ravnjak (manager); Pedja Kasun (player); Lev Repin (player); Mateja Stojkovic (player/coach); Zelimir Apostolov (player/coach); Mingrong Yuan (player); Lindse Kvasina (player)
Icons: Iuliu Zaplatic (player); Dobroslav Stojanovic (player); Aleks Kulikov (player); Dordo Urbanc (player); Ermin Urankar (player); Omer Kuhar-Arh (player); Vido Mehic (player); Chloe Koppenol (player)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 33/34 SEASON PREVIEW PART TWO.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

1896 EBOR

Location: Luka Ebora, Ebor, Visoravna
Stadium: Olujastadion (Capacity: 42,500)
Manager: Tana Colbright [NPH], 60, 1st season in charge; T: regimented, R: resourceful, P: intense

Club synopsis: Once internationally renowned club which is now perhaps a bit of a sleeping giant, far removed from their all-conquering heyday. Still one of the traditional 'big three' of Mytanar football, 1896 Ebor as a club insist upon free-flowing, pacy attacking football that is attractive on the eye. They generally buy promising young Mytanar talent to develop which they then sell-on for a profit after having got a few years of quality from them. Well-respected across Mytanija for their style of play and being the only Mytanar club to have won the UICA Champions' Cup. Often considered to be the neutral's favourite, although a spell of mid-table obscurity has slightly dulled their past lustre.
Fanbase: Large fanbase from all over Mytanija, their local supporters generally skew middle-class due to Ebor's relative prosperity because of its booming tourism industry. Their main ultras group The Northmen (which is also the club's nickname) are officially apolitical and renowned for their impressive choreographies in the Olujastadion. As a fanbase they are not the most demanding in terms of immediate success as long as they can see progression and the club's traditional style of play being implemented.
Rivals: Arka Snezhnaya (Northern Derby); Atletik Thessia (competitive); Energija-Nuklearna (historic); Litala ’93 (historic)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: Astek (Astograthian technology)

Major honours: 3 x Mytanar Top Leagues (09/10, 19/20, 20/21); 4 x National Cups (08/09, 09/10, 20/21, 26/27); 2 x UICA Champions' Cups (52, 53); 2 x UICA Super Cups (49, 50)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do 1896 Ebor stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
A disappointing campaign ended with the Northmen finishing 5th in the Top League and resulted in Mijat Krstic being relieved of his managerial duties. The former Litala ’93 head coach was left to rue the collapse in form in the 32/33 season which saw 1896 Ebor collect a mere 8 points from their final 10 games and fall from 1st to 3rd in the table. The fans lost faith after that and their indifferent league form combined with a Third Round exit from the National Cup at the hands of Nyva Zvornik meant that the writing was on the wall. They will look to start afresh under 60 year old Nepharan Tana Colbright for the new campaign, the former Nephara international goalkeeper has previously managed Brenecian A-League winners Northern Stallions; as well as Sabrefell Athletic and will arrive in Ebor looking to end what is nearing a fifteen year league title drought in the coming seasons.

Chris Thompson did pretty well in his time at the club, but with only a year left on his contract they had to make their minds up on whether to cash in on him now or wait and potentially lose him for free next summer. They ended up cashing in, raising NSD 1.3 million from his sale to Euran side Brigham and everybody came out of that deal looking reasonably happy. Colbright made her first signing by using the bulk of that money to replace Thompson, bringing young Astograthian central defender Uhin Elizabe up to Ebor for NSD 1.25 million from Tekstil Ibon. Elizabe has impressed at Tekstil and will partner Alexandre Onio in what appears to be a very promising defence. Another new addition will line-up to their right, with Slobodan Vujovic joining for NSD 2 million from Royal Rumiatzi. The Astograth-born Mytanar right-back struggled to break into the first team with the club of his youth and wanted more first team football so a move to the land of his parents made sense. He’ll provide an attacking outlet down 1896 Ebor’s right with Matko Praznik remaining more defensive on the opposite side, allowing Ebor to play with a back three in possession and giving Vujovic more licence to roam as he has done successfully with the national team.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 2ND - Truth be told last season was a bit of a catastrophe for 1896 Ebor, they had way too much quality to be merely scraping into the top five and they find themselves wasting the talents of one of the best forwards in the league in Anne-Linde van Oers; and one of the best creative midfielders in the league in Michael Baer as a result. Tana Colbright has a big job on her hands to rectify that and her first two signings at least appear to be addressing part of the problems at the club. Colbright’s teams are regimented in an attacking sense, relying upon automations, pre-choreographed moves which are drilled into the players’ minds so that they instinctively know what to do in certain scenarios. You feel that that is something which could allow some of these players to thrive, Anne-Linde van Oers is fantastic at conducting attacks from the centre-forward position and Gavrilovic and Vranjkovic love to play off her, so Colbright’s system could suit them. If she can get the best from Michael Baer then 1896 Ebor fans will be pleased, this team has too much quality to be struggling into the IFCF spots, expect them to be resurgent this season and challenge Atletik at the top.

---

Pos.    Name                   Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Oduor Bigombe          28   NYK      ✪✪✪✪
DL/C    Matko Praznik          26   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Alexandre Onio         24   SVG      ✪✪✪✪✪
DC      Uhin Elizabe           21   ASG      ✪✪✪✪   
DR      Slobodan Vujovic       25   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DMC/MC  Hong Guo               23   YZH      ✪✪✪
MC      Michael Baer           25   PAS      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Jasmin Valentic        23   MYT      ✪✪✪
AML/R   Brajko Gavrilovic (c)  34   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
AMR     Gabrijel Vranjkovic    23   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Anne-Linde van Oers    25   TLI      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Antonio Reyes          20   SRG      ✪✪✪
DL      Bakar Gerrikabeitia    25   ASG      ✪✪✪
DC      Misko Mijuskovic       19   MYT      ✪✪✪   
DC      Dario Crcic            19   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Zvonko Nestorovski     30   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Bruno Komljenovic      25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Thorvar Spinkvik       36   OPP      ✪✪✪
MC      Sebastian Nygaard      26   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Dalibor Vlahovic       34   MYT      ✪✪✪
AML     Rafal Ojrzynski        23   MYT      ✪✪
AMR     Ramiz Agic             31   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Petar Majdandzic       29   MYT      ✪✪✪

IN
Uhin Elizabe [ASG] from Tekstil to 1896 Ebor, NSD 1.25 million
Slobodan Vujovic [MYT] from Royal Rumiatzi [ASG] to 1896 Ebor, NSD 2 million

OUT
Chris Thompson [TLI] from 1896 Ebor to Brigham [EUR], NSD 1.3 million

Legends: Vaclav Simon (manager/player); Hasato Kimiki (player); Dzala Ertobashia (player); Andoni Bidigain (player)
Icons: Agil Ojdanic (player); Adama Diarra (player); Oskar Nielsen (player); Moses Uijtdewilligen (player); Txordin Zerubeltzak (player); Aran Miller (player); Srdan Vukovic (player); Brajko Gavrilovic (player)

LITALA ’93

Location: Litala, Esca, Zentria
Stadium: Sokolovny (Capacity: 30,000)
Manager: Luca Zagorc, 47, 3rd season in charge; T: offensive, R: developer, P: intense

Club synopsis: Litala ’93 are a club with a storied history which can arguably lay claim to being the biggest club from the Mytanar capital. That wasn't always the case though, during their greatest period they were regarded as plucky underdogs who stuck it to the big boys. Now they are rightly seen as one of the powerhouses of the opening decade of professional football, Litala won a pair of titles under cherished manager Lukas Boronin when Erathi playmaker Isidoro Nao played in the club's famous lavender shirt. Often defined by their opposition to all things 1923 Esca, Litala are known as the club of the working class in the Mytanar capital and as such are generally the anti-establishment choice. Litala ’93 supporters never tire of rubbing their two league titles in the faces of their greatest rivals, with 1923 Esca going 31 years before their first trophy despite their greater resources.
Fanbase: A large fanbase in Esca and well-supported more widely across Zentria, Litala ’93 are often seen as the rebel's choice due to their long-standing links with the capital's working class. The club fosters a great sense of inclusivity with strong volleyball and handball sections receiving just as impressive support as the football team does. As a club Litala ’93 have significant links to left-wing politics and Ultras Litala reflect that in the stands with colourful choreographies in support of socialist and anti-racist causes. They have strong friendships with left-wing teams in other regions like Atletik Thessia and Ararat Severyan, as well as with Dinamo Esca in the capital. It's a different story during games against 1923 Esca of course, they can often descend into violence and Litala don't maintain the best of relationships with other capital clubs like Zenit or BVK Dinamo due to their politics either.
Rivals: 1923 Esca (All-Esca Derby); 1896 Ebor (historic)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: Pačariz (spirits)

Major honours: 2 x Mytanar Top Leagues (07/08, 08/09)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do Litala ’93 stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
A 6th place finish in the league is something Litala ’93 supporters can be content with, they’re consistently a top-half side under the leadership of Luca Zagorc and his high-pressing style has won plenty of admirers across the Mytanar football world. The team’s National Cup run was what really got the juices flowing, though, as Litala made it all the way to the final – defeating Partizan Tsrvena, Lok. Cassia, CDSA and SK Elita Ryzaev on their way – before coming up against an inspired Ararat Severyan side who seemed to be propelled by fate to a historic National Cup and Copa de Campeones double. That 2-0 defeat will have stung, Litala ’93 haven’t lifted a trophy since their 08/09 league title and their supporters would love to lift one sometime soon to put 1923 Esca back in their place. Another run in the cup and finishing in the IFCF places has to be the objective for these players this year.

They will have to do it without the talented Boza Despotovic, Litala ’93 ran into a similar contractual issue to the one 1896 Ebor had with Chris Thompson, needing to make their minds up on a player with only a year left at the club. In the end they decided to let him go, with Despotovic ending up at Iturributa United for NSD 1.5 million. It’s less than they would have wanted, but they preferred to take the cash and rely on Zagorc’s coaching to minimise the impact of the departure than to lose Despotovic for zero next summer. Atanasije Tanackovic will take over the starting role at the base of Litala’s midfield, but that meant that they needed to bring somebody in to serve as back-up and they plumped for JK Ebor’s Eedo Kamensek. A complicated agreement for Kamensek saw Litala ’93 part with NSD 300,000 and send Tomislav Bajcev to Visoravna as part of the deal. The 22 year old is seen as something of a late bloomer and sources at Litala ’93 believe he could overtake Tanackovic for the starting role by the end of the campaign.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 6TH - Luca Zagorc is fond of talking about needing to create an ‘appetite’ among his players, an appetite to win, an appetite to press the opposition, an appetite to be a horrible team to play against. They aren’t just buzzwords for Zagorc and Litala certainly have become one of the fixtures most teams wince at when they see it on their schedule. Ararat did however show teams the way to beat Litala ’93, limit what they can do in the middle of the pitch and force ZIvorad Moldovan and Antun Spiridonovic to beat you down the flanks. It might serve as a blueprint for teams this season and Zagorc will need to come up with a solution because Misel Ravnjak made his side look impotent in the National Cup final. Jiahui Wang, one of the best strikers in the country, barely had a sniff and Evtim Asenov – usually so creative – looked like a Druga Liga player, constantly hustled and harried and forced into losing possession. If Zagorc can ensure teams don’t have joy against Litala using the Ararat plan then they might well sneak into the top five this year and Zagorc will truly earn his coaching stripes. He’ll also relish the chance to coach against his old team again, the newly promoted SK Elita Ryzaev, who he knocked out in the cup Semi Finals last season.

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Dragisa Lazarevic       27   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Zivorad Moldovan        27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Jasar Abadzic           28   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Alen Miokovic-Cica      17   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Antun Spiridonovic (c)  28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Atanasije Tanackovic    25   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Efthimis Vasseas        25   OTH      ✪✪✪
MC      Neven Hjik              28   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC/ST  Evtim Asenov            26   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Dragisa Alagic          27   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Jiahui Wang             28   NYK      ✪✪✪✪✪

GK      Ljuba Carapic           25   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Braco Lazarevic         24   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Sime Krolo              29   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Radenko Pejakovski      24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Ljes Velimirovic        25   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Eedo Kamensek           22   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Dragoljub Vlahovic      25   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Evgeny Prikhodko        22   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Gavrilo Kerovic         21   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Florent-Roparzh Krstic  25   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Lucho Cortés            19   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪

IN
Eedo Kamensek [MYT] from JK Ebor to Litala ’93, NSD 300,000 + Tomislav Bajcev

OUT
Boza Despotovic [MYT] from Litala ’93 to Iturributa United [ASG], NSD 1.5 million
Tomislav Bajcev [MYT] from Litala ’93 to JK Ebor, p/exchange Eedo Kamensek

Legends: Isidoro Nao (player); Lukas Boronin (manager); Florent-Roparzh Le Tallec (player)
Icons: Vagn Meyer (player); Musa Kiril (player/manager); Miska Kasvio (player); Musa Pechachek (player); Jiahui Wang (player); Boza Despotovic (player)

CDSA

Location: Decraa, Vojovitica
Stadium: Psenicova (Capacity: 43,000)
Manager: Slavko Jelic, 61, 11th season in charge; T: counter, R: developer, P: loyal

Club synopsis: Now one of only three teams that has never played outside or been relegated from the Mytanar Top League due to rivals' Energija-Nuklearna's relegation, CDSA are regarded as one of Mytanar football's traditional clubs despite never really having a sustained period of success to be able to point to. They are a team that was historically linked with the military, a heritage that has long been cast-off as CDSA are now one of the most staunchly left-wing clubs in the country (a thread which runs through everything they do, running their own social programmes and regularly being involved in charitable causes). CDSA have never really subscribed to a specific style of play, but they have long been regarded as one of the best clubs for producing young talent - especially skillful attacking midfielders. CDSA are a club which have many fan friendships and fierce rivalries around Mytanija due to their left-wing politics, but they are also largely respected across the board due to their traditions and history.
Fanbase: CDSA's moderately sized fanbase is drawn from a wide mix of socioeconomic backgrounds, but is generally considered to be middle-class - a stereotype which is reflective of Decraa being a city that is home to multiple universities. CDSA's supporters are very proud of the fact their club has never been relegated from the Top League and of the team's uncanny ability to keep producing quality young players. Their supporters love to see a local kid given a chance in the starting line-up. Expectations at the club mostly stay quite low, the fans are happy enough as long as their club are doing good deeds and their ever-present top-flight status isn't under threat. Lijeva are the club's largest ultras group and they are fiercely left-wing. They can be violent, particularly when it comes to fixtures against clubs whose ultras groups hold opposing political views.
Rivals: Energija-Nuklearna (North Vojovitican Derby); Turbine Decraa (local); 1923 Esca (political); Lok. Cassia (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: KPK (dairy)

Major honours: 2 x National Cups (06/07, 19/20)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do CDSA stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Slavko Jelic managed a new look CDSA to a solid 7th place finish, ending up in the top-half with one of the best defensive records in the league (a mere 30 goals conceded, only behind Ararat and Atletik in that category). They struggled for goals at the other end with Dario Gvetadze flattering to deceive and a few issues with new players not quite gelling together in offensive areas. Pierre-Karl Cizeron and Jelena Jashev were excellent signings, providing CDSA with an incredibly solid base to work from and Cizeron in particular received wider recognition, the 21 year old Quebecois defender ended up 2nd in the U-23 Player of the Season award. Visa Marinkovic also ended up 3rd in the Golden Glove with 11 clean sheets, a record which was fuelled mainly by Cizeron, Salihovic and Jashev putting out fires before Marinkovic had to deal with them. He was solid when he was called upon, too.

There were no moves in or out of Psenicova this summer, a product of the busy (and expensive) transfer window of the year before. Jelic is happy enough with that, he usually prefers to develop the players he already has at his disposal and those new signings last year really refreshed the squad and he now has the chance to work with some of the fine young talents the reputable CDSA academy produces alongside those bigger names. Ismet Zmiric is the jewel in the crown, a creative central midfielder who has an eye for goal and who shares a name with one of the club’s greatest sons: the mercurial and tragic Ismet van Huijgevoort. Zmiric is fast becoming a real talent and he has the young Sargossan-Mytanar midfielder Juan Esteban Collazo alongside him. Collazo has already declared for Sargossa, unfortunately for the FSM as he appears to be a real talent, but he is the ideal complement alongside Zmiric, able to control the pace of the game whilst Zmiric tries to be a bit more decisive. Vasilij Pivk and Tasos Svarnas will hope to have a more productive partnership than Svarnas and Gvetadze did last term, the pair appear to be more suited to covering for the other’s strengths and weaknesses.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 7TH - An exciting time to be a CDSA fan. They seemed to be stuck in a rut before last season, but the introduction of Cizeron and Jashev to the side and a change of formation has the supporters optimistic and even old dog Jelic seems to have a spring in his step. We see more of the same for them this season, it’s all about helping this young group of players to gel and develop and then strike whilst the iron is hot with some big league finishes or cup runs – much like 1923 Esca have done. CDSA might be a year or two away from that realistically, but if Svarnas and Pivk can provide the goals then they’ll have a good chance as this defensive unit is one of the best in the division and means that CDSA only usually need one or two goals to win a match. Jelic will also want a bit more production from his wide midfielders, Rustu and Boglic. They help to shield the defence down the flanks, but the back three is there to also allow them to get forward, they’re wide midfielders and not wing-backs and Jelic has said that he wants that kind of productivity from them this season.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Visa Marinkovic       30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Pierre-Karl Cizeron   21   QUE      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Ezib Salihovic (c)    32   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Jelena Jashev         21   SVJ      ✪✪✪✪
DMC     Muamer Predojevic     21   MYT      ✪✪✪
ML      Laura Rustu           29   NPH      ✪✪✪
MC      Ismet Zmiric          21   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Juan Esteban Collazo  20   SRG      ✪✪✪
MR      Marin Boglic          24   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Tasos Svarnas         24   OTH      ✪✪✪
ST      Vasilij Pivk          22   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Slobodan Ivanovic     24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Novak Pap             31   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Nnamdi Lusamba        17   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC/R    Janko Gotovina        29   MYT      ✪✪
DMC/MC  Duje Vukoja           19   MYT      ✪✪
ML      Vasa Vojev            31   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Zarko Mrsic           28   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Kosta Urosevic        30   MYT      ✪✪✪
MR/L    Dragan Jovanovic      30   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Dario Gvetadze        30   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Mirko Bazdarevic      21   MYT      ✪✪

Legends: Ruben Almerique (manager/player); Elaine Everdeen (player/coach); Ismet van Huijgevoort (player); Alen Hrdaljko (player)
Icons: Alexey Tatarchuk (player); Roman Benarik (player); Vaclav Soacek (player); Momchil Klemetic (player/director of football); Slavko Jelic (manager); Pierre-Karl Cizeron (player)

TEKSTIL

Location: Ibon, Thessia
Stadium: Gradski Stadion (Capacity: 25,000)
Manager: Emir Saric, 65, 10th season in charge; T: philosopher, R: developer, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: Well-supported if unfashionable club who have spent most of their history in the shadow of larger clubs in their home region. Tekstil are a club that value hard work and a strong work ethic is instilled in all who come through the club's celebrated youth academy. They generally try to rely on their own production line where possible and usually keep a tight-grip on the purse strings which can sometimes limit a manager's ability to improve their team, but the club prefer to rely on their own players instead of buying in ready-made talent from elsewhere. For many Mytanars Tekstil are defined by two things: 1) their inherent link with Ibon's textiles industry, resulting in the club's eponymous name; and 2) the rivalry between the cities of Ibon and Thessia, with Atletik being the main focus of Tekstil (and Ibon's) ire nowadays.
Fanbase: An extremely loyal fan base that have stuck with the club through thick and thin. They have seen their club plumb the depths of the Treća Liga (taking sizeable followings to all sorts of provincial venues in the third tier), but they have also experienced the high of seeing their team lift the National Cup at Radnika. They keep a good perspective on things and follow their team around the country, often not expecting too much. They value hard work above all, symptomatic of their fanbase's working class roots. Their ultras group are known as the Ibon Boys and have a small hooligan element, they have no official political ideology but are known to lean leftwards like many citizens of the Thessia region.
Rivals: Atletik Thessia (Rijeka Derby); Olympic Thessia (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: m:tel (telecommunications)

Major honours: 2 x National Cups (18/19, 24/25)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Tekstil stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Under Emir Saric’s reliable management Tekstil Ibon never seem to be in too much danger and it’s pretty easy to bank on them being a Top League club each season. Many make a corun or two by having a bet on them to sneak into the top-half of the league table come the end of the campaign, too. They rarely set the world alight and last season was no different, they won 15 and lost 14, only drawing one; scoring 47 and conceding 48 for a -1 goal differential. Life is all about balance, kids. Emir Saric seems to have nearly perfected that. Of course, Tekstil will want to be back pushing for the top six like they were a few years ago, particularly with the rather large carrot of IFCF qualification for a top five spot these days. What they would give for a slightly younger Nebojsa Aleksic to be leading the forward line.

The loss of Uhin Elizabe to 1896 Ebor for NSD 1.25 million represented an excellent return on investment for the Ibon club, they had signed Elizabe on a free transfer from Echegoyan FC a few years back. It did represent a loss in terms of quality though, even if Saric has faith in the abilities of 23 year old Izet Aleckovic, a product of Tekstil’s youth system. Domagoj Kokic also left the club, dropping down to Druga Liga side Spartak Makarska for NSD 100,000. Tekstil were in the market for an upgrade at left wing-back and Rudar’s relegation created an opportunity to bring Kur Ordanov to the club. Ordanov jumped at the chance to join a consistently mid-table Top League side and the clubs agreed an NSD 750,000 fee. Ordanov could improve still, but is a very solid Top League wing-back already and will be able to play at this level for a very long time. Saric would have liked to bring in a young striker on loan, too, to support Black and Han – Aleksic cannot play too many games at the age of 38, even if the quality hasn’t deserted him yet. Tekstil couldn’t find the right player, unfortunately, so they’re left with Black, Han, Aleksic and Milicevic as their forward options.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 12TH - Saric seems to consistently over-perform with Tekstil and 8th last term was really good given that so many pundits had them pegged as a nailed on lower-half team, but perhaps it is time for those in the media to redefine our expectations of Tekstil under Saric given how regularly he defies received wisdom on his team. That said, Tekstil were enormously inconsistent last season and that may worry Saric. Losing 14 games is a bad sign, the only other teams to lose that many were either relegated or finished 13th – one spot above the drop – so Saric will want to turn some of those losses into draws. They did score plenty, Black and Han split the responsibilities whilst Aleksic was always useful off the bench. Losing Elizabe will be a worry given that they were rather leaky even with him there and they will need Sacir Milosevic (their best player); and 17 year old Muharem Hajdarpasic to stay fit. The pair are Tekstil’s two main sources of creativity and losing either for an extended period would really harm their chances. Expect Saric to continue to do what he does best, even if Tekstil do drop a few spots, he’ll keep them safely out of trouble.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Zafer Muminovic (c)   33   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Kur Ordanov           23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Amel Memic            32   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Svetozar Golubovic    30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Izet Aleckovic        23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR/MR   Sacir Milosevic       24   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Said Radovanovic      23   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Paskal Trajcev        31   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Muharem Hajdarpasic   17   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Còmhan Black          22   TLI      ✪✪✪
ST      Ma-Gyo Han            26   CMT      ✪✪✪

GK      Ruaidhri Flanagan     28   FOD      ✪✪
DL/R    Mika Spasojevic       27   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Izet Sarajlic         29   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Esad Halilhodzic      18   MYT      ✪
DR      Bakir Mulic           24   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Miomir Krsmanovic     26   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Evripidis Zervakis    28   OTH      ✪✪
AMC/MC  Zbynek Havlik         28   POB      ✪✪
ST      Nebojsa Aleksic       38   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Nihad Milicevic       23   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Kur Ordanov [MYT] from Rudar to Tekstil, NSD 750,000

OUT
Uhin Elizabe [ASG] from Tekstil to 1896 Ebor, NSD 1.25 million
Domagoj Kokic [MYT] from Tekstil to Spartak, NSD 100,000

Legends: Nebojsa Aleksic (player); Emir Saric (manager); Mehmet Elvahic (player)
Icons: Swen Kislasson (player); Zafer Muminovic (player); Damir Milcic (player)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 33/34 SEASON PREVIEW PART THREE.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

OLYMPIC

Location: Zenit Toranj, Thessia, Thessia
Stadium: Novi Kaunostadion (Capacity: 54,000)
Manager: Emil Jefak, 58, 11th season in charge; T: counter, R: developer, P: perfectionist

Club synopsis: Olympic Thessia are an extremely proud club who retain a local feel which few clubs can match despite being from Mytanija's most populous city and having a large fanbase. Long known for being Atletik's less successful sibling they have stepped out of the shadows in recent years by sticking to their principles and continuing to develop their links to their local community despite the increasing globalisation of football. This has manifested itself in a starting line-up which almost always has a couple of Thessian lads who have come up through the club's academy and more often than not happen to be supporters of Olympic too. They're a club with growing financial power, but this doesn't mean they are free-spending as they try to be smart with their scouting and find players that other clubs are not looking at for cheaper fees.
Fanbase: They have a large and passionate local fanbase and a growing fanbase across Mytanija as people enjoy the way Olympic conduct themselves as a club which is determined to maintain its ties to its local community. It is notoriously difficult to get tickets to an Olympic game with local fans filling the Novi Kaunostadion to the brim and leading to extremely lengthy season ticket waiting lists. Like most Thessians Olympic fans are mostly left-wing and extremely proud of this fact, with socialist and antifascist symbols being commonplace at their games. Their ultras group, the Kaunosgrupa are well-regarded for their choreographies before games and are known for making home games a cauldron for the opposition. In terms of expectations Olympic's fans are very patient - having had to be during most of their history - as long as they can get one over Atletik with some regularity there isn't usually too much pressure on the manager.
Rivals: Atletik Thessia (Eternal Derby); Tekstil Ibon (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: Kafa (coffeehouses)

Major honours: 1 x Mytanar Top League (27/28)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Olympic stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Olympic Thessia seem to be a long way away from the glory days of winning the Top League under Emil Jefak and constantly being a thorn in the side for Mytanija’s traditional ‘big three’ of Atletik, Liria and 1896 Ebor. They’re back to being a mid-table side, shorn of their finest talents and lacking consistency to challenge for an IFCF position. Last season demonstrated this, Olympic finished 9th, nine points away from 5th and only three points further away than that from the relegation zone. They aren’t fighting for any titles anytime soon, indeed they were closer to last (13 points) than they were to the eventual champions – and city rivals – Atletik (18 points). Being knocked out of the National Cup in the Third Round – the first stage Top League sides enter – by Atletik only served to add insult to injury on what was a disappointing campaign. Jefak has a lot of credit in the bank, he’s a club legend, but some Olympic fans must be wondering if his reign might be in danger of fizzling out.

An inactive transfer window might not fill Olympic supporters with confidence, particularly when they did have two outgoings. Qusmo’s Xer Kresp-Ucyxi moved across Mytanija’s most populous city to NK Thessia on a free transfer, whilst wide midfielder Gojko Prcic was sold to Licentian side Stoneshore Athletic for NSD 3 million. The 27 year old was a solid defensive winger, able to protect his full-back and even allow them to get forward on the overlap due to his defensive prowess but Olympic’s board must be rubbing their hands together in glee at being able to raise that amount of money from his signature. He’s good at what he does but arguably not a difference maker. Jefak might well bemoan the fact that he has been unable to use the cash, but he often seems happy enough when saying next man up, utilising the players he already has at the club and it’ll be Sasa Zebic stepping into Prcic’s shoes. Zebic is a more attacking option and he might make Olympic a little less turgid to watch this season.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 9TH - It’s hard to see Olympic progressing at the moment and mid-table obscurity seems to suit this group of players. That’s a shame because they have three players of genuine quality who may feel that they are being a little wasted at the moment, goalkeeper Ambrosio Gomez has impressed both for Olympic and for Cabo Azure in recent times; whilst Olympic’s strike pairing of Adamo Fallaci and Arista Tzorvas are both top finishers, even if their partnership does make Olympic a little more route one than they would be if they paired either with somebody more mobile. The pair combined for over half of Olympic’s goals last season (24 out of 40). Olympic are lacking a real creative talent in this squad, Itzhar Yvjoev is still inconsistent even at the age of 30 and Vilim Kupresak’s best days are behind him. Emil Jefak may need to wait for 18 year old Sargossan-Mytanar Sergio Pareja to come good before he really has that type of player in his starting line-up, or he may need to break old habits and actually dip into the transfer market for improvements. Mahir Kvakic could have a bit of a breakout season this year, the 19 year old impressed on loan at Ribari Palilula last season and provides a different option up front to Fallaci and Tzorvas with his desire to get in behind opposition defences.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Ambrosio Gomez        21   CBZ      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Maksim Emanuel Sulic  29   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Mojmir Anac (c)       36   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Josko Omerovic        31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Uros Apolatsic        23   MYT      ✪✪✪
ML      Sasa Zebic            31   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Vilim Kupresak        34   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Kasim Demirovic       26   MYT      ✪✪✪
MR/L    Itzhar Yvjoev         30   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Adamo Fallaci         25   EUR      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Arista Tzorvas        34   NPH      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Sefik Sinanovic       28   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Edin Topgacic         33   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Elmedin Cengic        24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Miroslav Opacak       30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Ivan Valjak           34   MYT      ✪✪
ML/C    Hazim Fejzic          23   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Selim Petrovic        32   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Sergio Pareja         18   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪
MR      Vehbija Bijedic       32   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Mahir Kvakic          19   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Lazar Prinelec        27   MYT      ✪✪✪

OUT
Xer Kresp-Ucyxi [QUS] from Olympic to NK Thessia, free transfer
Gojko Prcic [MYT] from Olympic to Stonehouse Athletic [TLI], NSD 3 million

Legends: Emil Jefak (manager); Mojmir Anac (player); Rasmus Sovak (player); Leven Vishinsky (player)
Icons: Igor Artemiev (player); Vilim Kupresak (player); Semir Besak (player)

FK ARSIKA

Location: Arsika, Nasto
Stadium: Novi Zavej Park (Capacity: 30,000)
Manager: Dzvezdan Kitanchev, 47, 4th season in charge; T: tinkerman, R: developer, P: ambitious

Club synopsis: A team which hasn't had much to shout about over the years despite hailing from a one-club city of over 1 million people, FK Arsika have recently come into money under the ownership of concrete and chemical tycoon Sacha Dobruzhanski. Dobruzhanski has big dreams for his hometown club and has the money needed to pursue them, with an aim of eventually qualifying for international competitions. Arsika's warm weather, youthful population and status as Nasto and Avnalia's largest city makes it an attractive place to live and the club have employed an aggressive approach in the transfer market to try and improve the squad with that offer. Dobruzhanski is prepared to use his cash to improve the team but he's also spent money on the club's facilities - including a new stadium - all this money being thrown around has made other clubs dismissive of FK Arsika and prepared to disparage any successes as the mere result of being nouveau riche. Given the financial situations many Mytanar clubs find themselves in it is possible they are also a little envious.
Fanbase: A growing fanbase who are slightly split over their club's ownership situation, some seeing it as a necessary evil in the modern game and others uncomfortable with Dobruzhanski taking the club away from its roots. Their expectations are similarly split between those who'd like the club to succeed immediately due to the new money and those who'd like to see sustainable development over time. The atmosphere at Novi Zavej Park has the most 'foreign feel' of any Mytanar grounds with a more family-orientated approach and less being run by ultras. Their support is also split on politics, this time along age lines with older supporters being more right-leaning (and potentially supportive of the Kalinina regime during its time); and younger fans being left-leaning. This hasn't manifested itself as a battle on the terraces yet, FK Arsika are one of few Mytanar clubs without an active ultras group.
Rivals: Rotor Ravnina (West Nasto Derby); Nyva Zvornik (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Dobruz Industries (construction/chemicals)

Major honours: 1 x National Cup (05/06)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do FK Arsika stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
The good times are almost definitely over for Dzvezdan Kitanchev at FK Arsika, Sacha Dobruzhanski is getting rather frustrated with his chosen man and it feels very much like Kitanchev is on the hot seat this season after the club’s disappointing 10th place finish last time out. The saving grace from last term was another deep cup run, FK Arsika got to the National Cup Semi Final – eventually losing out to Ararat, the team who won the tournament, 1-0 on aggregate. It was an extremely tight game and Dobruzhanski must have seen enough in that – along with the run which got the Nastan side to that stage – to keep faith in Kitanchev a little longer. Kitanchev, for his part, has said he is fully focused on the job at hand and ignores any noises about his future – even though he is touted as one of the favourites to replace Lev Repin once World Cup 91 is complete.

Dobruzhanski has increasingly been less willing to invest his own money into improving FK Arsika’s squad and it has stalled the Kitanchev revolution a little. He did still see fit to part with NSD 4 million – or at least sign-off on a deal of that size from the club’s coffers, which he underwrites – to sign Nepharan forward Ava Linfield from Brinemouth. Linfield had an electric loan spell at FK Arsika where she struck up a dynamite partnership with Squornshelan forward Juljana Chmela and Kitanchev will hope that he can rekindle that on-field relationship to turbocharge FK Arsika’s attack. It was the only move into the club, but they did send two players out on loan as Yordan Naumov heads to Jedrenje and Gonzalo Varela to Arsenal Vershina for the upcoming campaign. Kitanchev’s signings have generally not reached the standard expected of them so far, particularly Vlado Arzhentinski who followed him to the club from NK Dyka when he left his previous job. It will be interesting to see if he can develop what he has at the club now as a result.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 8TH - FK Arsika’s starting line-up could see them qualify for the IFCF, but Kitanchev has never really adequately addressed their depth, this has made them a side which can challenge in the National Cup but seems to struggle with maintaining a challenge in the Mytanar Top League. It doesn’t help that the likes of Vlado Arzhentinski and Rasim Yevstigneyev have never really reached the level expected of them, Arzhentinski did get capped for Mytanija (three times), but there was a little more expected of them when they arrived in Nasto. The signing of Ava Linfield does show intent, the Nepharan is a creative striker who can lay on chances for her strike partner whilst remaining prolific herself. She could help to take FK Arsika back into the top-half and that’s probably the first step for Kitanchev to get this side where he would like it to be. Whether that will be enough to soothe Sacha Dobruzhanski’s concerns is another question, the club owner would have liked to bankroll his side to a league title by now, he’s not been able to. Would 8th be enough bang for his buck? Kitanchev’s in a difficult position, especially as the answer to that might be no and that could see him out of a job come this time next season.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Fadil Okanovic        28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Danco Stavric         23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Usten Odonelec        30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Rasim Yevstigneyev    27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR/DMC  Gavril Toshev (c)     33   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Amynta Michail        29   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Sefir Ajanovic        30   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Vlado Arzhentinski    29   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Pasha Secujac         26   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Juljana Chmela        30   SRS      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Ava Linfield          25   NPH      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Ljupco Cvetkov        31   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Dar Konda-Ulutu       27   QUS      ✪✪
DC      Zdevko Tosor          28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC/L    Slaven Blajojevic     34   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Zlatko Svalina        27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Danilo Vasiljevic     31   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Pyotr Arikansky       23   SRS      ✪✪✪
MC      Bojan Velyov          23   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC/L   Nikola Gubec          28   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Damjan Degoricija     23   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Dzvezdan Ristov       26   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Ava Linfield [NPH] from Brinemouth [NPH] to FK Arsika, NSD 4 million

OUT
Yordan Naumov [MYT] from FK Arsika to Jedrenje, loan
Gonzalo Varela [SRG] from FK Arsika to Arsenal, loan

Legends: Davor Kastari (player); Sacha Dobruzhanski (owner)
Icons: Zdenek Valisz (player); Gavril Toshev (player); Veton Rashaikov (manager); Juljana Chmela (player)

NK DYKA

Location: Dyka, Nasto
Stadium: Drachevo (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Dragomir Lazic, 57, 4th season in charge; T: philosopher, R: developer, P: intense

Club synopsis: For the vast majority of their history NK Dyka have been a club which has bounced between the second and third tiers, a lower league team which watched other clubs from Nasto fight it out against the biggest names. Upon their relegation to the Treća Liga in 24/25 iconic club president Blasko Vaskanov had a dream of changing that with his data driven way of looking at the sport which he hoped could take his boyhood club to the top of Mytanar football for the first time ever. Less than 5 years later NK Dyka are regarded as a thoroughly modern club which uses statistics and data analysis to a level which has never been seen before in Mytanija, with it factoring into all levels of decision-making. Some say NK Dyka are trying to reinvent the wheel with new-fangled nonsense, but their approach has allowed them to become self-sufficient with strong youth development and scouting in stark contrast to the financial problems many Mytanar clubs experience. The city of Dyka is historically known for being where the now long deposed Mytanar royal family had their most ostentatious palace, the Alzburg. Residents of Dyka still find it difficult even now to shake the reputation of being the seat of the monarchy and aristocracy.
Fanbase: NK Dyka are reasonably well supported within their own city, though some do tend to support more successful clubs from elsewhere given the club's long history of lower-league mediocrity. The club do not have an active ultras group. Younger generations have experienced a more exciting and successful team and therefore the club is enjoying something of a boom in local support, where children may once have worn the shirts of clubs like Liria Prizren or Energija-Nuklearna they are now proud to wear the colours of NK Dyka. Dyka is an affluent, solidly middle-class city where older generations skew towards social conservatism in the face of a fiercely liberal youth populace which is particularly strong at the large university in the city.
Rivals: Rotor Ravnina (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: Notek (electronics)

Major honours: none

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do NK Dyka stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Ending up in 11th and exiting the National Cup in the Fourth Round feels about par for the course for NK Dyka at this stage. Some felt that they could struggle after Kitinov’s departure but they simply held steady and Dragomir Lazic kept them heading in the right direction. They’ve built a side which should usually be able to deal with the Top League campaign well, without too much trouble. Staying out of the fight against relegation seems to be their goal most years, though club president Blasko Vaskanov would like to get the side into the top-half of the table, battling for IFCF qualification and going on the occasional cup run as a final vindication of his ideas around data analysis and player recruitment. That may be a way off just yet, but the consistency they currently enjoy is providing them the basis to work from for those more lofty ambitions.

The summer was about living within the club’s means, with no new signings brought in and nobody lost to any other Top League sides representing a decent window. The fact that there wasn’t much interest in NK Dyka’s players perhaps shows the problem they’ve got, in that their best players have already moved on to pastures new and they now have to wait for their replacements to get to that level to kick on (and when they do they are likely to be picked up by the bigger fish in the pond). No interest is not quite right as both Martin Deliivanov and Petvqar Terziovski drew interest from sides around the lower end of the table as potential starters. The pair are both on the bench for NK Dyka, though they did make a fair number of appearances throughout last year as Lazic rotated them in and out of the squad. Arka and Nyva were both rumoured to be interested, whilst Atletik allegedly taking a look at Deliivanov was a particularly wild rumour that was never quite substantiated. Lazic might well consider playing the 20 year old more if there was some truth to that one.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 10TH - If Levi Doolan and Vancho Churanov can provide a few more goals then this could end up being a relatively safe bet. NK Dyka were the joint-second least prolific team in the Top League last season alongside relegated Rudar Uchenik. It’s a stat which won’t have pleased Dragomir Lazic or the NK Dyka fan base, the football on offer was not as exciting as in previous years despite their possession-based approach. Doolan is a frustrating player, he seemingly has all the attributes to be a top striker in this league but he hasn’t yet had one big season in the Top League despite his exploits in the Druga Liga. His 10 goals in 28 games still represented a decent return and led the NK Dyka squad last season, but there is a feeling that he could end up on the Golden Boot podium one year if he can put it all together. Lazic will want to see Ovcina and Usov continue their blossoming relationship in the centre of the park, there were snapshots of their potential throughout last year and improvements are expected this season.

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Samuil Kashuba          26   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Sinisa Vasiljev         28   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Milan Gobeljic          23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Petse Samardzhiev       25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Vojco Nitchov           23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Blazhe Gjorgjioski (c)  25   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Mirko Ovcina            21   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Yefim Usov              23   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Zmejko Matliev          26   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Vancho Churanov         25   MYT      ✪✪✪ 
ST      Levi Doolan             28   FOD      ✪✪✪

GK      Pavel Georgiev          23   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Joakim Vaskov           26   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Martin Deliivanov       20   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Vladimir Savic          34   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Gligor Kosovich         27   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Zoran Ilieva            23   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Petvqar Terziovski      21   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Jeroen van der Meiren   26   CRE      ✪✪✪
AMC     Marjan Uzunovski        24   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Neven Krnic             29   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST/AMR  Aca Zivanovic           30   MYT      ✪✪

Legends: Dzvezdan Kitanchev (manager/player)
Icons: Blasko Vaskanov (club president); Blazhe Gjorgjioski (player)

ARKA

Location: Snezhnaya, Visoravna
Stadium: Arka Park (Capacity: 32,000)
Manager: Luka Kostic, 58, 4th season in charge; T: offensive, R: resourceful, P: casual

Club synopsis: Arka have a strong regional presence in Visoravna and for a long time were regarded as the best-run club in Mytanija due to their focus on sustainable finances. They use their world class scouting networks to identify talent other clubs don't and then they set about improving those players before selling them on for a profit. It has allowed Arka to become one of the most financially stable clubs in Mytanija. Their fanbase identify strongly with a possession-based approach which the club have implemented across all age-levels, you will find Arka's youth teams all playing the same way as the first team and that eases the transition to the senior game for academy graduates. They are generally well-respected across the country for how their club is run and particularly for winning a couple of titles without ever changing their principles or breaking the bank and risking the club's future as some other teams have done.
Fanbase: A fanbase which is mostly limited to Arka's home region of Visoravna and has strong links to Snezhnaya's sea-related industries, they're known for filling out the thrillingly modern Arka Park and making it a hostile venue for opposing teams to come to. The thing they get most frustrated about is the club's board not reinvesting money on the pitch when they sell some of their better players; given how well-run the club is there isn't the same need to sell players like other clubs, so when that happens the supporters want to see money spent to ensure the squad doesn't fall back. The board's penny-pinching can grate, but there isn't pressure for success as there is at some other clubs. Krivulja Sjever are the club's main ultras group, they're formally apolitical with their main focus being supporting Arka away from any political stances, they are known to enjoy a bit of hooliganism though and particularly when they meet 1896 Ebor.
Rivals: 1896 Ebor (Northern Derby)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★ / Youth academy ★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Plazibat Plovidba (shipping)

Major honours: 2 x Mytanar Top Leagues (16/17, 17/18); 1 x National Cup (16/17)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do Arka stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Luka Kostic did well with Arka last year, coaxing the team to 12th and a position higher than the 13th they seem to have frequented regularly in recent years. In truth they were still only two points clear of relegation and had Energija-Nuklearna got those two extra points from somewhere then Arka would have been heading down to the Druga Liga for the first time in nearly twenty years. Being knocked out of the National Cup in the Third Round by NK Dyka (on away goals no less!) won’t have done much for a fan base which is more than fed up with the lack of progress and ambition that the club’s board are showing. Every year the goal seems to be little other than to simply stay in the Top League, but it feels like on year that won’t happen and then Arka may have a very difficult time in finding their way back up.

Luka Kostic might be starting to empathise with Nemanja Pivec given the board’s intransigence on entering the transfer market to improve Arka’s squad. Once again, Arka’s starting eleven looks fine, stocked well with Top League quality campaigners across the board. Depth, once again, will be a problem. Arka’s bench is made-up of those who are past it at the top level, those who have never made it and those who are too young yet. Kostic’s frustrations have been clear to see in a number of press conferences over the summer but no transfers in mean that he will have to utilise the same squad to see off some supremely motivated promoted sides as well as the likes of Nyva, Tekstil and NK Dyka who are expected to finish in those positions from 10th down. They will find it difficult, SK Elita Ryzaev have invested to improve their team and Vitalia can rely on one of the best youth academies in the country (it’s difficult to see FK Magevskaya truly fighting to stay up this year, unfortunately). The retirement of Samir Mevzelj also means that Arka will be without their talisman for the first time in a long time, perhaps a bad omen for the Snezhnaya side.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 13TH - Kostic isn’t happy, but we’ve seen that with Pivec before and he always kept Arka up too. Kostic does have the blot of Crvena Zvezda’s relegation on his copybook, but he has some good Top League players in this side and they should be able to see off the Top League inexperience of SK Elita Ryzaev; the general inexperience of a young Vitalia side; and FK Magevskaya at the very least. Although even whilst writing that the memories of Crvena Zvezda’s relegation make the comparison with this Arka team seem a little more ominous. Crvena Zvezda’s fall was a lot steeper, over fewer seasons, but they too had some good Top League players when they got relegated and since then they have really struggled to get out of a hyper-competitive Druga Liga. Kostic will need Jezersek and Memisevic to renew the central defensive partnership which at least kept things tight in the matches against relegation rivals last term. He’ll also hope that Tahir Fejzuli and Anton-Dusan Straka can continue to defy the hard yards in their legs, both at the age of 36 and both still key players for this Arka team. If Jovica Injac could have a breakout year or if Kostas Aklis or Leandre Junior could have the sort of season that the early years of their careers promised that would be assuage some concerns around this Arka team.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Sergei Khlebov        30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Adam Grdic            23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Janez Jezersek        23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Fikret Memisevic      29   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Eve McCabe            22   TLI      ✪✪✪
MC      Tahir Fejzuli (c)     36   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Vinko Zagorac         23   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Kostas Aklis          30   OTH      ✪✪✪
AMC     Leandre Junior        28   LOR      ✪✪✪
ST      Anton-Dusan Straka    36   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Jovica Injac          19   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Janez Anzlovar        17   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Veselin Hristov       30   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Ezi Yivix-Zenon       25   QUS      ✪✪
DC      Sinisa Jaksic         33   MYT      ✪✪
DR/L    Sime Dujmic           32   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Azem Senekovic        32   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Dejan Pavlovic        34   MYT      ✪
MC      Marko Maras           23   MYT      ✪✪
AMC     Dario Lukacic         24   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Safet Smajlovic       32   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Nermin Crnkic         17   MYT      ✪

RETIRED
Samir Mevzelj [MYT], ST, 40

Legends: Mikkel Kohlemainen (player); Daniel Schiffer (manager); Nate Parkinson (player); Leandre (player); Samir Mevzelj (player)
Icons: Tim Dalgaard (player); Obioma Chukwufumnanya (player); Hans Nielsson (player); Martin Zvokelj (player); Tahir Fejzuli (player); Anton-Dusan Straka (player)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 33/34 SEASON PREVIEW PART FOUR.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

NYVA

Location: Zvornik, Avnalia
Stadium: Stadion Sime Pandev (Capacity: 20,000)
Manager: Vasil Janevski, 62, 10th season in charge; T: possession, R: merchant, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: A provincial team from a town of around 200,000 people, Nyva are the biggest club from the chain of islands which make up the sub-region of Avnalia. Their supporters will happily recognise that they are currently living through their team's 'golden age' with a sustained presence in the Top League, a shiny new stadium and a first ever major honour as they won the 27/28 National Cup. Nyva are inherently linked to Zvornik's agricultural workers, starting out as a club for them and still maintaining those links to this day. The perception of clubs from Avnalia and Nyva specifically as being run by poorly educated rural bumpkins couldn't be further from the truth nowadays with the club intelligently investing in improving their infrastructure off the field and playing on their links with food production to sign a lucrative sponsorship deal with one of the country's largest supermarkets Agrokomerc.
Fanbase: Nyva is an extremely working-class club which is enormously proud of their links to agricultural workers, their support doesn't really have a true political stance the way other clubs do but is slightly left-leaning on economics whilst being socially conservative in line with their rural locale. There is little pressure to succeed with Nyva, their fans just want to maintain their Top League status for as long as possible. Nyva's main ultras group is Gate 9 and they are apolitical. They lag behind some of the large groups from the mainland in terms of choreographies, but they are known for extremely violent displays of hooliganism, a result of many of the more historic ultras groups seeing them as little more than rural pretenders. This assumption made Gate 9 eager to prove themselves and they've collected quite a bloodthirsty reputation as a result.
Rivals: Rudar Uchenik (All-Avnalia Derby); FK Arsika (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★ / Youth academy ★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★ / Scouting ★★ / Youth recruitment ★
Sponsors: Agrokomerc (supermarkets)

Major honours: 1 x National Cup (27/28)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do Nyva stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Last year was one of the most ropey for Nyva Zvornik in a very long time, finishing 13th and level on points with the 14th and 15th placed sides Energija-Nuklearna and Rudar; and only a point further ahead of last placed Zeljeznicar. They only stayed up thanks to their superior head-to-head record, a rule which the FSM has been trialling for a couple of seasons and this summer decided to return back to goal difference as the primary tiebreaker after points – can you imagine the fume from those at the Miagostadion? Vasil Janevski has generally overseen Nyva’s rise to being a consistent Mytanar Top League side over the past ten years and he has also won the club’s only ever trophy, the 27/28 National Cup, there was to be no repeat of that last season however – Nyva exited the competition in the Fourth Round after a 5-2 aggregate defeat to FK Arsika.

Janevski didn’t enter the market at all this summer, considered to be a bit of a surprise by some given the travails the club endured in the league last season, but then there were signs at the tail end of last season that Nyva’s squad was beginning to gel together. They’ve had to phase out a number of important players in recent years: most obviously Anton Derajevic, who is still on the bench as a 39 year old; but also Rudri Prosenik and most recently Vasilij Arzensek. Younger faces and new signings have taken their places and last season perhaps demonstrated that players need time to build up an understanding. The first-half of the campaign showed what happens when they don’t have that understanding, whilst the second-half was much more promising and Janevski will hope their good results towards the end are a portent to better times ahead this season. Knowing that, Nyva’s inactivity this summer becomes a little bit more understandable, although it will be an easy stick to beat the club with should they end up in another relegation battle this time around.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 11TH - There were certainly signs that this group of players were beginning to figure things out at the business end of last season and that is a good omen for the new campaign. Retaining Luka Zmajevic is another factor which suggests this season could be better than last year, he’s a real do-it-all midfielder and it is perhaps that lack of specialisation which has hindered his international career. Lev Repin has always desired specific skillsets for the different roles in his midfield and Zmajevic has never really allowed anybody to shoehorn him into any particular category. Still, Nyva won’t mind too much, he’s still a key performer for them and despite interest from the likes of Liria and 1896 Ebor in recent years Zmajevic has maintained that he is happy in Zvornik. Seung-Min Do often had a lot of work to get through last term – Nyva had the joint-worst defensive record in the league – but the Chromatik goalkeeper gave a decent account of himself, making the most saves in the division and making sure that his side’s leaky defence didn’t grow into an even bigger problem. He’ll hope that those ahead of him can give him a better chance this year.

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Seung-Min Do            25   CMT      ✪✪✪
DL      Kusman Manasiev         23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Ivica Svok (c)          32   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Krsto Tadic             27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Zyn Wanar-Xeral         27   QUS      ✪✪
DMC     Stefo Bozhinoski        23   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Slavoj Akrapovic        27   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Luka Zmajevic           27   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
AMC     Conor Kilkenny          27   FOD      ✪✪✪
ST      Lecho Cinika            23   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Alessandro Cappelluzzo  28   SOR      ✪✪✪

GK      Petar Solakov           29   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Andrei Vasiliadis       32   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Mersed Jankovic         27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Sinisa Manevski         30   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Velyo Kralevski         31   MYT      ✪✪
DMC/DC  Rudi Prosenik           36   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Vasilij Arzensek        31   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Sasho Koncaliev         26   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Dicho Mazneikov         23   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Anton Derajevic         39   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Drazen Zhivkov          33   MYT      ✪✪

Legends: Sime Pandev (player); Anton Derajevic (player); Rudi Prosenik (player)
Icons: Vasil Janevski (manager); Vladimir Shervashidze (player); Ilija Lambulic (player); Luka Zmajevic (player); Ivica Svok (player)

VITALIA

Location: Vostochnaya Tochna, Magevskaya
Stadium: Trubichino (Capacity: 7,000)
Manager: Nikita Izhutin, 46, 7th season in charge; T: possession, R: developer, P: maverick

Club synopsis: Football club from the windswept town on the very edge of Mytanija, if you go much further you will find yourself being blown towards Princess Beatrice Island and the Astograthian possession Bakartirla. Vitalia have spent the vast majority of their history in the lower reaches of Mytanar football, but they have always defined themselves as being the polar opposite to their regional rivals FK Magevskaya. Vitalia are known for their anti-racism and support for Mytanar unity, as well as for their links with supporters’ groups from clubs with similar political leanings. In recent years the club has moved towards an approach where faith is placed in youth and their shock victory in the inaugural Spirit of Youth Trophy as a third tier side proved that this approach could work, resulting in further investment into what is fast becoming one of the most productive youth academies in Mytanija.
Fanbase: You wouldn’t know that Trubichino has a capacity of only 7,000 people by the din the supporters make at home games, with every match played to the beat of a drum and incessant chanting. There is something about coastal towns and cities, particularly ones like Vostochnaya Tochna which have an edge of the world feel to them. The stadium is located in the town’s red light district and the whole neighbourhood has an almost punkish rebellious feel to it. Left-wing politics permeate the very walls with anti-capitalist slogans and pro-refugee graffiti daubed proudly across them, along with anti-FK Magevskaya ones of course. Ultras Vitalia clash with Ultras Magev whenever the two meet in one of Mytanija’s biggest rivalries (albeit one which has never occurred at the top level of Mytanar football). Vitalia supporters share good links with ultras from Ararat, Atletik, CDSA and Litala ’93.
Rivals: FK Magevskaya (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★ / Pitch ★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★ / Scouting ★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Yermolaev (stationery)

Major honours: none

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Vitalia stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
Vitalia utilised all their young talent – and the talents of manager Nikita Izhutin – to good effect on their return to the Druga Liga last season. They won 21 games on their way to getting promoted as champions, with an exceptional goal difference of +37 demonstrating their prowess at both ends of the pitch. The most prolific attack in the division was fuelled by the excellent understanding Muhsin Ashurmamadov and Mehmet Aliaspahic have formed on the pitch, both strikers smashed through the 15-goal mark last year and their finishing along with the creative abilities of players like Eduard Issatsenko and Denis Ovsyannikov in the middle of the pitch make for a potent combination. Vitaliy Dmitriev dropping into the defence provides them with greater solidity too. The National Cup was a less promising avenue for them, they were knocked out in the Third Round by FK Arsika, although they did keep the tie competitive, eventually going out 3-2 on aggregate.

Nikita Izhutin preferred to keep his group together than make any new signings. The loss of Foma Koshkin following their last relegation would have been disappointing as he would have improved them on their return to the top-flight and you imagine memory of that probably fuelled the desire to at least keep hold of the team’s most promising young talents. The likes of Mishnev, Issatsenko and Ovsyannikov all remain at the club and that is highly beneficial to their chances of staying up. Of course, their reasons for not making signings go beyond Izhutin’s desire to work with players who are familiar with his system. Vitalia are also handicapped by their lack of financial power and when you compare their situation to that of fellow promoted side SK Elita Ryzaev the gap in resources becomes all the more stark. It’s a good thing Vitalia’s youth system shows no signs of slowing down, Artem Scherbakov, Murad Djabrailov and Alen Zerebatiev appear to be the next off the production line and those players could end up being like new signings if they can add solid depth to Vitalia’s squad.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 15TH - It’s frustrating to have to predict Vitalia will get relegated because they seem to do almost everything right off the pitch, investing what little funds they have in improving their youth system and coaching so that they can produce Top League standard players and then re-investing any transfer fees raised in repeating the process. Unfortunately the sport doesn’t always go the way of those who appear to be doing things ‘the right way’ and it would seem like Vitalia might well be destined for a similar fate this season. SK Elita Ryzaev have spent NSD 2 million in total to beef up their squad for the Top League and we can see Vitalia being overtaken by the Ebor club this season. We still see SKER being relegated too, for what it’s worth, but Vitalia will feel particularly hard done by. They should at least still have enough to stay above FK Magevskaya, their heated regional rivals from Stratenberg. That may soften the blow a little, but Nikita Izhutin may end up moving elsewhere if he feels he’s taken this club as far as they can go and hitting this same problem each time he gets them promoted could hasten any exit.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Marko Babic           36   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Vladimir Kaverin      23   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Makar Mishnev         21   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC/DMC  Vitaliy Dmitriev (c)  28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Artem Scherbakov      18   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Zinoviy Lachinov      23   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Eduard Issatsenko     21   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Denis Ovsyannikov     17   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Kostya Yugantsev      19   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Muhsin Ashurmamadov   27   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Mehmet Aliaspahic     23   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Artem Lyutov          29   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Leonid Devichnik      34   MYT      ✪
DC      Ljupco Lukic          35   MYT      ✪
DC      Murad Djabrailov      18   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Sergei Shepkin        22   MYT      ✪
DMC     Alen Zerebatiev       16   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Lavrenti Varushkin    22   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Aleks Golubov         28   MYT      ✪
AMC     Matko Saponjic        29   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Slava Reshetnikov     25   MYT      ✪✪

Legends: Nikita Izhutin (manager); Vitaliy Dmitriev (player)
Icons: Muhsin Ashurmamadov (player); Eduard Issatsenko (player)

FK MAGEVSKAYA

Location: Stratenberg, Magevskaya
Stadium: Utcastadion (Capacity: 26,000)
Manager: Slava Raspopov, 54, 8th season in charge; T: possession, R: developer, P: casual

Club synopsis: The footballing arm of the famed Magevskaya sports club, they aren't quite as successful as their sibling organisations in other sports, most commonly found bouncing between the Top League and Druga Liga. FK Magevskaya are known for trying to be quite progressive in terms of the football they play, with the club playing the same possession game through all the age-groups from the under-9 team to the men's team. They also try to be as self-sufficient as possible in producing players through the club's youth system, FK Magevskaya have solid recruitment within their home region - although their rivals Vitalia are increasingly competing with them more and more in that department - however they are rather limited in trying to broaden their reach given that they are based on an island on its own off the coast of mainland Mytanija, with their nearest neighbours being Princess Beatrice Island and Bakartirla rather than other Mytanar regions.
Fanbase: A moderately sized fanbase by national standards, FK Magevskaya's support crosses across socioeconomic boundaries given its position as the biggest representative of the region when it comes to football. Historically Magevskaya sided with the Kalinina regime during the Mytanar Conflict and this does mean that FK Magevskaya aren't particularly well-liked in certain parts of Mytanija because their supporters generally reflect those political positions (Vitalia are the left-wing Magev club that is supportive of Mytanar unity). Their fanbase want to see Magev players in their starting line-up, that's more or less the only expectation they have for the club. Ultras Magev are right-wing ethnonationalists who have friendships with the likes of 1923 Esca's Odeljak 1-11, Energija-Nuklearna's Grolija and Rudar Uchenik's PS 11-19 due to their political beliefs.
Rivals: Vitalia (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★ / Scouting ★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Yakhontov (brewery)

Major honours: none

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do FK Magevskaya stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
FK Magevskaya will have hated everything about finishing behind Vitalia last season, but the 2nd place finish in the Druga Liga did at least mean that they would be playing Top League football once again this year. That also means that Olexandr Sokolenko will be playing Top League football at the age of 42, in his 25th season as a professional, a truly exceptional career. FK Magevskaya only finished a couple of points behind their rivals Vitalia and even lost two games less, but it was the draws which prevented them from putting their name on the Druga Liga trophy once again. FK Magevskaya actually came through two rounds of the National Cup last season too, knocking fellow second tier side Dinamo Esca out in the Second Round before seeing off the third tier Međunarodna by a 6-1 aggregate margin in the Third Round. SK Elita Ryzaev eventually brought their run to an end with an away goals win in the Fourth Round, fittingly the aggregate score line was 4-4!

FK Magevskaya have brought in Andrija Krsmanovic to lead the line for them this season, the 22 year old striker is regarded as somebody who can improve in the future and who – perhaps most importantly – wouldn’t be looking for a move away should FK Magevskaya go straight back down to the Druga Liga this season. He’s got a reasonably good record in the second tier, impressing with Arsenal Vershina last season and Slava Raspopov was very positive about the transfer over the summer. Krsmanovic offers a real improvement on FK Magevskaya’s two other striking options, Yevdokim Mosyakov and Jora Zyomin, neither of whom have ever really kicked on from being rather average second tier forwards. Fortunately for FK Magevskaya supporters they now have a better option in that area of the pitch and they will be positive about the likes of Luka Shchavelsky and Artemiy Zheglov – key performers last term – still being at the club too.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 16TH - FK Magevskaya have a core of around five players who are really of the required level in the Top League: Zheglov, Gribov, Shchavelsky, Ovichnik and Shinsky. They have a number of players who could get to that sort of level or even a bit better with time (Alexandr Arkhipov perhaps being the main one). Their problem is that they need more than this to ever put up a concerted effort to stay in the Top League and their lack of depth is what really hamstrings them when up against sides who are a lot better established in Mytanar football’s top division. Players like Tyoma Putinov, Viktor Kolosov, Stas Bebchuk, Rados Ristic and the messrs Mosyakov and Zyomin have all been excellent servants to the club, but they are average players for the Druga Liga. Nyva Zvornik – nearly relegated last season – can call upon Anton Derajevic off the bench if they feel they need him. That’s Anton Derajevic with 158 goals in 334 Top League appearances and still a dangerous option from the bench. That’s the struggle which promoted sides have and they usually need resources – like FK Arsika or this season SK Elita Ryzaev – or a very good recruitment policy, like NK Dyka or Litala ’93. FK Magevskaya currently don’t have those, so we can’t see them retaining their Top League status.

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Artemiy Zheglov         23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Roman Shelomov          23   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Vitali Henicheski       19   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Aleksei Kopylov         20   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Yeremey Gribov          26   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC/MC  Luka Shchavelsky        21   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Aleksandar Ovichnik     24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Alexei Shinsky          29   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Sejfudin Pasic          24   MYT      ✪✪
AMC     Olexandr Sokolenko (c)  42   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Andrija Krsmanovic      22   MYT      ✪✪

GK      Alexandr Bulgakov       17   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Tyoma Putinov           33   MYT      ✪
DC      Viktor Kolosov          30   MYT      ✪
DC      Stas Bebchuk            32   MYT      ✪
DR      Adam Yakushev           28   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Rados Ristic            34   MYT      ✪
DMC     Alexandr Arkhipov       17   MYT      ✪✪
AMC     Arkadiy Prokofiev       23   MYT      ✪✪
AMC     Anton Elmurzaev         18   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Yevdokim Mosyakov       27   MYT      ✪
ST      Jora Zyomin             27   MYT      ✪

IN
Andrija Krsmanovic [MYT] from Arsenal to FK Magevskaya, NSD 300,000

Legends: Nyar Utca (player); Olexandr Sokolenko (player)
Icons: Slava Raspopov (manager); Vasya Kanadin (manager); Alexei Shinsky (player); Viktor Kolosov (player); Yeremey Gribov (player)

SK ELITA RYZAEV

Location: Kocunar, Ebor, Visoravna
Stadium: Stadion Elita Ryzaev (Capacity: 5,000)
Manager: Martin Labrovic, 45, 4th season in charge; T: counter, R: buyer, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: SK Elita Ryzaev is a sports club which was formed in Ebor’s Kocunar neighbourhood in the aftermath of the Mytanar Conflict, named after and celebrating the area’s most famous daughter, Elita Ryzaev. Ryzaev was an Otpor fighter during the Conflict, playing a key role in the resistance against the Kalinina regime and she demonstrated a number of heroic feats during the Ebor offensive; the defence against the Siege of Thessia; and in covert operations working with Euran intelligence. Ryzaev is a hero to many Mytanars, although her name also draws ire from those who were supportive of the Kalinina regime – particularly in regions such as Zentria and Magevskaya; as well as in areas of Nasto and Avnalia and cities like Miago. Since the Conflict the club’s footballing arm have had a speedy rise up the leagues, supported in recent years by the money of Vasko Rebec, the owner of health food and supplement giant Družba Svobode.
Fanbase: The group who originally founded SK Elita Ryzaev wanted to set-up a sports club for people who supported Ryzaev’s ideals: freedom for all, acceptance of everybody and communitarian economics. Those beliefs resonated with many in Ebor and the club soon had to purchase land to build a stadium of their own – their current 5,000 capacity Stadion Elita Ryzaev – to meet the demand for tickets. They fill the stadium out every week, though in recent years dispute with major investor Vasko Rebec have led to intermittent boycotts. Many of the club’s ‘original supporters’ regard Rebec’s involvement as contrary to the political ideals Ryzaev herself supported and they have railed against what they see as his moves towards commercialisation of the club. Newcomers enjoy the football and Top League status could see those original fans marginalised further. Their ultras Severna Tribuna have led the way in the fight against this. As a group they are generally known more for their impressive choreographies than their violence or hooliganism.
Rivals: JK Ebor (local/competitive)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★ / Scouting ★★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Družba Svobode (health foods and supplements)

Major honours: none

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do SK Elita Ryzaev stand ahead of the 33/34 season?
SK Elita Ryzaev managed to secure third spot in the Druga Liga last season, their 62 points looked quite comfortable in the end but both Lok. Cassia and BVK Dinamo made a real fight of it for all of the top three right up until the final day of the season. Martin Labrovic had a number of wily second tier campaigners at his disposal last term and they helped him to the league’s best defensive record, SKER only conceded 24 goals through their 30 games and thanks to Pawel Kwasniowski they were also dangerous at the other end – he helped himself to 18 goals over the course of the season and those goals helped to fire SKER to promotion. What was perhaps even more impressive was the team’s cup run, dispatching Ribari, BVK Dinamo, FK Magevskaya and Zeljeznicar before finally being put out in the Semi Finals by Litala ’93. Many have said the draw was kind to them throughout – Zeljeznicar were the first Top League opposition they faced – but you can only beat what is in front of you!

Labrovic has done well since replacing Luca Zagorc as manager and since then he has had Vasko Rebec’s money to support his aims, which has manifested itself in perhaps the largest spending spree we have seen by a promoted side this summer. NSD 2 million has been spent on bringing five players to the club to try to build a squad capable of staying in the Top League and then establishing itself long-term. There’s some big names, too, with Josip Brajdic – formerly of Litala ’93 and 1896 Ebor – returning to Mytanar shores for NSD 1 million following a spell at Chromatik side Ming. Kadi Camara, a veteran S-FPL central defender, comes in to captain the side for NSD 600,000 and Licentian Noah Vervloet will partner her after arriving from Chromatika’s Omnio for NSD 400,000. A deal was agreed to bring Marcus Autta to Mytanija after he came out of the university system in the same nation. Finally, Casey Roehampton makes the move to Ebor on an initial 2 year loan and SKER have an obligation to buy for NSD 4 million should they retain their Top League status when Roehampton’s loan is complete. It’s an unusual deal, but Rebec’s money is there to write the cheques and the club will want to prey on Top League regulars like Tekstil, Nyva and Arka who have become averse to spending money over the years by having players of that standard in their side.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 14TH - A lot of money spent and it still might not be enough, although it does at least give SK Elita Ryzaev more than fighting chance. Where Vitalia and FK Magevskaya appear to be fairly safe picks for relegation, SKER at least make you pause for thought. Their issue may well end up being their bench, they had a well-drilled defensive unit in the Druga Liga and many of those players are now their rotation options, but the pick of the bunch (and former captain) Kristjan Krizanic retired upon promotion, aged 37. Camara, Vervloet and Roehampton all arrive having played at a much higher level and will be additions that can make the difference if they can bond together quickly. Bojan Pozar was probably SKER’s best player last season and he’s now partnered by new signing Marcus Autta in the centre of the pitch, a promising midfield pairing. If Josip Brajdic can rediscover the scoring form he had when he was last in the Top League then SKER could be a problem for a few mid-table teams who thought they might not have a fight on their hands. One final thing – and another by-product of the investment in the club by Vasko Rebec – is the presence of two of Mytanija’s brightest prospects on either side of the defence, Miha Slomsek and Matija Gvardjancic were both poached from other team’s academies (1896 Ebor and Arka respectively) and brought to SKER with the promise of game time and a starter’s wage. Money isn’t everything but it can make things a hell of a lot easier!

---

Pos.    Name                 Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Ivan Drofenik        25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Miha Slomsek         17   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Kadi Camara (c)      34   BNJ      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Noah Vervloet        27   TLI      ✪✪✪✪
DR      Matija Gvardjancic   17   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Arseni Bazarov       27   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Bojan Pozar          25   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Marcus Autta         22   CMT      ✪✪✪
AML/R   Alem Jezernik        19   MYT      ✪✪
AMR     Casey Roehampton     24   NPH      ✪✪✪✪    (On loan from Newrook City [NPH])
ST      Josip Brajdic        32   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Milivoj Ficko        31   MYT      ✪
DL      Djuro Bremec         34   MYT      ✪
DC      Jadranko Jeric       25   MYT      ✪
DC      Tobija Golob         35   MYT      ✪  
DR      Egdo Jelovan         19   MYT      ✪
DMC     Egidij Erzen         19   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Vincencij Kapun      21   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Jas Bertoncelj       29   MYT      ✪
AML     Cosme Morillo        34   DOM      ✪✪
AMR     Stojan Zerjav        26   MYT      ✪
ST      Pawel Kwasniowski    26   RAM      ✪✪
ST      Demir Udovic         17   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Marcus Autta [CMT] from Alnio University of the Arts [CMT] to SK Elita Ryzaev, free transfer
Josip Brajdic [MYT] from Ming [CMT] to SK Elita Ryzaev, NSD 1 million
Kadi Camara [BNJ] from Busukama Force [BNJ] to SK Elita Ryzaev, NSD 600,000
Casey Roehampton [NPH] from Newrook City [NPH] to SK Elita Ryzaev, 2 year loan
Noah Vervloet [TLI] from Omnio [CMT] to SK Elita Ryzaev, NSD 400,000

RETIRED
Kristjan Krizanic [MYT], DC, 37

Legends: Martin Labrovic (manager); Kristjan Krizanic (player); Bojan Pozar (player)
Icons: Ivan Drofenik (player); Luca Zagorc (manager)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 33/34 SEASON REVIEW

Last season was rather more eventful than the eventual title winner might appear. Atletik winning their 13th Mytanar Top League could look stale, doing the same old thing and ending up with the same result, but the league season was a lot more interesting than that. Atletik were their imperious selves, but Liria did at least keep them honest and an excellent campaign by Sava Grgurovic’s 1923 Esca saw them finish 3rd. The emergence of Skara, Riesgo, Tejic et al can only be a good thing for the health of Mytanar football. Ararat managed to finish 4th even with their exploits in both the National Cup and the Rushmore Copa de Campeones – arguably the most impressive achievement by any Mytanar club ever. 1896 Ebor never really recovered from their staggering collapse the year before, Mijat Krstic ended up out of a job as his side finished 5th and they’ll start the new campaign under new management as a result.

We waved the promoted sides – Energija-Nuklearna, Rudar and Zeljeznicar – hello and goodbye, though all three acquitted themselves well and were it not for head-to-head being used as a tiebreaker then Nyva might well have found themselves relegated to the second tier for the first time in over ten years. We saw Vitalia and FK Magevskaya bounce straight back from their relegations; and we welcome a new team to the Mytanar Top League in the form of Ebor outfit SK Elita Ryzaev! Let’s see what all that meant for the new campaign, could somebody other than Atletik win the title? Could 1923 Esca repeat their IFCF qualification? Would Ararat continue making memories? Are SK Elita Ryzaev able to stay up?

Let’s find out:



The custom t-shirts emblazoned with ‘CHAMP14NS’ tell you everything you need to know. A sky blue-and-white clad open-top bus snaking around the streets of Thessia and into the Zenit Toranj neighbourhood where Atletik’s Novi Atletskistadion emerges, towering over the apartment buildings, is a site almost defined by its ubiquity. The end of a season where it doesn’t occur is regarded as an oddity, a contradiction of the natural order of things. The joyous crowds, estimated to number into the millions each year, line the streets to greet their heroes and signal their gratitude. In turn the Atletik players are given a chance to thank their supporters, players are interviewed on stage and asked to give their thoughts about the campaign just gone and everybody without fail mentions the famous Atletik support. In some ways it might be easy to support a successful team, but nobody can doubt that the Atletik fan base’s passion and love for their club.

“Coming from Lok. Cassia to here, everybody tells you about how much the supporters put into supporting a club like Atletik, but nothing that you do before can ever truly prepare you for what it means to them.” Edis Znidarsic explains. “In Rauchnya there’s either Lok. or Ararat, that’s the choice. They’re both big clubs within the region, but both regarded as a bit provincial on the national stage. When I arrived here in Thessia there was no doubt about the scale of the club, the size of the fan base. When you see how many of them line the streets for celebrations like that it brings it all home even more.

Atletik’s 14th Mytanar Top League title is the continuation in a story of a club and a league which have effectively defined one another over the past 34 years. They are Mytanija’s most successful club by a long way and Edis Znidarsic has written another successful chapter in the club’s history. His first season was less impressive, finishing 2nd behind Ararat and being beaten by Klasicni rival Liria Prizren in the National Cup final. The sports dailies began to wonder if the job was too big for the Rauchik coach, if Atletik should have gone for somebody else until Znidarsic had a bit more experience. Then in his second campaign they won the league, leading more or less wire-to-wire despite pressure from Adel Gudelj’s Liria and – for a brief moment – Sava Grgurovic’s 1923 Esca.

The challenge heading into the new season was to go back-to-back. Despite Atletik’s enormous success down the years, winning back-to-back titles is something which only two coaches have done at the club and those two are perhaps the pair who Atletik Thessia are characterised by: Marius Sadowsky and Robin Hjik. The three others who have been full-time manager of the club, Swen Kislasson, Elvir Buljina and Adem Fejzic, had varying degrees of success but none of them could do what Sadowsky and Hjik managed to do. Now it was Edis Znidarsic who was handed that challenge.

“As a manager of this club everything you do is geared towards giving your players the greatest chance of succeeding, winning things. Everything that the club does is also pulling in that same direction. A few people mentioned going back-to-back to me at the start of the season and it was something I kind of waved away, the challenge is to win a trophy each year, it didn’t matter if it was the league or the cup or something regional or international. But I think secretly, just a little bit, it was something I wanted to do. To be mentioned in the same breath as either of those guys – Sadowsky and Hjik – is incredible. To match their feats would be something truly brilliant, so naturally I wanted to try and get there.” Znidarsic says.

The season started well, Atletik had a settled side, their only loss over the summer was Gavril Atsev and the club happily banked the NSD 10 million fee. Losing a Player of the Season calibre player always hurts though.

“Obviously you prefer having players of that standard in your side,” Znidarsic smiles. “As a manager you want to work with the best, people who have proven to you that they can do it. But the game is different now, Atletik have to develop players to sell, it keeps all these great training facilities, scouting systems and the stadium in the best condition. It gives Atletik a chance of one day competing in international competitions again. So we have to move guys like Gavril on.”

Atletik’s status as the biggest club in Mytanija allows them a luxury which many other clubs do not have, which is to have ready-made replacements for those top players which they sell who can step into the team and make their loss less noticeable. Jasno Skenderovic was the player marked as Atsev’s replacement, a dynamic 21 year old midfielder who is perhaps a bit more energetic than Atsev even if he doesn’t quite have the same level of technical quality. In the first game of the season he scored one and laid on another for Nahia Legarra. Quite the start.

“I’d played before, so it wasn’t like a debut or anything like that.” Skenderovic says calmly. “Those games from the bench and starts in the Cup and later on in the league season kind of prepared me for it. It was nice to get a chance to play in the season opener, though, and when I got off to that kind of start it really helped me to relax into it. The biggest pressure perhaps was the fact that it was Gavril who had just left.. I had learnt a lot from him when he was here.”

“We have a lot of quality in this team, but I think everybody was a bit worried that Gavril had gone and the club didn’t bring someone new in.” Legarra adds. “As a striker you like to receive decent service and Atsev was fantastic at that. But we had trained with Jasno [Skenderovic] for a couple of years and you could tell that he could become a good player. When he got into the starting line-up he took his chances. The manager liked him and when you deliver it becomes very difficult to lose that spot. He delivered.”

Three goals and five assists in the opening six games of the campaign demonstrated Skenderovic’s ability. He had taken over from Atsev ably and with his fellow Jasno – Jasno Odonelec – alongside him there was always something of a safety valve there to fall-back on if necessary.

“As a captain you notice things and people will talk to you about things in a way they might not to other members of the squad.” Jasno Odonelec observes. “I think a few of the team were worried about Gavril’s absence, but after a few games into the new season people were coming to me saying ‘wow, we thought we might have to rely on you to dig us out of some holes this season’ and what they had thought wasn’t lining up with reality because Jasno [Skenderovic] was playing really well. There was one person – I won’t name any names – who added ‘and you aren’t getting any younger, so I thought we might be fucked!’ to that too… I thought ‘gee thanks!’” Odonelec laughs.

Atletik won eight of their first ten and drew the other two. They were flying and for a moment it looked like nobody would be able to keep up. They were firing in attack and their defence looked like it could usurp Ararat’s as the most consistent in the league. Licentian Evelyn Cassidy was impressing everybody with her poise; Denis Klasic’s speed appeared to be a get out of jail free card when things did go wrong; and Adnan Sulejmanovic’s laser-guided passing often drew ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of appreciation. But then Atletik played Olympic and 1896 Ebor in close succession and things became a little rocky.

“It was the first real trouble we faced in the campaign,” Znidarsic remarks. “We didn’t cope with it particularly well at the time but our reaction to it was superb and that was what was truly important.”

A 2-0 defeat at the Novi Kaunostadion stung, particularly given that Olympic’s supporters poked fun at some of the sensationalist headlines which had been written about Atletik’s fine start to the season with banners at the end of the game. ‘THEY CALLED YOU MYTANIJA’S GREATEST TEAM – ARE YOU FUCK!’ read a particularly direct one. The experienced Nepharan striker Arista Tzorvas demonstrated her physical strength against Denis Klasic – Emil Jefak had identified that side of his game as a potential weak point in Atletik’s back three – scoring one and assisting Adamo Fallaci for Olympic’s second.

A week later Atletik welcomed 1896 Ebor to Thessia and it was like following a particularly painful trip to the dentist with a colonoscopy. Tana Colbright had injected new life into the Northmen and Anne-Linde van Oers appeared to be back to her very best, dropping deep to start attacks and then getting into the penalty area to get on the end of them. Atletik scored first, Evelyn Cassidy netting a scrappy effort inside the six-yard box, but 1896 Ebor roared back and van Oers was excellent, blasting one in from outside the penalty area before squaring for Vranjkovic to steal all three points in injury time.

“We seemed rattled,” Jasno Odonelec concedes. “I think because of how consistent we had been to start the season everybody thought that the campaign could be a bit of a parade, but everybody in the Top League wants to beat Atletik Thessia and particularly those two clubs. All it needed was a Liria Prizren defeat for the full house. Thankfully we’d played them earlier on and won.”

A win against newly promoted FK Magevskaya got things back on track, but a trip to Radnika soon loomed on the horizon and Sava Grgurovic’s team were proving that they were no flash in the pan.

“I think everybody was starting to accept that they might actually be the third best team in the country at this point.” Omer Kuhar-Arh notes. “Drazen Skara was still scoring goals and that central midfield three worked so well together. People were talking about Riesgo getting called-up to the national pool in the middle of World Cup qualifying and everything!”

That didn’t happen, but Atletik did deal with the tough trip to the capital well and it was Omer Kuhar-Arh who was the driving force behind that with two truly astonishing set-pieces. Firstly a cross so dangerous that it should have been sent to an international criminal tribunal and second a free-kick which belonged in a museum. Nahia Legarra turned the cross from a wide free-kick into the goal and Isak Vennerod didn’t even move when Kuhar-Arh’s free-kick rattled off the crossbar onto the post and into the net. A 2-0 win against a difficult opponent to put some demons to bed.

“I think we knew that we had it then, to be honest.” Kuhar-Arh says with confidence. “Those two losses to 1896 Ebor and Olympic Thessia were little blips. Those matches mean a lot to Olympic because they have very little else to play for, but it was just another game for us and we showed them what we were about in the second game.”

Atletik were back on track and went on a fine run following the win over 1923 Esca, including – as Kuhar-Arh says – a 4-1 revenge win over Olympic Thessia back at the Novi Atletskistadion. Kuhar-Arh was the team’s talisman throughout, assisted by a fantastic defence and some sharing of the creative burden with the likes of Jasnos Skenderovic and Odonelec; as well as wing-backs Zahir Ivankovic and Julij Svensek.

“It was good to see Omer stepping up like that,” Znidarsic says. “He had a season like that with Ararat, the year before they actually won the league I think it was and then he moved to here. I think he knew that with Gavril gone we needed even more from him in the number ten position and he showed us exactly what he can do. A spectacular campaign from a spectacular player.”

Kuhar-Arh’s creativity was laying on chances aplenty for Nahia Legarra and Galib Terzic and once again it was the Astograthian who was making the most of it. He led Atletik in scoring for the third season running and was chasing his third-straight Golden Boot too, unfortunately he came up against a certain Licentian.

“Anne-Linde [van Oers] was at another level this season!” Legarra says ruefully. “She really got things together, I think Colbright has really allowed her to play to her strengths and we all know just how good she can be when she does that. It’s no shame to lose the Golden Boot to her, I’ve had a good run.”

He’s had more than a good run, with 56 goals in 92 Top League games since joining the club before the start of the 29/30 season Legarra has been Atletik’s most clinical forward in that time – particularly over the last three years where he has been a consistent starter. Galib Terzic might rue the fact that he profiles very similarly to Legarra, the two managed to play alongside one another but it makes you wonder just how many Legarra could score alongside say Zlatan Andrijasevic or even someone like Drazen Skara – rumours of which were all-pervading in the second-half of the season.

1896 Ebor had improved but they couldn’t catch Atletik, the Thessian side had a three point gap which they maintained until the end of the season and whilst there was a bit of jeopardy heading into the final game (a loss and a swing in goal difference could conceivably see the title go to Ebor), Atletik were brutally efficient, seeing off the already relegated Arka Snezhnaya in a 5-1 battering at home. Kuhar-Arh helped himself to another brace, cementing his status as the league’s top player and there was even a chance for club icon Chiki Larrimbe to get on the pitch (and score!) in his final ever game as a player.

“My time here has been nothing short of incredible, to be able to go out on a high like this, scoring a goal and winning the title, it’s what dreams are made of!” Larrimbe said, voice cracking as he spoke out on the pitch. He’ll join the club’s coaching staff alongside former players like Alex Gannot and Josip Radonic and who knows, we may see him in the manager’s seat one day.

For now though that responsibility is all Edis Znidarsic’s and he managed to put himself alongside the likes of Marius Sadowsky and Robin Hjik in claiming back-to-back titles with this historic club. After the open-top bus had completed its route through the city and everybody had filed off – dressed for the occasion in their freshly printed ‘CHAMP14NS’ shirts – onto the stage outside the Novi Atletskistadion the manager only had one thing to say to the assembled crowds:

“We’re coming back to do it all over again next year!”

## Top League            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Atletik                30   19   7   4    60   28  +32    64  C, IFCF CL
02 1896 Ebor              30   19   4   7    65   36  +29    61  IFCF CL
03 1923 Esca              30   17   5   8    55   35  +20    56  IFCF CC
04 Liria                  30   16   6   8    54   39  +15    54  IFCF CC
05 CDSA                   30   15   6   9    46   33  +13    51  IFCF CC
06 Litala ’93             30   13   9   8    55   39  +16    48
07 Ararat                 30   13   6  11    45   40   +5    45
08 FK Arsika              30   13   1  16    38   48  −10    40
09 Olympic                30    9  12   9    41   43   −2    39
10 Tekstil                30   10   9  11    45   52   −7    39
11 Nyva                   30    9   7  14    33   38   −5    34
12 NK Dyka                30    9   7  14    33   42   −9    34
13 SK Elita Ryzaev        30    7   8  15    41   54  −13    29
14 Vitalia                30    6   8  16    31   49  −18    26  R
15 Arka                   30    4  10  16    33   60  −27    22  R
16 FK Magevskaya          30    3  11  16    26   65  −39    20  R

It was a good debut season as manager for Tana Colbright at 1896 Ebor. She pushed Atletik all the way and although the Thessian side managed to keep it rather drama free you can be sure that they would have preferred the Northmen to slip up and allow the pressure to lift a little. Anne-Linde van Oers was back to her very best, finishing second in the Player of the Season award and winning the Golden Boot, the Licentian is one of the division’s most clinical forwards when she’s in this kind of form and Colbright appreciated her play: “Anne-Linde is sensational and the task for me is to now get the right players around her to really get the most from her. We’ve shown we can push Atletik at the top and in the end I think their depth told, most of their bench would start for around three-quarters of teams in this league so they’ve done really well to build that squad. There’s no reason why we can’t do the same here.”

1923 Esca managed to finish 3rd for the second season in a row, their own back-to-back challenge. They had their doubters coming into the season but people should know better than to bet against Sava Grgurovic at this point. Drazen Skara was a demon for opposition defences, finishing in third in the Golden Boot race with 14 goals in 27 appearances. They were just as impressive at the opposite end, too, with the third best defensive record in the league. Isak Vennerod ended up finishing third in the Golden Glove because of how well protected he was. Another good season for Sargossan-Mytanar centre-back Nicolás Riesgo and you have to imagine that there are teams looking at him both at home and abroad; and that he must be in the thoughts of the FSM as they look to get him capped before the Sargossans do.

A 4th place finish is a little bit disappointing by Liria’s high standards. Adel Gudelj did so well in his debut season, leading the Prizren club to the National Cup and then finishing as Atletik’s closest challengers last term. The progress does appear to have stalled a little bit, they missed Mahir Kapetanovic at the back this season and their defensive solidity suffered a bit as a result. There was some progress though, Filip Mlinarevic started to become more assured towards the end of the campaign and there were some impressive cameos from his twin brother Stipe Mlinarevic too. They are rumoured to have a significant interest in bringing a new attacking midfielder to the club this summer with Tekstil’s Muharem Hajdarpasic near the top of the wishlist; Litala ‘93’s Evtim Asenov is another name that has been mentioned.

CDSA do exceptionally well to finish in the top five and qualify for the IFCF Challengers’ Cup. Slavko Jelic had a very busy summer at the start of the previous season and his team saw some progress, the summer before this season was comparatively quiet and some wondered if CDSA would be able to repeat the trick. This year they improved even further with their players all becoming used to one another and forming a really cohesive unit. Pierre-Karl Cizeron had a fantastic campaign, winning the Under-23 Player of the Season award and CDSA were able to boast about the second-best defensive record in the league. There were improvements higher up the pitch too with 22 year old Vasilij Pivk scoring 13 goals in 28 appearances. He could well be the striker that the club have been looking for.

Litala ’93 will be disappointed not to qualify for IFCF competitions, they pushed CDSA hard for the final spot but it was the Decraa club who would win out in the end. Jiahui Wang and Dragisa Alagic were both able to clock up 13 goals over the course of the season and Luca Zagorc’s team were one of the best to watch when they had the ball in attacking areas. There won’t be too much disappointment around the manner in which the team play, except for the fact that they couldn’t turn that fantastic play into something a bit more tangible. Another deep cup run ended in disappointment and some Litala supporters must wonder if there’s some sort of ancient curse on their team, two finals in two years for them where they’ve lost now.

It’s back down to earth with a thump for Ararat, it appeared as if this season was just a bridge too far for them and the loss of talismanic playmaker Lindse Kvasina was really felt in the big matches. Misel Ravnjak will bemoan the fact that his team were not as solid defensively as they usually might be, 40 goals conceded is on the high side for Ararat and it’s something the legendary manager will want to rectify next season. Whether they will do it with Asmir Milosevic in their squad remains to be seen, Liria are expected to try again to bring him in and may compete with 1896 Ebor for his signature.

The signing of Ava Linfield was meant to result in a newly high-powered attack for FK Arsika, instead they seemed to struggle in attacking areas, although that may be more down to the decline of creators Sefir Ajanovic and Vlado Arzhentinski than any shortcoming on Linfield’s behalf. She scored 8 and assisted 10 more, by far the club’s player of the season and the understanding she had previously had with Juljana Chmela still seemed to be there. FK Arsika were poor defensively, an issue which may raise some questioning glances at Dzvezdan Kitanchev – who, despite his relative underperformance at FK Arsika, is still the bookmakers’ favourite for the Mytanija job when Lev Repin leaves his post.

Olympic Thessia seem to be a couple of players away from being back at the level of a few seasons ago, whether the club’s notoriously tight board allow them to shell out for those players remains to be seen, but the exploits of 1923 Esca, CDSA and Litala ’93 over the last few years will surely whet the appetite a little bit – not to mention NK Dyka! Emil Jefak probably needs a winger who can chip in with goals and assists, along with a creative player in the middle of the pitch and Olympic could find themselves having more occasions like the 2-0 win over Atletik to celebrate in the coming years. A smart director of football would line up a move for either Eduard Issatsenko or Denis Ovsyannikov from Vitalia for the midfield role, but don’t tell any Vitalia fans I said that!

Tekstil seemingly defy expectation every season and this year they were pretty disastrous defensively, but their striker stepped up incredibly to dig them out of what could have become a pretty big hole and they ended up safely mid-table. Muharem Hajdarpasic had a real breakout year, he’s not a typical Mytanar number ten – the sort who is as keen on scoring as assisting – but more of a pure creator type, all deft touches and fancy flicks. He’s a joy to watch and he managed to be effective, too, laying on 13 assists over the course of the campaign. Chromatik forward Ma-Gyo Han and Licentian Còmhan Black won’t ever be Nebojsa Aleksic for Tekstil fans (but who could be?), but they might well be ready to take on his goal scoring responsibility between the pair of them – a combined 24 goals between them this year.

Vasil Janevski made sure that Nyva didn’t leave it as late as they did last season to guarantee safety, the fact that goal difference was the tiebreaker again perhaps spooked them into action a little earlier too and they actually ended up having the best defensive record out of any team that finished outside the top five. Ivica Svok has been a stalwart for them and marshalled his troops well from central defence; Kusman Manasiev at left-back could end up being a secondary option for anybody who misses out on Ararat’s Asmir Milosevic too based on his performances this season. Nyva did struggle for goals though and with Anton Derajevic finally retiring this summer they won’t be able to rely on his cameos from the bench anymore either. Janevski will have to get his thinking cap on.

NK Dyka had an exceptional season, their cup run is the stuff of dreams and Dragomir Lazic has written himself into club folklore by leading them to their first ever taste of glory. Once they realised they were going places in the National Cup they definitely took their foot off the gas in the league, but they were never really in too much danger and they got themselves safe nice and early. They’ve got a fine group of young players at the club at the moment and you have to imagine there will be some interest given the cup success, a few clubs higher up the table will fancy a look at some players who can bring that sort of impact and the likes of Gobeljic, Nitchov, Ovcina, Usov, Deliivanov and Terziovski are the sort of names that will come up time and time again.

SK Elita Ryzaev did what they set out to do with all their summer spending, it might only have been by three points in the end but that won’t matter too much, they did what so many promoted sides struggle to do and retained their Top League status. We might have expected them to be a little bit better defensively than they were given the signings of Camara and Vervloet, but they were solid in the big games against relegation rivals and that ended up being crucial. Casey Roehampton was an electrifying presence down the right flank and she broke the 10-goal mark by the end of the season, you back her to be in the running for the Golden Boot next term if this team can grow their understanding a little more – you could definitely tell they’d been thrown together in one summer at times this season.

And now to the relegated sides, Vitalia were unfortunate that they couldn’t get just one more win and a few goals to help them to leapfrog SK Elita Ryzaev. Muhsin Ashurmamadov and Mehmet Aliaspahic are great strikers to have in the Druga Liga, but we may be confirming that they just aren’t quite at the required level for the Top League given that this is their second bite at the cherry at this level and they’ve not really shown that they have ‘it’. Eduard Issatsenko and Denis Ovsyannikov on the other hand definitely do and there’s widespread interest in the pair, as well as their more defensive colleague Makar Mishnev due to their performances this season. Ovsyannikov might well be the best of the lot and Atletik Thessia have already declared their interest to his agent.

It’s farewell to Arka Snezhnaya, one of the biggest clubs to drop out of the Top League in recent years (and we’ve had a few of them! Energija-Nuklearna, Crvena Zvezda, etc), a two-time Top League champion and one-time National Cup winner will be playing Druga Liga football next season. The writing has been on the wall for Arka for a few years, the club’s board have been playing with fire by not investing in their playing staff and whilst Luka Kostic was able to put out those fires for a while this season was just a step too far. They were absolutely woeful defensively once Janez Jezersek was ruled out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury and even the efforts of former national team stars Tahir Fejzuli and Anton-Dusan Straka weren’t enough to save their hometown club. They will be favourites to come back up, particularly if those players want to go to the well one last time for the boyhood club (and if Jezersek recovers well from his injury), but everybody knows just how competitive the second tier is these days, so it won’t be easy.

FK Magevskaya were expected to be pretty bad… And they were pretty bad. Three wins all season is never good and they struggled at both ends of the pitch, Andrija Krsmanovic could become a solid performer for them but he never really had any consistent support to chip in goals if he was having an off day. Olexandr Sokolenko will call time on his career after 26 seasons, the 43 year old has tried his best to keep FK Magevskaya up a couple of times now but he’s not been able to do it, he’ll join the coaching staff at the club and we may see him renew his battle one day as the manager.

END OF SEASON AWARDS
Player of the Season:
1: Omer Kuhar-Arh [MYT] (Atletik, AMC, 26)
2: Anne-Linde van Oers [TLI] (1896 Ebor, ST, 25)
3: Nahia Legarra [ASG] (Atletik, ST, 24)

Under-23 Player of the Season:
1: Pierre-Karl Cizeron [QUE] (CDSA, DC, 21)
2: Evelyn Cassidy [TLI] (Atletik, DC, 21)
3: Drazen Skara [MYT] (1923 Esca, ST, 19)

Manager of the Season:
1: Edis Znidarsic [MYT] (Atletik)
2: Dragomir Lazic [MYT] (NK Dyka)
3: Slavko Jelic [MYT] (CDSA)

Golden Boot:
1: Anne-Linde van Oers [TLI] (1896 Ebor, ST; 16 goals in 28 games)
2: Nahia Legarra [ASG] (Atletik, ST; 15 goals in 25 games)
3: Drazen Skara [MYT] (1923 Esca, ST; 14 goals in 27 games)

Golden Glove:
1: Deliang Zhao [YZH] (Atletik, GK; 13 clean sheets, 28 goals conceded in 30 games)
2: Visa Marinkovic [MYT] (CDSA, GK; 12 clean sheets, 33 goals conceded in 30 games)
3: Isak Vennerod [OPP] (1923 Esca, GK; 12 clean sheets, 35 goals conceded in 30 games)

---

FIRST ROUND

...........Obolon   2–3   Turbine       2–2  0–1
     KF Shkelzena   0–4   Vinogradar    0–2  0–2
     Lok. Ostrova   6–3   Djakovo       5–1  1–2
           Slavia   5–1   NK Custica    5–1  0–0
   Radnik Avtovac   5–4   Akademija     4–2  1–2
             CVMZ   1–3   Rotor         1–0  0–3
      Međunarodna p 1–1   Zabrezje      1–0  0–1 (Međunarodna win 4–3 pen.)
 FK Istocna Obala   4–3   Metalac       3–3  1–0
      Malotranska   4–2   Hajerek       3–2  1–0
            Zenit   5–1   FK Sedlovina  3–1  2–0
Jedinstvo Zavolja   3–0   NK Istina     2–0  1–0
            Pamuk   4–2   Ibalia        4–1  0–1
           Obalna   1–3   Granica       0–2  1–1
           Slovan   3–1   NK Bijeljina  2–1  1–0
    Radnik Surcin   0–6   Meja          0–2  0–4
           Padina   4–0   Torpedo       4–0  0–0

SECOND ROUND

........Rudar   5–1   Ribari              3–1  2–0
      Arsenal   1–2   BVK Dinamo          0–1  1–1
   NK Thessia   4–1   Dinamo              3–0  1–1
  Malotranska   4–3   Lok. Ostrova        2–0  2–3
      Turbine   2–0   Jedinstvo Zavolja   1–0  1–0
  Međunarodna   1–0   Vinogradar          0–0  1–0 (aet)
SK Port Jarko   4–4 a Slavia              3–2  1–2
      Granica   6–1   FK Istocna Obala    3–0  3–1
         Meja   0–1   JK Ebor             0–0  0–1
      Spartak   3–3 a Pamuk               3–1  0–2
       Slovan   0–5   Crvena Zvezda       0–2  0–3
  Lok. Cassia   5–1   Pretia              3–1  2–0
       Padina   0–5   Radnik Avtovac      0–1  0–4
        Zenit   3–9   Energija-Nuklearna  0–2  3–7
     Jedrenje   1–0   Partizan            0–0  1–0
        Rotor   5–5 a Zeljeznicar         3–4  2–1

THIRD ROUND

...........Nyva   1–1 a NK Dyka             1–1  0–0
         Slavia   2–7   Lok. Cassia         1–3  1–4
           Arka   6–3   Vitalia             4–3  2–0
        Granica   3–6   NK Thessia          0–1  3–5
    Zeljeznicar   3–3 a Rudar               2–3  1–0
         Ararat   2–0   Turbine             2–0  0–0
          Liria   1–2   Litala ’93          1–0  0–2
    Međunarodna   1–2   BVK Dinamo          0–1  1–1
      1923 Esca   4–4 a Atletik             4–2  0–2
        JK Ebor   5–2   Malotranska         3–2  2–0
           CDSA   3–2   Crvena Zvezda       3–2  0–0
 Radnik Avtovac   2–4   Tekstil             1–2  1–2
      1896 Ebor   4–5   Energija-Nuklearna  2–3  2–2
SK Elita Ryzaev   5–1   Jedrenje            3–1  2–0
      FK Arsika   4–6   Olympic             3–5  1–1
  FK Magevskaya   7–3   Pamuk               2–2  5–1

FOURTH ROUND

.....FK Magevskaya   3–7   Tekstil          3–5  0–2
           Atletik   6–3   Rudar            3–0  3–3
Energija-Nuklearna   0–1   Litala ’93       0–1  0–0
           JK Ebor   4–5   CDSA             2–3  2–2
       Lok. Cassia   1–4   SK Elita Ryzaev  1–4  0–0
              Arka   1–0   NK Thessia       1–0  0–0
            Ararat   3–1   BVK Dinamo       3–1  0–0
           NK Dyka   1–0   Olympic          1–0  0–0

QUARTER FINAL

.........Ararat a 2–2   Tekstil     1–0  1–2
SK Elita Ryzaev   1–2   Litala ’93  0–1  1–1
        NK Dyka   5–4   Arka        4–1  1–3
           CDSA p 6–6   Atletik     3–3  3–3 (CDSA win 5–4 pen.)

SEMI FINAL

...NK Dyka   4–1   CDSA    2–1  2–0
Litala ’93   5–2   Ararat  4–2  1–0

FINAL
Venue: Radnika, Esca (Attendance: 58,869)
Weather: Sunny (26°C)
Referee: Aleksandar Spasojevic
Litala ’93 0–1 NK Dyka

Blasko Vaskanov always knew that he wanted to do things differently when he was elected club president at NK Dyka. The club, long a side who bounced between the second and third tiers of Mytanar football, had to do things differently to other teams if they wanted to be successful. They are based in the centre of Nasto, in the city where the long deposed Kombarov dynasty had their most ostentatious royal palace the Alzburg and it is hardly known for being a footballing hotbed. Solidly middle-class and the home of one of Mytanija’s most prestigious universities, Dyka doesn’t quite have the ‘edge’ which seems to help to produce footballers.

“Young people in Dyka have tended towards other sports, generally.” Vaskanov explains. “Solo sports are often preferred and when it comes to team sports I think many look towards cycling, which perhaps tells you the whole story, given that it effectively treads the line between solo and team. Football had been an afterthought for a very long time. So we had to help foster a culture and also build a team capable of success, a team which people wanted to watch. I’ve been here for ten years now, this year was my tenth season, I think we’ve done that in our time here. But we’ve done it differently.”

That last line is true, Blasko Vaskanov has embraced statistics and data in a manner which has never been seen before in Mytanija. For a long time that area of professional sport was regarded as a ‘nice to have’ element rather than an integral aspect to your approach. Vaskanov has changed that. NK Dyka are at the forefront of that revolution and they use their data analysis to identify players who are undervalued by other clubs and it has allowed them to poach them, in place of a sophisticated academy system of their own. Vaskanov believes that was an important first step.

“We didn’t have the academy set-up that you see some of the big clubs have. We didn’t even have a comparable set-up to mid-table Top League teams. Your Tekstils, CDSAs, even the likes of Ararat or Druga Liga teams like Crvena Zvezda and Dinamo Esca. Those clubs have long histories of producing their own players, but when I was elected as club president at NK Dyka we didn’t have that. We produced our own players, but they were never really of a high-standard. I didn’t think that was a predetermined thing, so we knew we had to overhaul our youth system, but in the meantime I wanted the club to start winning matches – so we had to do it differently. Data analysis stepped in and we would take players from top division clubs’ benches with good stats and give them a starting role. We’d also sign players from other Druga Liga clubs if we felt we could get a good deal. It worked better than we could have hoped.”

And he’s right, over the years incoming moves like Mirko Kosic from Liria; and Esro Sepúlveda from Izotz Zubia on loan have helped them. Players who might have just been on the bench for their parent club could come in and make an impact for NK Dyka. Samuil Kashuba, Vladimir Savic and Sinisa Vasiljev were all signed from Druga Liga clubs and have made fine contributions in differing lengths of time at the club. The Crelaander market was even explored with the signing of Jeroen van der Meiren from Daring Club Schniffbeek. Those transfers are without even getting to the real jewels in the proverbial crown.

Levi Doolan was brought in from Olympic Thessia for NSD 400,000 and the Fodhlan centre-forward scored the goals for NK Dyka to get promoted from the Druga Liga for the second time in their history – after Dzvezdan Kitanchev was poached by Nastan rivals FK Arsika and Vlado Arzhentinski followed him across the region. Vido Mehic – another who had been brought in from a Top League substitutes’ bench, Ararat’s to be precise – had also left, going back to his hometown club; and Paskal Trajcev had gone to Tekstil Ibon too. But Doolan’s goals, in conjunction with new manager Dragomir Lazic’s controlled possession game, meant it mattered little.

“I had been enormously concerned about our future when Dzvezdan left. We lost our three key players and a coach who was at the forefront of the game tactically. We had to consider our next move very carefully. Dragomir had just been relegated with Slovan Eskobirsk, but we went back to what we knew and looked at the stats and we felt his team had been a little hard done by – both by results and by injuries – and we took a risk and went for it. It’s turned out to be one of the best decisions we made, we got promoted straight back to the Top League and here we are now today.”

Lazic and Doolan made a fine combination, but it was built on more than that too, NK Dyka’s academy coaching was starting to bear fruit with Emil Kitinov in particular emerging. His form led to a move to Liria Prizren which in turn funded more squad development. Mirko Ovcina was plucked from Dinamo Esca in the second tier after impressing with his creativity at that level (the move was greased by a good relationship between NK Dyka and Dinamo built on the transfer of Milan Gobeljic prior to this); and then Yefim Usov was brought in from relegated Vitalia to provide a slightly more box-to-box option. Vaskanov felt he had managed to replace Kitinov and had finally managed to replace Vlado Arzhentinski too.

“When you lose players of that calibre it can take years to recover. The sale of Emil [Kitinov] hurt, naturally, but it allowed us to rebuild in such a way that we could be confident in retaining our Top League status but also could make seasons like this one possible.”

And what a season it turned out to be. In NK Dyka’s history their highest honour won had been the Druga Liga title up until this point. Dragomir Lazic, a manager whose appointment was met with derision because his Slovan side had been relegated just before Vaskanov appointed him NK Dyka manager, has now led the club to its first ever major honour after a sensational run through the National Cup – beating all Top League opposition along the way.

“I don’t think the manager gets enough praise, honestly.” Levi Doolan chipped in. “He doesn’t go in for some of the brash comments other managers do in the media, he just tries to focus on our game and what we can do and leaves that all to them. I think it works for us.”

It did work for them this year, NK Dyka negotiated a potentially difficult Nasto and Avnali derby (not the most prestigious or heated derby fixture in Mytanar football, but still) against Nyva Zvornik in the Third Round of the cup. It was an away goals victory, with that man Doolan nodding home a cross from Sinisa Vasiljev to rescue a draw away from home. A tough 0-0 encounter back at Drachevo would see them through. It wasn’t the most eye-catching stuff, but it kept NK Dyka in the competition.

“Sometimes you have to win ties like that,” Blazhe Gjorgjioski, the club’s 25 year old captain and one of the first few truly ‘home-grown’ talents mused. “It can’t always be big victories and beautiful football. We like to get the ball down and play as much as we can, but we aren’t afraid to sit in and make it difficult for the opposition either, Dragomir has taught us the importance of that.”

A Fourth Round tie against Olympic Thessia saw the bookies tipping Lazic’s team to exit the competition, but a 1-0 win on home soil courtesy of a Gobeljic header from an Ovcina corner put them in the driving seat and this time a 0-0 draw away from home saw them through to the next round. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.

“It was more of the same,” Gjorgjioski grins. “We went to the [Novi] Kaunostadion and shut them right up, kept the ball and gave them the run around. We’d had good practice from doing it in our promotion season under Dragomir, if we’d been more clinical then we’d have scored so many more goals but it set us up well to control games like that one against Olympic. The team wasn’t massively different.”

Olympic were seen off and then a helter-skelter tie against Arka put paid to the notion that NK Dyka were scraping through the tournament by keeping things tight. A 4-1 win at home was perhaps the best NK Dyka had played all season, four different scorers getting on the board and the only disappointment being the goal that they conceded (Gjorgjioski: “the gaffer went crazy about that”). Going 3-0 down in the second leg was not what they wanted at all, but Arka had harnessed the power of their support – a rare occasion given the separation between team and fans there – and had got back into it. Levi Doolan was required to score the goal which ensured NK Dyka wouldn’t exit on away goals.

“I gambled, really,” Doolan explains. “Mirko had been in such good form and his ability on the ball is something else, so I made a run in behind one of their centre-halves in the hope that Mirko could put it there and he did it. I hit it first time and went straight to the away fans, it was in the 87th minute or something, it felt like a huge moment.”

“We still had some defending to do, I’m pretty sure Tahir Fejzuli put one just wide of the post even after Levi scored.” Milan Gobeljic says, but it did go wide and NK Dyka had done enough once again. Their semi-final against CDSA was comparatively a walk in the park. A 2-1 win at home and a 2-0 win away saw NK Dyka dispatch a side who they wouldn’t have ever dreamed of competing with regularly when Blasko Vaskanov became club president, one of the country’s most storied sides just brushed aside.

“I think that tie was vindication of everything we had done at the club, it took us to a final, it showed what we had done had worked. CDSA have that great academy that we knew we couldn’t emulate straight away. They probably even had what most people would call ‘the better squad’ on the day, but the players we had identified outdid the opposition. It’s exactly how we wanted to compete and it worked.” Vaskanov beams.

The job wasn’t yet done though, Lazic wanted a trophy to silence the doubters and prove that he always was the man to build on the foundations Kitanchev had laid. Awaiting in the final were Litala ’93, the beaten finalists from the previous National Cup final. They had vanquished their demons from the previous year by defeating their conquerors Ararat Severyan in their own semi-final. Their win had been similarly emphatic, a 5-2 aggregate victory to NK Dyka’s 4-1. Luca Zagorc’s high-energy, high-pressing, swashbuckling style had earned many admirers from across the country and he was being tipped as a potential national team manager alongside NK Dyka’s former head honcho Kitanchev. The National Cup final could be something of a crowning moment for Zagorc.

“I wanted to burst that bubble,” Lazic smirks. “I can’t lie. You have to remember that I’m a fair bit older, to see all these young guns coming through and stealing the headlines, well, I wanted to prove that I wasn’t just the easy appointment. The guy Blasko could get out of Slovan easily and cheaply and who played a similar style of football. I guess I wanted to reinforce the statistics the club had identified before hiring me. And we did it.”

NK Dyka went out and played their usual game. They starved Litala ’93 of possession, something which many pundits had said might even play into the hands of Zagorc’s team as it would give them more opportunities to press, but given how comfortable NK Dyka were on the ball it just seemed to gradually tire Litala ’93 out. It was a hot day at Radnika, 26 degrees, hardly the conditions for a high energy approach. NK Dyka popped the ball around nicely and apart from the occasional heart in the mouth moment with a risky pass or two it was comfortable. In the end it was that Mirko Ovcina to Levi Doolan pipeline which put NK Dyka ahead, the Fodhlan forward heading it beyond Lazarevic.

“And then we learned from Ararat the year before.” Lazic smiles. “We forced them wide, we packed the centre of the pitch and exploited the fact they didn’t have much natural width. We learned, I’m not sure Litala ’93 did.” A barb which rings true, even if it is out-of-character for Lazic, but it perhaps shows that even the most unassuming of individuals want the credit they feel they deserve. And in the end they got it, Mirko Ovcina was sensational, everybody felt that Levi Doolan had finally delivered on his potential. NK Dyka had won their first ever major honour. Dragomir Lazic had proven that he was hired because he could bring days like this to the club.

Dyka was raucous with celebration in scenes which probably hadn’t been seen since the last hedonistic days of the Kombarov dynasty. They might not have had a football culture back then, or indeed for much of the time that there has been professional football in Mytanija, but Vaskanov’s vision and Lazic’s management seem to have built one in this town. Successes like this will only help to further that.

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR FOOTBALL 33/34 LOWER LEAGUE AND YOUTH REVIEW

## Druga Liga             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Energija–Nuklearna      30   20   6   4    63   27  +36    66  C, P
02 Rudar                   30   19   6   5    64   25  +39    63  P
03 Lok. Cassia             30   19   6   5    57   30  +27    63  P
04 Crvena Zvezda           30   16   5   9    43   33  +10    53
05 JK Ebor                 30   14  10   6    58   45  +13    52
06 Zeljeznicar             30   15   6   9    52   36  +16    51
07 Dinamo                  30   14   9   7    53   42  +11    51
08 SK Port Jarko           30   15   3  12    62   53   +9    48
09 NK Thessia              30   11   6  13    50   49   +1    39
10 Jedrenje                30   11   6  13    42   53  −11    39
11 BVK Dinamo              30   11   5  14    39   45   −6    38
12 Partizan                30    6  12  12    34   46  −12    30
13 Pretia                  30    7   7  16    47   60  −13    28
14 Arsenal                 30    5   5  20    32   67  −35    20  R
15 Ribari                  30    5   1  24    32   74  −42    16  R
16 Spartak                 30    2   7  21    30   73  −43    13  R

## Treća Liga North      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Radnik Avtovac         30   19   8   3    60   28  +32    65  C, P
02 Turbine                30   18   5   7    63   32  +31    59  P-O, P
03 Vinogradar             30   18   3   9    62   43  +19    57
04 Slavia                 30   16   8   6    51   29  +22    56
05 Međunarodna            30   17   5   8    43   31  +12    56
06 Obalna                 30   15   8   7    50   41   +9    53
07 Meja                   30   14   4  12    47   35  +12    46
08 Malotranska            30   14   4  12    45   36   +9    46
09 Torpedo                30   11   9  10    48   45   +3    42
10 Jedinstvo Zavolja      30   10   7  13    34   44  −10    37
11 Padina                 30   11   3  16    36   44   −8    36
12 FK Sedlovina           30    9   5  16    34   56  −22    32
13 Slovan                 30    9   4  17    40   50  −10    31
14 Hajerek                30    8   6  16    23   47  −24    30
15 NK Bijeljina           30    7   3  20    26   47  −21    24
16 NK Custica             30    1   4  25    25   79  −54     7  R


## Treća Liga South      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Pamuk                  30   21   3   6    66   35  +31    66  C, P
02 Zenit                  30   19   8   3    49   19  +30    65  P-O
03 Rotor                  30   17   9   4    73   38  +35    60
04 CVMZ                   30   16   8   6    57   33  +24    56
05 Lok. Ostrova           30   15   9   6    66   37  +29    54
06 Zabrezje               30   14   7   9    56   36  +20    49
07 FK Istocna Obala       30   13   8   9    46   44   +2    47
08 Ibalia                 30   12  10   8    51   44   +7    46
09 Granica                30   12   9   9    43   38   +5    45
10 Metalac                30   14   3  13    45   52   −7    45
11 Akademija              30   11  11   8    37   28   +9    44
12 Obolon                 30    6   4  20    32   65  −33    22
13 NK Istina              30    4   7  19    25   50  −25    19
14 Djakovo                30    4   7  19    26   65  −39    19
15 KF Shkelzena           30    4   4  22    31   76  −45    16
16 Radnik Surcin          30    3   3  24    25   68  −43    12  R

Treća Liga Promotion Play-off
Turbine 4–1 Zenit
  Zenit 3–1 Turbine

Turbine win 5–4 on aggregate, Turbine promoted

---

SPIRIT OF YOUTH TROPHY FINAL
Venue: Pretia Stadion, Prizren (Attendance: 19,889)
Weather: Sunny (25°C)
Referee: Stepan Yamskikh

1896 Ebor 1–2 Atletik

[Mytanija]

MKA LIGA BASKETBALL 33/34 SEASON REVIEW

MKA Liga Basketball History

Year   Champion               Runner-Up       
00/01  Košarka Esca    75–60  Atletik
01/02  Košarka Esca    79–74  Dinamo
02/03  Dinamo          71–59  BK Magevskaya
03/04  KK Rauchnya     65–63  KK Prizren
04/05  Olympic         71–70  Atletik
05/06  Košarka Esca    77–74  KK Rauchnya
06/07  Dinamo          84–80  Zenit
07/08  Zenit           81–79  Dinamo
08/09  Zenit           78–74  Dinamo
09/10  Zenit           75–70  Košarka Esca
10/11  BK Magevskaya   79–72  KK Rauchnya
11/12  KK Rauchnya     64–62  NK Dyka
12/13  KK Rauchnya     70–69  Olympic
13/14  Košarka Esca    74–65  Dinamo
14/15  Košarka Esca    88–68  Zenit
15/16  Košarka Esca    80–74  BK Magevskaya
16/17  Košarka Esca    74–73  KK Rauchnya
17/18  Padina          60–59  Košarka Esca
18/19  Atletik         75–71  Zeljeznicar
19/20  KK Rauchnya     72–51  KK Avnalia
20/21  Dinamo          71–70  Zenit
21/22  KK Avnalia      88-85  KK Prizren
22/23  Olympic         90–78  Atletik
23/24  Košarka Esca    95–82  KK Rauchnya
24/25  KK Rauchnya     93–92  Košarka Esca
25/26  Zenit           81–58  Košarka Esca
26/27  KK Avnalia     101–60  Zenit
27/28  Košarka Esca    83–75  Zenit
28/29  BK Magevskaya   80–78  KK Avnalia
29/30  Košarka Esca    77–76  BK Magevskaya
30/31  Atletik         91–74  Torpedo
31/32  Košarka Esca    86–82  BK Magevskaya
32/33  BK Magevskaya   75–60  Košarka Esca
33/34

Team           Championships
Košarka Esca   11
KK Rauchnya     5
Zenit           4
Dinamo          3
BK Magevskaya   3
Olympic         2
KK Avnalia      2
Atletik         2
Padina          1

Basketball is a popular sport in Mytanija, in terms of participation it is one of the stronger sports, with plenty of Mytanar kids playing street basketball in the infamous 'cages' found in many deprived areas in Mytanar cities when a football isn't being kicked around. The MKA Liga, Mytanija's top level of competition, lags behind other sports in terms of commercial revenue and television coverage which means it is often considered to be behind football (obviously) and volleyball in terms of popularity. The MKA (the Mytanar Basketball Association), is trying to change that by negotiating better contracts for the TV rights to show MKA Liga games. This could involve streamlining the current format of the league, with some feeling that 28 teams is too many and dilutes the quality of the league that is meant to represent the best basketball in Mytanija has to offer. Any change of format would likely be met with fierce opposition given the structure of many of the teams as part of wider sports clubs that participate in various sports (e.g. Atletik, Crvena Zvezda and Dinamo to name but a few), that are owned and run by their members and usually (except for their football sections), aren't especially profitable. Increased commercialisation would be seen as anathema to the very values of many of these teams that are run for their members and are quite principled regarding community involvement in their clubs and staying in touch with their roots.

Mytanar basketball is characterised by finesse and skilful play, with passing and sharing the ball being crucial to the way teams play. Even bigs will boast the ability to make difficult passes and make solid reads and court intelligence is one of the most important things in the Mytanar game. Generally there are not specific players that dominate the points per game statistic. It is arguably more of a team-oriented style and players will also change position and can be tasked with taking on multiple roles in a game. There's less isolation plays than in a lot of other countries and athleticism isn't as important either, although this is something which is gradually changing as Mytanar basketball enters the international arena. Mytanija's run to the last sixteen of the last International Basketball Championship demonstrated the improvement of the national team over the past few years, with the domestic game providing the entirety of that group of players. Many coaches had been fearful that the Mytanar style of play was moving away from its team-orientated roots, but this made a return in the IBC and was quite fruitful.

We had the same title game for the second year in a row but this time it was Evgeny Fomin and BK Magevskaya who won the championship. Fomin was inspired, putting up 31 points and making 4 blocks - including an outstanding effort to prevent his great rival Zelimir Ateljevic scoring when the game was still close - as the Magev club ended up sauntering off into the distance with a 75-60 victory. Their defensive efforts were so impressive, particularly against a Košarka Esca team which have made scoring in big games their modus operandi in recent years (and especially Ateljevic). Fomin pulls it back in the head-to-head stakes to 1-2 versus Ateljevic and 2-3 on overall titles, the pair will go again this year, trying to outdo the other and make yet more history for their teams. It is a question of when age might catch-up with them, though, Fomin will be 35 at the end of this season and Ateljevic 33. The pair show no signs of slowing, but father time comes for every sportsperson and we cannot expect these two to be the first to defy that fact. There are a lot of teams who would like to upset the apple cart, too, so let's see what happened:

## MKA Liga              Pld    W   L
01 BK Magevskaya          54   48   6  Q2R
02 Košarka Esca           54   48   6  Q2R
03 Atletik                54   44  10  Q2R
04 KK Rauchnya            54   43  11  Q2R
05 NK Thessia             54   42  12  Q1R
06 KK Miago               54   41  13  Q1R
07 Padina                 54   38  16  Q1R
08 Dinamo                 54   36  18  Q1R
09 Zenit                  54   35  19  Q1R
10 Torpedo                54   33  21  Q1R
11 Ribari                 54   30  24  Q1R
12 Litala ’93             54   30  24  Q1R
13 KK Avnalia             54   29  25
14 CDSA                   54   26  28
15 KK Prizren             54   24  30
16 Rotor                  54   21  33
17 Akademija              54   20  34
18 Slovan                 54   17  37
19 Partizan               54   17  37
20 Crvena Zvezda          54   17  37
21 NK Istina              54   16  38
22 Granica                54   15  39
23 Meja                   54   15  39
24 Turbine                54   15  39
   Zeljeznicar            54   15  39
26 NK Dyka                54   15  39
27 Tekstil                54   13  41
28 Olympic                54   13  41

We have the same top four as last season, albeit in a different order due to the sheer brilliance of messrs Fomin and Ateljevic. The rest of the league will be glad to see the back of them whenever they do decide to retire, but that isn’t going to be anytime soon by the looks of things. The pair appear to be pushing one another to ever-higher highs, both of them driving their teams to astounding 48-6 regular season records and the teams only being separated by head-to-head results after 54 games (BK Magevskaya getting the better of their rivals once again). Atletik and KK Rauchnya both had good campaigns once again, Atletik matching their efforts of last season but simply seeing two absolutely exceptional teams come past them.

NK Thessia and KK Miago in 5th and 6th will be forgiven for wondering what they have to do to break into the top four spots. They both have good rosters, both chose to stick with their coaches after slightly disappointing seasons last time out, but they just can’t seem to dislodge any of those top four at the moment. They might have seen KK Rauchnya as a bit of a wounded animal before last season, a team which could be taken out, but they just haven’t managed it despite how close their regular season records have been. Padina grab #7, going from strength to strength under Sergej Mitrovic and fuelled by the emergence of 18 year old point guard Srdan Dedic. They will hope for another Second Round berth at the very least this season.

Dinamo and Zenit, old Votavova rivals, come next and they will both be buoyed by their consistency in recent years, even if both feel that they should be fighting a little bit higher up the standings. Zenit in particular have really responded well to Mirko Lazetic leaving to coach the Quebec and Shingoryeo men’s team. Torpedo Vershina fought their way back into the play-offs under new coach Rasko Darkovic, an impressive impact in his debut season. Ribari and Litala ’93 bring up the rear in the #11 and #12 spots and it is KK Avnalia who miss out by a single win this year, disappointing for them, but the Lekov departure seemed to catch up with them this season. CDSA and KK Prizren are also left on the outside looking in once again.

First Round
#5 NK Thessia 82–77 #12 Litala ’93
#6 KK Miago 90–82 #11 Ribari
#7 Padina 87–79 #10 Torpedo
#8 Dinamo 61–81 #9 Zenit

NK Thessia put the disappointment of their First Round exit from last season to bed for once and for all with an 82-77 win over Litala ’93. The underdogs made a real game of it but NK Thessia’s quality shone through towards the end of the game and allowed them to win by five. Zahir Dedic impressed and showed his detractors that he truly can do it come play-off time. KK Miago and Ribari met at the same stage last season and we saw the same result, albeit by a smaller margin. KK Miago didn’t dominate in the same manner they did last year, but they did manage to keep the lower seed in their place and won 90-82 on the back of a truly exceptional scoring performance from Mislav Komusar. The Mytanar-Ketioulais centre is stepping into the limelight this season and showing everybody what he can do, a play-off run will only serve to enhance his reputation further and could put him in the running for a national team spot ahead of the IBC.

Padina Zolota made light work of a Torpedo team that just seemed happy to be back in the play-offs following the devastating experience of missing out last year. Sergej Mitrovic’s back court pairing of Dedic and Simic tore Torpedo’s defensive unit to ribbons and Nebojsa Mijatovic was only too happy to slash them further from the wing. If Mitrovic can either bring through a talented big or sign one for Padina then they could truly be onto something in Zolota, although attracting championship calibre players to the town is near impossible. Mitrovic likes to make impossible tasks seem possible though and is continuing to impress with Padina, another trip to the Second Round and his team and their support will believe they can go even further whilst that man is in charge.

Finally we had a Votavova derby in the First Round. Dinamo versus Zenit, one of Mytanar basketball’s headline fixtures. Zenit destroyed Dinamo and it led to Dinamo fans rioting inside the arena and the Zenit team and fans having to beat a hasty retreat. The Policija were called upon to prevent the Zenit ultras from trying to remain in the stadium to fight with Dinamo’s following the win, something which seemed rather stupidly brave given the serious numerical advantage Dinamo enjoyed given that they were on home turf. Unsavoury scenes which the MKA condemned in the strongest possible manner.

Second Round
#1 BK Magevskaya 75–53 #9 Zenit
#2 Košarka Esca 96–82 #7 Padina
#3 Atletik 103–67 #6 KK Miago
#4 KK Rauchnya 73–67 #5 NK Thessia

It could be possible that we have something of a ‘big four’ forming in Mytanar basketball. All four of the teams that finished in the top four in the regular season won their Second Round match-ups, something which happened last season too – with the same four teams! The manner of the wins showed that even more, BK Magevskaya blew past Zenit as if they weren’t even there, beating them by 22 points and limiting Zenit to a mere 53. Fomin didn’t even need to be at his scintillating best on offense given just how poor BK Magevskaya were able to make Zenit look when the visitors actually had possession.

It was a similar story for Košarka Esca, although they didn’t manage to keep Padina quiet (but then who has managed to keep a Sergej Mitrovic team quiet domestically?), but they did still win by 14 points. They outlasted a thinner Padina squad with their depth and that shows the difficulty that small market teams like Padina have. They might be able to build a decent line-up, but it’s hard to match the depth that the true blueblood teams can put together.

KK Miago have been tipped as one of the teams which might be able to break into the top four fairly regularly in recent years but Atletik absolutely demolished them all across the court. Ahmed Nuhanovic scored 34 in his team’s 103-67 blowout and that is a rather ominous sign for the rest of the MKA Liga. You do have to wonder if the governing body might be considering what they can do to help lift the other teams up to match the quality that these four teams currently have without actually penalising the quality of those four. Nobody wants the league to lose money by curbing its best teams, after all.

KK Rauchnya and NK Thessia were involved in the closest game of the second round and that makes sense as KK Rauchnya are probably the least complete team of the nascent ‘big four’, still developing under Albin Jausovec, but even they managed to see off their challengers with grit and determination forming a potent mixture with their copious amounts of skill. The television companies will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of the four teams with the biggest stars meeting in the Semi Finals, but some commentators have been wondering if we’re losing something in Mytanar basketball, the sports league which has arguably been Mytanija’s most competitive over the years. Football would question that, but Atletik have dominated titles on the football pitch even more than Košarka Esca have on the basketball court.

Semi Finals
#1 BK Magevskaya 70–63 #4 KK Rauchnya
#2 Košarka Esca 78–71 #3 Atletik

Somebody needs to check if BK Magevskaya and Košarka Esca are deliberately copying one another, their pair of 7 points wins sending them to the MKA Liga Championship game for the third time in three straight seasons. Whilst some wonder if Mytanar basketball has to worry about the dominance of a ‘big four’ you have to wonder if they might be better off focussing on what has become the dominance of this ‘big two’. Fomin and Ateljevic are a big part of this titanic rivalry, but you also have to look at the teams around them and the superb coaching that both teams receive. There are reasons for their success and in basketball that generally amounts to many things other than money (unless you’re from a small town), due to the relative lack of money in the sport in Mytanija.

BK Magevskaya kept KK Rauchnya at arm’s length. Albin Jausovec has developed his team well over the past few years but he seems to have hit a ceiling which he cannot yet break through. He experienced that as a player, too, but whether he will have to wait until Fomin and Ateljevic to retire to do so remains to be seen. Their respective teams seem to be the biggest blockage for KK Rauchnya at the moment.

Košarka Esca had a tougher battle against Atletik, the lead changed several times but then Zelimir Ateljevic took control of the game, as is his wont. He scored Košarka Esca’s last ten points, leading them to their 7 point victory margin and sending Atletik home, though they do at least have the small consolation of an IUBC berth to make themselves feel better. He’ll square off against Ateljevic for the title for the third year running and for the fourth time overall. It’s an opportunity for him to re-extend his lead against his great rival, though Fomin will see it as an opportunity to level the record at 2-2 head-to-head and 3-3 on titles overall. It has been one of the great rivalries in Mytanar sport and this is just the latest chapter.

MKA Liga Championship
#1 BK Magevskaya 72–71 #2 Košarka Esca

Fomin versus Ateljevic, #1 versus #2, BK Magevskaya versus Košarka Esca. It is one of the greatest rivalries in Mytanar sport and the two continue to strike blows against the other. Ateljevic seemed to gain the upper hand in the early days of the head-to-head rivalry against Fomin and of course Košarka Esca’s history is incomparable compared to BK Magevskaya’s, the Esca club have the most MKA Liga titles of any basketball team, even if BK Magevskaya’s trio of championships is impressive for a team which – whilst not from a small market – is generally regarded as being on Mytanija’s periphery, due to their geographic dislocation from the mainland. Last season Fomin and his team seemed to put that all behind them, defeating Košarka Esca and Ateljevic in a dominant showing, it bloodied the nose of Mytanija’s most successful team and some were wondering if it might have knocked the stuffing out of them – BK Magevskaya enjoyed the upper hand in the regular season this year too.

Not so, Ateljevic roared out of the starting blocks and put up 26 points in total, Košarka Esca were well in the fight throughout the game and looked like they might win it right up until there was only 0.7 of a second left on the clock. Evgeny Fomin – the man who had been maligned by so many for so long for not having the same ‘clutch mentality’ as Ateljevic – came up big when his team needed him most. Down 71-69 and looking out of ideas as Košarka Esca found a way to slow them down in the closing stages it was Fomin who took responsibility, all 213 centimetres of him. He managed to make Ljes Borisavljevic bite on a feint, creating space for himself to hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc. Why Košarka Esca had Borisavljevic – a good centre, but one who doesn’t have the speed of foot or thought to deal with Fomin anywhere other than in the paint – on Fomin is anybody’s guess, but the big man capitalised on their error to lift BK Magevskaya to a second straight MKA Liga championship.

Zelimir Ateljevic looked devastated, it’s a result which equals the record between him and Fomin at 2-2 in head-to-head championships and 3-3 overall and perhaps silences the doubters who questioned whether Fomin had the heart which they believe Ateljevic has. Two superstars who have fought it out against one another at an outstanding level, we might never be treated to this same level of quality again and one can only hope that they can reproduce it under Sergej Mitrovic’s tutelage at the upcoming IBC. They’re both brilliant, but can make an even more potent combination when playing together.

[Mytanija]

RSM TOP LEAGUE HANDBALL 33/34 SEASON REVIEW

RSM Top League Handball History

Year   Champion        
00/01  Litala ’93
01/02  Litala ’93
02/03  Litala ’93
03/04  Litala ’93
04/05  Litala ’93
05/06  Litala ’93
06/07  Litala ’93
07/08  Litala ’93
08/09  Litala ’93
09/10  Litala ’93
10/11  Atletik
11/12  GK Magevskaya
12/13  Litala ’93
13/14  GK Magevskaya
14/15  Litala ’93
15/16  Litala ’93
16/17  Dinamo
17/18  GK Magevskaya
18/19  Dinamo
19/20  Litala ’93
20/21  Litala ’93
21/22  Litala ’93
22/23  GK Magevskaya
23/24  Litala ’93
24/25  Litala ’93
25/26  Litala ’93
26/27  Litala ’93
27/28  Litala ’93
28/29  Litala ’93
29/30  GK Magevskaya
30/31  GK Magevskaya
31/32  Atletik
32/33  Atletik
33/34

Team           Championships
Litala ’93     22
GK Magevskaya   6
Atletik         3
Dinamo          2

Handball is a popular sport in Mytanija, with great participation among both men and women. The national side is one of the few that includes both men and women, too, with no split based on sex. Domestically handball is organised by the national governing body the RSM who run the Top League and Druga Liga. They have a similar set-up to their footballing equivalents, with promotion and relegation between the two leagues, with two going up and two going down. They both have 12 teams and it is run under a quadruple round-robin format, so each team plays every other team twice at home and twice on the road. The Top League has been dominated by Litala ’93 over the years, with the Esca-based club monopolising the title over the first decade, since then GK Magevskaya, Dinamo and Atletik have all won at least titles. None have come anywhere near breaking Litala's dominance though, with the club having an incredible 22 titles over the years (although none of the last four!). They have such history in the sport (and in volleyball, too), that they attract all the best players and build strong teams. It is very difficult for the others to come close. The likes of GK Magevskaya, Atletik and Dinamo all run productive youth systems which allow them to occasionally compete, but they're often fighting a losing battle against the all-conquering behemoth that is Litala ’93, although in recent years it has become more open and Atletik in particular have managed to succeed - throwing open the possibilities of a more competitive title race season upon season. Let's see what happened this year:

## Top League            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Atletik                44   35   1   8  1278 1057 +221   106  C
02 GK Magevskaya          44   35   0   9  1256 1062 +194   105
03 RK Prizren             44   31   2  11  1244 1082 +162    95
04 Litala ’93             44   29   1  14  1219 1102 +117    88
05 Dinamo                 44   28   1  15  1219 1148  +71    85
06 RK Avnalia             44   21   2  21  1155 1183  −28    65
07 RK Miago               44   15   1  28  1121 1219  −98    46
08 RK Rauchnya            44   15   0  29  1115 1194  −79    45
09 Arka                   44   14   3  27  1113 1264 −151    45
10 Centralni              44   13   3  28  1109 1223 −114    42
11 Olympic                44   11   1  32  1108 1238 −130    34  R
12 Crvena Zvezda          44    8   3  33  1096 1261 −165    27  R

## Druga Liga            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 NK Thessia             44   31   4   9  1217 1101 +116    97  C, P
02 NK Dyka                44   27   8   9  1235 1150  +85    89  P
03 CDSA                   44   27   4  13  1190 1111  +79    85
04 RK Vershina            44   21   5  18  1179 1165  +14    68
05 NK Istina              44   21   4  19  1171 1155  +16    67
06 Obolon                 44   21   4  19  1159 1155   +4    67
07 Tekstil                44   19   4  21  1163 1160   +3    61
08 Partizan               44   17   4  23  1176 1188  −12    55
09 Slovan                 44   15   5  24  1130 1191  −61    50
10 Akademija              44   16   2  26  1122 1186  −64    50
11 Rotor                  44   12   6  26  1129 1185  −56    42
12 Zenit                  44   10   4  30  1094 1218 −124    34

[Mytanija]

SHLM LIGA ICE HOCKEY 33/34 SEASON REVIEW

SHLM Liga Ice Hockey History

Year   Champion      
00/01  Tekstil
01/02  KK Magevskaya
02/03  Tekstil
03/04  HK Prizren
04/05  HK Prizren
05/06  HK Prizren
06/07  Hajerek
07/08  Tekstil
08/09  HK Prizren
09/10  NK Thessia
10/11  HK Prizren
11/12  HK Prizren
12/13  Zavolja
13/14  Zeljeznicar
14/15  Tekstil
15/16  HK Prizren
16/17  Zavolja
17/18  Zavolja
18/19  KK Magevskaya
19/20  Zeljeznicar
20/21  NK Thessia
21/22  Hajerek
22/23  NK Thessia
23/24  Torpedo
24/25  NK Thessia
25/26  Hajerek
26/27  NK Thessia
27/28  Tekstil
28/29  Zavolja
29/30  Zavolja
30/31  HK Prizren
31/32  NK Thessia
32/33  HK Prizren
33/34

Team           Championships
HK Prizren     9
NK Thessia     6
Tekstil        5
Zavolja        5
Hajerek        3
KK Magevskaya  2
Zeljeznicar    2
Torpedo        1

Ice hockey is probably the least popular of the so-called 'major' team sports in Mytanija (i.e. football, basketball, handball, ice hockey and volleyball), with this mostly being due to its significantly restricted geographical range when compared to the others. This is mainly down to one of the key components of the sport - ice - not being in high supply in certain regions. Historically ice hockey teams were founded in cities that experience wintry conditions for longer periods of the year and often played on outdoor rinks, this ruled out lots of major cities from hosting teams in the SHLM Liga. Of course in the modern day this isn't as big an issue due to indoor ice rinks and the like, but the governing body are notoriously conservative and refuse to expand the league to feature teams from potentially lucrative markets such as Ebor, Tsrvena, Arsika or Severyan (indeed there are no teams in the league from Visoravna, Rauchnya or Nasto and Avnalia).

The sport's heartland within Mytanija is undoubtedly within the region of Thessia with teams from there having won the championship in over half (18 out of 33) of SHLM Liga seasons. NK Thessia, Tekstil, Zavolja and Zeljeznicar are all strong outfits from the region and will usually be in the upper echelons of the league table come the end of the season. With this being said, the single strongest team in SHLM Liga history is HK Prizren who have won 8 championships down the years - they hadn't won one since 15/16 but ended the fifteen year drought with glory in 30/31, extending their lead over the rest to three titles more. They're always a strong team due to the size of Prizren's population and they also draw players from throughout Vojovitica such is their reputation in ice hockey. The other Vojovitican teams (CDSA and HK Miago) cannot hold a candle to HK Prizren.

Outside of this Esca has a few teams (Akademija, BVK Dinamo, Dinamo and Zenit), but none of them have ever succeeded in winning the league title, perhaps accurately demonstrating the capital's preference for other sports. More widely in Zentria there is Hajerek and Torpedo who have both won the league title at one point or another, Obolon have surprised people a few times in recent seasons by finishing near the top of the table but they haven't managed to turn their good performances into a championship. KK Magevskaya are Magevskaya's sole representatives (perhaps unsurprisingly), and have a couple of championships which were won a long time apart. They often flatter to deceive, having good line-ups but also a tendency to self-destruct when it looks like they may be on their way to a title.

Let's see what happened this season:

## SHLM Liga             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 NK Thessia             34   24   3   7    78   32  +46    75  C
02 HK Prizren             34   22   8   4    91   36  +55    74
03 Zavolja                34   20   9   5    61   25  +36    69
04 Tekstil                34   20   8   6    71   40  +31    68
05 CDSA                   34   20   6   8    64   38  +26    66
06 KK Magevskaya          34   17   7  10    61   44  +17    58
07 HK Miago               34   15   6  13    61   50  +11    51
08 Torpedo                34   14   8  12    54   48   +6    50
09 Obolon                 34   13  10  11    57   58   −1    49
10 Slovan                 34   12  11  11    59   53   +6    47
11 Hajerek                34   13   6  15    44   46   −2    45
12 Zeljeznicar            34   13   5  16    49   52   −3    44
13 Atletik                34   11   4  19    55   60   −5    37
14 Dinamo                 34    6  15  13    40   54  −14    33
15 Akademija              34   10   2  22    34   78  −44    32
16 Zenit                  34    5   8  21    39   81  −42    23
17 BVK Dinamo             34    6   3  25    27   80  −53    21
18 Olympic                34    3   5  26    25   95  −70    14

[Mytanija]

MOF TOP LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL 33/34 SEASON REVIEW

MOF Top League Volleyball History

Year   Champion      
00/01  Olympic
01/02  Litala ’93
02/03  Litala ’93
03/04  Olympic
04/05  Litala ’93
05/06  Litala ’93
06/07  Litala ’93
07/08  Olympic
08/09  Olympic
09/10  Litala ’93
10/11  Olympic
11/12  Olympic
12/13  OK Rauchnya
13/14  Olympic
14/15  Olympic
15/16  Olympic
16/17  OK Rauchnya
17/18  Olympic
18/19  OK Rauchnya
19/20  Olympic
20/21  Olympic
21/22  Litala ’93
22/23  OK Rauchnya
23/24  OK Rauchnya
24/25  Litala ’93
25/26  OK Rauchnya
26/27  Olympic
27/28  Olympic
28/29  Litala ’93
29/30  Litala ’93
30/31  Dinamo
31/32  Litala ’93
32/33  Atletik
33/34

Team         Championships
Olympic      14
Litala ’93   11
OK Rauchnya  6
Atletik      1
Dinamo       1

International honours
Litala ’93 - Volleyball Champions League 4
Litala ’93 - Volleyball Champions League 5

Volleyball is an extremely popular sport within Mytanija, particularly among women, with it enjoying the largest participation numbers for women out of any team sports. The MOF Top League is seen as the equivalent of football's Top League for Mytanar women, with wages not being significantly below those that footballers take home. The MOF Top League has been traditionally dominated by the sports' so-called 'big three': Olympic, Litala ’93 and OK Rauchnya. This represents quite a dramatic geographic spread of teams, with Olympic being based in Thessia, Litala ’93 in the capital Esca and OK Rauchnya in the region's second city Severyan. Due to the popularity of the sport there are teams throughout Mytanija, but only those three have ever managed to win a championship. Olympic and Litala ’93 split the first twelve seasons with 6 title apiece before OK Rauchnya burst onto the scene and since then it has pretty much always been a three-horse race for the Top League title. The three have fostered excellent youth systems for the sport, drawing the best talent from their local area and this means they consistently produce some of the nation's top volleyball stars. They often produce so many good players that some cannot actually get a game with the club's first team and therefore some women have had to leave the 'big three' clubs to leave to smaller teams in order to compete in the Top League. A team from outside the 'big three' finally won the national title in the 30/31 season with Peruna Zivic's Dinamo taking the championship with a team devoid of real stars. Radina Ristic's Litala ’93 continued their dominance of the sport with a second IVF Champions League, going back-to-back in historic fashion, demonstrating that Mytanar teams still dominate the sport internationally.

In the past national team players have almost exclusively come from the 'big three' clubs, but in recent years that has changed and more teams now have a realistic chance at a league title. Atletik have developed a young team which has plenty of talent, whilst Avnalia Odbojka, Dinamo Esca and VK Magevskaya are following a similar trajectory. Akademija, the national academy team, is constantly producing new talent too and it means that they can be very competitive. Those players then move on to other teams once they reach the age of 22 at Akademija. It has made a for a more competitive league and that has led to greater investment, with television companies eager to pay for exclusive rights to show one of the strongest volleyball leagues. Greater foreign investment has only furthered this and it means that international stars are increasingly choosing to play volleyball in Mytanija due to the better wages on offer. The MOF are optimistic that a strong domestic game will only help the quality of the national team, something everybody can get behind as Mytanija look to build on the VWE 11 victory and Olympic gold with more success. Let's see what happened this season:

## Top League            Pld    W   L    SF   SA     Avg
01 Atletik                60   48  12   163   67   2.433  C
02 Olympic                60   45  15   152  100   1.520
03 Dinamo                 60   44  16   152   83   1.831
04 Avnalia Odbojka        60   43  17   151   88   1.716
05 Litala ’93             60   41  19   145  110   1.318
06 VK Magevskaya          60   35  25   135  105   1.286
07 Arka                   60   27  33   118  125   0.944
08 Akademija              60   27  33   117  129   0.907
09 OK Rauchnya            60   26  34   118  128   0.922
10 Meja                   60   26  34   110  128   0.859
11 CDSA                   60   25  35   109  137   0.796
12 JK Ebor                60   24  36   103  140   0.736
13 Crvena Zvezda          60   20  40   108  143   0.755
14 NK Dyka                60   20  40   100  146   0.685  R
15 Padina                 60   17  43    84  149   0.564  R
16 NK Istina              60   12  48    77  164   0.470  R

## Druga Liga            Pld    W   L    PF   PA     Avg
01 Eskobirsk              60   47  13   155   79   1.962  C, P
02 Ribari                 60   43  17   147   97   1.515  P
03 NK Thessia             60   41  19   147   90   1.633  P
04 Centralni              60   40  20   144  100   1.440
05 OK Miago               60   35  25   127  118   1.076
06 Zenit                  60   33  27   126  122   1.033
07 Ostrova Odbojka        60   30  30   121  119   1.017
08 Rudar                  60   30  30   118  120   0.983
09 Slavia                 60   29  31   126  125   1.008
10 OK Visoravna           60   28  32   119  128   0.930
11 OK Prizren             60   25  35   110  128   0.859
12 Vitalia                60   24  36   111  132   0.841
13 Obalna                 60   23  37   111  135   0.822
14 Sigurno Odbojka        60   19  41   100  147   0.680
15 Partizan               60   19  41    98  147   0.667
16 Rotor                  60   14  46    80  153   0.523

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 34/35 SEASON PREVIEW PART ONE.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

ATLETIK

Location: Zenit Toranj, Thessia, Thessia
Stadium: Novi Atletskistadion (Capacity: 67,000)
Manager: Edis Znidarsic, 46, 4th season in charge; T: philosopher, R: resourceful, P: ambitious

Club synopsis: Mytanija's biggest club and boy do they let everybody know about it. They have an unparalleled level of success domestically although they are a bit sore about the fact they haven't won any international competitions outside of Rushmore (unlike Liria and 1896 Ebor). In the past they have largely tried to combine the best foreign talent with bright young stars coming through the club's youth system, but in recent years have turned to domestic talent more and more often. That has meant them buying up the best domestic talent and weakening their rivals even more often though, something they are resented for across the country. Atletik are generally expected to play attractive forward-thinking, attacking football given their history. Fans of other clubs often bemoan 'Atletik luck' whereby they seem to get big decisions at key moments or excessive amounts of added time, but they are treated with a grudging sense of respect by many.
Fanbase: The biggest club in the country and with a fanbase to match as they draw fans from all over Mytanija as well as in Mytanar immigrant communities all over the multiverse. Their traditional local supporters are fiercely working-class and left-wing and given Thessia's history of being repressed the club is a point of pride for many citizens as the club regularly get one over Zentrians, Vojoviticans and Magevs for the city and region. Despite being such a huge club Atletik do a lot of good work in Thessia and maintain their links with the local community. Their fanbase is extremely loyal but given the club's history there is an expectation of success that other clubs just don't experience and this can mean a lot of pressure on the manager. Atletik's ultras are known as the Kippax Ofras and are notable for their size and their left-wing political principles which mean they can often be found skirmishing with right-wing groups.
Rivals: Olympic Thessia (Eternal Derby); Liria Prizren (Klasicni); Tekstil Ibon (Rijeka Derby); 1896 Ebor (competitive); Energija-Nuklearna (political); SK Port Jarko (historic)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★★
Sponsors: Guinec (brewery)

Major honours: 14 x Mytanar Top Leagues (01/02, 02/03, 03/04, 04/05, 05/06, 10/11, 11/12, 21/22, 23/24, 26/27, 28/29, 29/30, 32/33, 33/34); 8 x National Cups (00/01, 02/03, 03/04, 07/08, 13/14, 21/22, 23/24, 29/30); 2 x Rushmore Copa de Campeones (7, 11)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Atletik stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
A 14th Top League title for Atletik and a second back-to-back for Edis Znidarsic as manager. The club continued their domestic dominance and Znidarsic put himself alongside the likes of Marius Sadowsky and Robin Hjik as a coach who can lead them to repeat championships, he took a season to get going but it appears as if he now has everybody at the Novi Atletskistadion singing from the same piece of music. They did it by having the best defence in the league, conceding only 28 goals all season, with Evelyn Cassidy being the pick of their young defenders and finishing 2nd in the Under-23 Player of the Season award. The Licentian has grown into a fantastic talent for the Thessian side. Deliang Zhao won the Golden Glove, keeping 13 clean sheets over the course of the campaign and he has proven to be a real shrewd investment. They were still one of the best teams going forward as you would expect, scoring the 2nd most and 2nd is also the position Nahia Legarra finished in the race for the Golden Boot. His record of 56 goals in 92 Top League games for Atletik is a truly sensational return. Omer Kuhar-Arh’s creativity was rewarded with the Player of the Season award and Jasno Skenderovic stepped up to replace Gavril Atsev’s influence in the middle of the pitch, Atletik were the real deal last term. A Quarter Final exit from the National Cup on penalties at the hands of pals CDSA is a blot on their record, but progression from the group stage of the IFCF Champions League and a run to the quarters of the Copa de Campeones suggest they could be ready to make a splash on the international scene once again.

The difficulty that a large amount of personnel changes could present them may potentially slow that ambition. Atletik brought in five new players to their squad with six leaving and one retiring (and that’s not to mention Milica Prokopljevic signing and then immediately being loaned back to Dinamo Esca for two years!), a pretty seismic shift to their squad but it’s something the club are used to and is part of their operating model. They sell players to invest in young Mytanar talent and try to stay at the top of the domestic game by doing this. The headline departures are those of Omer Kuhar-Arh (NSD 8 million to Brinemouth); Adnan Sulejmanovic (NSD 6 million to Sabrefell Moths); and Denis Klasic (NSD 6 million to Quebec’s Swanguard Athletic). A lot of creativity and defensive solidity leaving there and Atletik appear to be promoting from within to replace all three in the starting line-up, with Foma Koshkin and Elmedin Suljic going into the defence and Badara Thiam Ngagne into the number ten position.

Signings have been made for both the present and the future though, with Rasid Zuzek – a player Znidarsic is familiar with from Lok. Cassia – and Martin Deliivanov joining for NSD 500,000 apiece, they’ll provide cover in central defence. The big name signings come higher up the pitch with Gabriel Sayritupac being the pick of the bunch, arriving from Tikariotian side Bul Khungur Miners for NSD 3 million. The Huayramarcan attacker will partner Nahia Legarra in attack and is known for drifting into wide areas to disrupt the opposition’s defensive shape. Græntfjaller starlet Amandara Navinsdóttir Thakur is regarded as one for the future, though already 22 she may well expect to be rotated in and out of the starting eleven, a dangerous false nine who arrives from Þingsnitz for NSD 1.25 million. Finally there’s Denis Ovsyannikov, signed for NSD 1 million from Vitalia, he’s likely to replace Jasno Odonelec in the starting eleven next season, using this year to become familiar with Znidarsic’s system from the bench. Milica Prokopljevic, a powerful striker from Druga Liga side Dinamo Esca, impressed so much last season in the second tier that Atletik agreed a deal to sign him for NSD 1 million and loan him back to the sleeping giant for a couple of years to help his development.

Outside of those deals Znidarsic appeared to agree with those that felt that Galib Terzic is too similar a striker to Nahia Legarra, accepting NSD 1 million from CDSA as they looked to replace the outgoing Tasos Svarnas. Miralem Malobabic was sold to second tier Pamuk Trunca for a minor fee and youngster Ilija Patrnogic was loaned out to Vitalia for a couple of years as part of the deal which brought Denis Ovsyannikov to Thessia. There was also the small matter of Astograthian club icon Chiki Larrimbe retiring, he joins the coaching staff at the club and should remain an important influence.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 1ST - Other teams are catching up to Atletik in terms of ability, but the Thessian side just seem to have that extra bit of ability and knowhow that is needed to get over the line and despite the sales of key players like Player of the Season Kuhar-Arh; and Mytanar internationals Sulejmanovic and Klasic we cannot see that changing this season. The addition of Huayramarcan attacker Gabriel Sayritupac could prove to be a stroke of genius, he’s much more mobile than Nahia Legarra (and the outgoing Galib Terzic), and he should be able to work off the goal poacher and create plenty of chances for the team. Badara Thiam Ngagne has big shoes to fill in the number ten position but he has experience after being out on loan at Ararat previously and is well regarded in Zenit Toranj. Evelyn Cassidy will be key in organising Atletik’s new-look back-line, Foma Koshkin is one of the most highly-rated young defenders in the country whilst Elmedin Suljic has impressed even whilst at a poor Zeljeznicar side. The two Jasnos continue in the centre of the park, Skenderovic stepped up massively to replace Gavril Atsev last season and he’ll want to push on and seal a national team spot with his performances this year. Jasno Odonelec is still captain but at 35 we might begin to see his influence wane, the signing of Denis Ovsyannikov is somewhat pre-emptive and the 18 year old more than has the quality needed to come in if Odonelec does start to decline more quickly than expected. Atletik are favourites once again and they’ll want to push on in IFCF competitions too!

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Deliang Zhao          22   YZH      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Zahir Ivankovic       25   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Evelyn Cassidy        22   TLI      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Foma Koshkin          20   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Elmedin Suljic        21   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR/DMC  Julij Svensek         29   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Jasno Skenderovic     22   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC/AMC  Jasno Odonelec (c)    35   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
AMC     Badara Thiam Ngagne   22   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Nahia Legarra         25   ASG      ✪✪✪✪✪
ST      Gabriel Sayritupac    26   HUA      ✪✪✪✪✪

GK      Nurija Jasarevic      31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Luka Karadordic       24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Demir Bruncevic       24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Martin Deliivanov     21   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Rasid Zuzek           23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Safet Osojnic         24   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Denis Ovsyannikov     18   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Elías Pozo            19   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪
AMC/ST  Alija Kulenovic       18   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Amandara N'dóttir T.  22   GRF      ✪✪✪
ST      Gustavo Alcocer       19   SRG      ✪✪✪

IN
Martin Deliivanov [MYT] from NK Dyka to Atletik, NSD 500,000
Amandara Navinsdóttir Thakur [GRF] from Þingsnitz [GRF] to Atletik, NSD 1.25 million
Denis Ovsyannikov [MYT] from Vitalia to Atletik, NSD 1 million
Milica Prokopljevic [MYT] from Dinamo to Atletik, NSD 1 million
Gabriel Sayritupac [HUA] from Bul Khungur Miners FC [TKT] to Atletik, NSD 3 million
Rasid Zuzek [MYT] from Lok. Cassia to Atletik, NSD 500,000

OUT
Denis Klasic [MYT] from Atletik to Swangard Athletic [QUE], NSD 6 million
Omer Kuhar-Arh [MYT] from Atletik to Brinemouth [NPH], NSD 8 million
Miralem Malobabic [MYT] from Atletik to Pamuk, NSD 100,000
Ilija Patrnogic [MYT] from Atletik to Vitalia, 2 year loan
Milica Prokopljevic [MYT] from Atletik to Dinamo, 2 year loan
Adnan Sulejmanovic [MYT] from Atletik to Sabrefell Moths [NPH], NSD 6 million
Galib Terzic [MYT] from Atletik to CDSA, NSD 1 million

RETIRED
Chiki Larrimbe [ASG], ST, 36

Legends: Marius Sadowsky (manager); Robin Hjik (player/manager); Dobroslav Stojanovic (player); Laze v Tuhinju (player); Ismet van Huijgevoort (player); Alex Gannot [SIC] (player/coach); Snerik Oiskha (player); Josip Radonic (player/coach); Jasno Odonelec (player)
Icons: Rob Fridrich (player); Lijenost Klinicki (player); Ibai Kiriano [ASG] (player); Ildar Patreljak (player); Eligiusz Gorski (player); Kjartan Dagfinnursson [BLK] (player); Thorvar Prijholm (player); Jezdimir Ocokoljic (player); Chiki Larrimbe [ASG] (player); Bigger Mbala-Ekakia (player); Gavril Atsev (player); Omer Kuhar-Arh (player)

1896 EBOR

Location: Luka Ebora, Ebor, Visoravna
Stadium: Olujastadion (Capacity: 42,500)
Manager: Tana Colbright [NPH], 61, 2nd season in charge; T: regimented, R: resourceful, P: intense

Club synopsis: Once internationally renowned club which is now perhaps a bit of a sleeping giant, far removed from their all-conquering heyday. Still one of the traditional 'big three' of Mytanar football, 1896 Ebor as a club insist upon free-flowing, pacy attacking football that is attractive on the eye. They generally buy promising young Mytanar talent to develop which they then sell-on for a profit after having got a few years of quality from them. Well-respected across Mytanija for their style of play and being the only Mytanar club to have won the UICA Champions' Cup. Often considered to be the neutral's favourite, although a spell of mid-table obscurity has slightly dulled their past lustre.
Fanbase: Large fanbase from all over Mytanija, their local supporters generally skew middle-class due to Ebor's relative prosperity because of its booming tourism industry. Their main ultras group The Northmen (which is also the club's nickname) are officially apolitical and renowned for their impressive choreographies in the Olujastadion. As a fanbase they are not the most demanding in terms of immediate success as long as they can see progression and the club's traditional style of play being implemented.
Rivals: Arka Snezhnaya (Northern Derby); Atletik Thessia (competitive); Energija-Nuklearna (historic); Litala ’93 (historic)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: Astek (Astograthian technology)

Major honours: 3 x Mytanar Top Leagues (09/10, 19/20, 20/21); 4 x National Cups (08/09, 09/10, 20/21, 26/27); 2 x UICA Champions' Cups (52, 53); 2 x UICA Super Cups (49, 50)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do 1896 Ebor stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
A very good debut season for 1896 Ebor manager Tana Colbright. The Nephar coach pushed Atletik to the last day of the season and in doing so she gained the board’s trust and a veritable war chest to splash over the summer (which she has done, read on!). Her management was also crucial in getting the Licentian fulcrum of 1896’s attack Anne-Linde van Oers back firing on all cylinders. Winning the Golden Boot and finishing 2nd in the Player of the Season award suggest that van Oers is back to her very best, both in her clinical shooting and her ability to drop deep to start attacks for her team. Improvements will be required across the pitch and Colbright was ruthless in her assessment of the Northmen’s depth, believing they need to get to a level – like Atletik – where most of their bench start for 75% of the teams in the Top League. A tough task but Colbright appears to have players, board and supporters all moving in the same direction – invaluable at a club like 1896 Ebor where the nebulous concept of ‘momentum’ seems to drive absolutely everything. Elimination from the National Cup at the hands of second tier Energija-Nuklearna was less impressive and something which is perhaps better left unmentioned and the same could be said for their IFCF Challengers’ Cup exit, a 3-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Occidental Olympic in the 3rd qualifying round.

A grand total of NSD 9.5 million has been spent by 1896 Ebor this summer, a huge total for a Mytanar club, especially when you consider that they only brought in NSD 500,000 in terms of sales. A very different approach to that of Atletik who made a profit of NSD 13.85 million on transfers despite spending NSD 7.25 million themselves. The 1896 Ebor board will argue that they need to support Colbright whilst she is here, making the most of a top overseas managerial talent, something which is rarely seen in Mytanija. Her first signing was that of Ararat left-back Asmir Milosevic for NSD 2.5 million. Milosevic is a league, cup and Copa de Campeones winner and still only 24 he has his best years ahead of him. He offers an immediate upgrade on the left-side of 1896’s defence. Nephara’s Gwen Settler was next to arrive from North Laithland in her homeland, linking up with compatriot Colbright in Ebor. NSD 2 million is a decent fee for a player who should be able to play that midfield shuttler role alongside the more creative Pasargan Michael Baer. It’s a signing which leaves 1896 with a midfield who all seem to complement one another perfectly.

Finally there is the arrival of Quebecois winger Anna Korniloff-Kouyate from Tumbran side Lakewood United for NSD 5 million. Korniloff-Kouyate is deliciously direct and should work well with Anne-Linde van Oers up front, van Oers’ movement will create spaces for Korniloff-Kouyate to exploit and both are good finishers. It’s also an exceptional signing from a marketing perspective, the Quebecois has signed endorsement deals with high-fashion brand Atelier Dina Preldzic and sportswear kings Odeća (much to 1896 Ebor’s kit supplier Delta’s chagrin); and the club’s #WelcomeAnna campaign on social media received the highest number of engagements any Mytanar club has ever recorded. Whether that was down to Korniloff-Kouyate’s enormous media reach or a ludicrous number of Mytanar men being horny on main is anyone’s guess – but it’s an early victory for 1896 Ebor, maybe we’ll hear their support singing ‘social media champions, you’ll never sing that!’ this year.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 2ND - Colbright is great and 1896 Ebor have been much-improved in just one season under her management. The new signings they have made have improved the starting eleven, if they can settle quickly then there’s no reason why this team cannot put in a concerted effort to win the title this season, but then they did that last season and they couldn’t quite get it over the line. Atletik definitely still have the superior depth, though the upheaval their squad has experienced perhaps makes this the best chance for 1896 Ebor in years. Alexandre Onio is one of the best central defenders in the league and Anne-Linda van Oers quite literally was the best in the league last season. If they can both reach those sort of levels once again, combined with the introduction of Milosevic, Settler and Korniloff-Kouyate, then it could well be the year 1896 Ebor finally end the nearly fifteen year wait for a league title. There are worries if they experience any injuries to key performers and you would like to see Colbright work her magic on Michael Baer to return him to very top form in the same way she did with van Oers, but that’s perhaps nit-picking. 1896 Ebor are back in a big way!

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Oduor Bigombe (c)       29   NYK      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Asmir Milosevic         24   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Alexandre Onio          25   SVG      ✪✪✪✪✪
DC      Uhin Elizabe            22   ASG      ✪✪✪✪   
DR      Slobodan Vujovic        26   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DMC/MC  Hong Guo                24   YZH      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Michael Baer            26   PAS      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Gwen Settler            23   NPH      ✪✪✪
AML     Anna Korniloff-Kouyate  23   QUE      ✪✪✪✪
AMR     Gabrijel Vranjkovic     24   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Anne-Linde van Oers     26   TLI      ✪✪✪✪✪

GK      Antonio Reyes           21   SRG      ✪✪✪
DL      Bakar Gerrikabeitia     26   ASG      ✪✪✪
DC/L    Matko Praznik           27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Misko Mijuskovic        20   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Bruno Komljenovic       26   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Thorvar Spinkvik        37   OPP      ✪✪
MC      Jasmin Valentic         24   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Sebastian Nygaard       27   MYT      ✪✪✪
AML/R   Brajko Gavrilovic       35   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMR     Ramiz Agic              32   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Petar Majdandzic        30   MYT      ✪✪✪

IN
Anna Korniloff-Kouyate [QUE] from Lakewood United [TMB] to 1896 Ebor, NSD 5 million
Asmir Milosevic [MYT] from Ararat to 1896 Ebor, NSD 2.5 million
Gwen Settler [NPH] from North Laithland [NPH] to 1896 Ebor, NSD 2 million

OUT
Dario Crcic [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to Ararat, NSD 300,000
Zvonko Nestorovski [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to Olympic, free transfer
Rafal Ojrzynski [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to Jedrenje, NSD 200,000
Jure Potocnik [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to Rudar, loan
Dalibor Vlahovic [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to JK Ebor, free transfer

Legends: Vaclav Simon (manager/player); Hasato Kimiki [HIN] (player); Dzala Ertobashia (player); Andoni Bidigain [ASG] (player)
Icons: Agil Ojdanic (player); Adama Diarra [ZEN] (player); Oskar Nielsen [PIS] (player); Moses Uijtdewilligen [CRE] (player); Txordin Zerubeltzak [AUD] (player); Aran Miller [TLI] (player); Srdan Vukovic (player); Brajko Gavrilovic (player)

1923 ESCA

Location: Centralni, Esca, Zentria
Stadium: Radnika (Capacity: 60,000)
Manager: Sava Grgurovic, 64, 9th season in charge; T: regimented, R: developer, P: loyal

Club synopsis: Perennially underachieving club from the capital, 1923 Esca have all the infrastructure of a would-be big club but have always found a way to shoot themselves in the foot to prevent them from competing like that infrastructure suggests they should. Due to their links with Mytanar financial institutions in the country's capital they used to have a habit for being a little free-spending which at times left them in financial trouble, they have moved away from this approach in recent years and now tend towards decent scouting and strong youth recruitment. 1923 Esca are seen as being the emblematic capital club and the club of the establishment, thought of as aloof and even snooty, this does mean that they aren't particularly well-liked around Mytanija. The dichotomy between how important the club and its fans believe 1923 Esca to be within Mytanar football and the club's relative lack of success is widely regarded as proof of the capital's detachment from the reality of the rest of Mytanija.
Fanbase: A large, loyal and extremely passionate fanbase which only serves to add to the sense of underachievement for 1923 Esca. The self-importance many Escans feel is evident in the expectations the club's supporters have for the club with 1923 Esca's fanbase being one of the most demanding in Mytanija. They have a huge role in the running of their club too and if the fans aren't happy with how the club are doing managers will be sacked and board members will be removed from their posts. Odeljak 1-11 is the club's ultras group and they possess an outsized influence at the club, acting as the voice of the supporters on all sorts of decisions. They are notoriously nationalistic and were supportive of the Kalinina regime and this leads to them getting in all sorts of clashes with clubs in Thessia, Rauchnya and Visoravna; and especially clubs with left-wing ultras groups. In the they stadium are known for producing good choreographies and their loud presence behind one of the goals at Radnika.
Rivals: Litala ’93 (All-Esca Derby); Ararat Severyan (political); CDSA (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: IOK (finance)

Major honours: 1 x National Cup (30/31)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do 1923 Esca stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
1923 Esca have become Mytanija’s third best team over the past couple of years, finishing in that position back-to-back under Sava Grgurovic and somewhat casting off the image of a hard-working, organised but ultimately limited team. Grgurovic has to take a lot of credit for that, bringing in the players who can fulfil his regimented defensive demands but who can also offer that bit of quality when going forward too. A lot of credit also has to go to the academy products Drazen Skara and Nicolás Riesgo too. Skara is a consistent goal scorer at such an early age, bagging 14 in 27 appearances last season and finishing third in the Golden Boot race and Under-23 Player of the Season award as a result. Riesgo did not compete for as many gongs but his stellar defensive work has earned him a call-up to national side of the land of his parents and the new Sargossa manager Slavko Jelic is extremely impressed with him. Jelic has unique insight, having managed against him with CDSA and his influence was important in getting Riesgo to commit to Sargossa ahead of Mytanija, the land of his birth. The emergence of those two has helped 1923 Esca no end, improving them in previously difficult areas of the pitch and also meaning they haven’t needed to bring in more expensive options from elsewhere. Their academy has come up trumps regularly in recent years with Milos Bajic, Nenad Tejic and Petar Pejakovski all also being regular starters who have been produced from within. A Third Round exit from the National Cup against Atletik and elimination from the IFCF Challengers’ Cup in the 4th qualifying round against Strathcona Internationals will have done little to dampen the positive spirit around Radnika at the moment.

In the transfer market 1923 Esca knew early on that they’d have to replace the retiring left-back Srdan Vukovic (another academy product!). The 37 year old played a back-up role last season but retires after amassing 91 caps for Mytanija, a real modern day stalwart for club and country. Sava Grgurovic was happy to use Arka’s downfall to his team’s advantage, bringing in 24 year old Adam Grdic for a very reasonable NSD 400,000. Grdic has Top League experience and whilst he’s not as good as Armoni Okombo (who is?), he’ll provide adequate cover and will be happy to start in the National Cup. The headline signing is that of Tumbran international Harry Henderson, the veteran central defender arrives for a cool NSD 1 million from Aleuisia Capital in Zeta Reka & Hugeltaldom. Henderson has a lot of games under his belt and that sort of nous is exactly what Grgurovic is looking for as he looks to take his team from repeat 3rd place finishes to a first ever Top League title. The only other incoming transfer is one which is going out again just as quickly, Nurija Papez is a signing for the future and similar to Atletik’s deal for Milica Prokopljevic he has been signed for NSD 750,000 and immediately loaned back to JK Ebor. It’s only a one-year loan for Papez as 1923 Esca expect him to potentially be in a position to compete for a starting role next season, he’s a regista who can control the game from a deep-lying midfield position and create attacking moves from there too. Only two other outgoings for 1923 Esca, Zeljko Kuzmanovic to Rudar Uchenik for NSD 250,000 and Val Nexev-Pilta to Ararat on a free transfer.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 3RD - In much the same way that it feels as if 1896 Ebor cannot match Atletik Thessia for depth it feels as if 1923 Esca cannot match 1896 Ebor for depth. That could be proven wrong pretty quickly, but if you look at the three teams starting eleven versus starting eleven it’s often difficult to find too much difference. 1923 Esca are perhaps not quite as strong, but they’d win their fair share of matches head-to-head if you were to run the matches 1000 times. When you pit the 1923 Esca bench against the other two then it’s not quite the same, players like Sava Karanovic, Mesud Erjavec and Milan Bojevic aren’t quite at the standard you’d expect for a top three team. Injuries on the flanks and to Marek Ladicorbic could cause problems for 1923 Esca, then, but outside of that this is the best team they’ve ever had. Keeping hold of Drazen Skara and Nicolás Riesgo has been crucial for them, but they’ve been super smart in the transfer market too and Harry Henderson could become the signing of the summer despite not being quite as high-profile as the likes of Gabriel Sayritupac and Anna Korniloff-Kouyate. Grgurovic’s defence looks fantastic now, a strong central defensive pairing, the best left-back in the league along with Petar Pejakovski and Isak Vennerod – two players who know the league like the back of their hand. Grgurovic will be looking for a big season from Milos Bajic, the 24 year old has steadily improved over the past few years and his service has helped Skara’s emergence – if Bajic can add goals to his game it will help 1923 Esca go to that next level, fighting for the championship.

---

Pos.    Name                      Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Isak Vennerod             29   OPP      ✪✪✪
DL      Armoni Okombo             31   NYK      ✪✪✪✪✪
DC      Nicolás Riesgo            20   SRG      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Harry Henderson           31   TMB      ✪✪✪✪
DR      Petar Pejakovski          24   MYT      ✪✪✪
ML      Nenad Tejic               20   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Remy Vandendriessche (c)  29   CRE      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Marek Ladicorbic          28   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Imanuel Smiciklas         28   MYT      ✪✪✪
MR      Milos Bajic               24   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Drazen Skara              20   MYT      ✪✪✪✪✪

GK      Rade Nikolic              25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Adam Grdic                24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Braco Evic                31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Mojsije Lazovic           31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Bors Neitzel              28   NPH      ✪✪✪
ML      Sava Karanovic            33   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Evandro                   27   LOR      ✪✪✪
MC      Mesud Erjavec             26   MYT      ✪✪
MC/AMC  Mitse Gioshev             22   MYT      ✪✪✪
MR      Milan Bojevic             31   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Lacina Issoumou           18   MYT      ✪✪✪

IN
Adam Grdic [MYT] from Arka to 1923 Esca, NSD 400,000
Harry Henderson [TMB] from Aleiusia Capital [ZRH] to 1923 Esca, NSD 1 million
Nurija Papez [MYT] from JK Ebor to 1923 Esca, NSD 750,000

OUT
Zeljko Kuzmanovic [MYT] from 1923 Esca to Rudar, NSD 250,000
Val Nexev-Pilta [QUS] from 1923 Esca to Ararat, free transfer
Nurija Papez [MYT] from 1923 Esca to JK Ebor, loan

RETIRED
Srdan Vukovic [MYT], DL, 37

Legends: Sava Grgurovic (manager); Remy Vandendriessche [CRE] (player); Milos Funda (player)
Icons: Miroslav Filo (player); Igor Artemiev (player); Dino Racic (player); Mojsije Lazovic (player); Armoni Okombo [NYK] (player); Drazen Skara (player); Nicolás Riesgo (player)

LIRIA

Location: Prizren, Vojovitica
Stadium: Stadion Prizren (Capacity: 84,000)
Manager: Adel Gudelj, 47, 4th season in charge; T: tinkerman, R: resourceful, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: Largely thought to be the second biggest club in the country despite being the third most successful, Liria hail from arguably the most beautiful city in Mytanija and one of huge cultural and philosophical importance too. They generally pride themselves on playing possession-based football and a lot of that is down to Badjkev's influence in his two spells at the club. Liria have always had a preference for buying Mytanar talent over foreign players and this policy has largely served them well over the years as they have established themselves as one of Mytanija's 'big three'. They were the first Mytanar club to win a non-Rushmori international trophy when they won the UICA Globe Cup and that triumph is still celebrated in Prizren. Other clubs often see Liria as being a bit pretentious and aloof; as a club which lives off what are now semi-distant past glories, Liria of course happily ended that with their 30/31 triumph.
Fanbase: Liria have one of the largest fan bases in Mytanija due to their history and they can draw on fans from all over the country as a result of this. Their local support is often characterised as university professors and misunderstood artists but this obviously isn't true, the Liria neighbourhood of Prizren from which they draw their name is historically a working class area but the club draw their support from all socioeconomic backgrounds. They are an expectant bunch that want trophies but also want their team to play a specific way, usually in their classic 4-3-1-2 formation with lots of possession. Their main ultras group is known as Žuti Zid and they are officially apolitical but are unfortunately made-up of different groups who all have their own political stances and can be found battling for control of the sector as much as they can be found battling with opposition groups. When they come together their choreographies are second-to-none, the size and creativity of the flags they create is unrivalled in Mytanija.
Rivals: Atletik Thessia (Klasicni); Pretia Prizren (local); Energija-Nuklearna (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★★
Sponsors: Petromok (Astograthian oil and gas)

Major honours: 4 x Mytanar Top Leagues (13/14, 14/15, 15/16, 30/31); 4 x National Cups (10/11, 11/12, 14/15, 31/32); 2 x UICA Globe Cups (43, 44); 1 x Rushmore Copa de Campeones (21)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Irma Simunec
• Where do Liria stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Adel Gudelj started life incredibly well as Liria manager, taking the Prizren club to National Cup glory and ending up as Atletik’s closest challengers. Last season was not as smooth sailing, unfortunately, as Liria slumped to 4th in the Top League along with a Third Round elimination from the Cup at the hands of Litala ’93. A smack in the face from reality for everybody involved with the club, but one which might well have been caused by the sale of Mahir Kapetanovic and the blow to the team’s defence which resulted from that. Filip Mlinarevic looked much more composed as the season went on, he could be a real talent in central defence and everybody at Liria will hope his upward trajectory continues. The club were buoyed by qualification to the group stage of the IFCF Champions League, though they didn’t particularly bloody noses whilst there, failing to win a game in a tough group which included Canbix Muses, Hellinic Rouge and Spartangrad. The extra cash will have been very helpful though and will have formed some of the money which Gudelj has been able to dip into over the summer to improve his squad.

Liria have been very active, bringing in five players and letting four go whilst veteran central defender Osman Muhic has retired, calling time on a nearly twenty year professional career. We’ll begin with Liria’s starting eleven where the arrival of Quebecois playmaker Arsene-Michael Litt is the most high-profile. Litt is 26 and comes to Prizren from FC Felsenkirchen for an undisclosed fee. He has been known to play in a deeper central midfield position but the intention appears to be to use him in behind Mijat Simic and another new signing in Tasos Svarnas. Svarnas is a slightly unusual signing in that he was good if not exceptional for CDSA, but his traits as a deep-lying forward have been analysed in depth by Liria’s scouting department and they seem to believe that he can work well with Simic who is more of a poacher who likes to press a bit as well. The NSD 1.25 million fee may have made some eyes water in Prizren, the general feeling is that Liria have overpaid for him but if he can make the step up that the analytics guys see in him then it’ll be money well spent.

Prisca Ciern is a signing which has enormous upside, coming in on a free transfer from AFC Treason the 18 year old represents very little risk but it does rely on her developing more. Being released from clubs of that calibre doesn’t have to be the end of a fledgling career, though. Liria did miss out on other targets in that area of the pitch, whether that ends up being a good thing remains to be seen. Liria’s other signings are for depth, Milan Gobeljic has been massively impressive for NK Dyka over the past few years and comes in for NSD 750,000. Gobeljic will be rotated with Filip Mlinarevic fairly liberally, though the club do want Mlinarevic to gain experience wherever possible. If Hurko Germain eventually leaves as is expected then Gobeljic will slot in seamlessly. Rudar’s Yue workhorse Zhen Luo is Liria’s final arrival, coming in for NSD 800,000 and Duro Galovic’s signature to provide fantastic depth in Liria’s midfield.

Mirko Kosic is the biggest name player to leave the club, earning a rather incredible NSD 2 million from the Cordian Isles’ Creston Wolves which has covered a lot of the incoming business. Minor fees have also been earned for Guv Culak-Forzu (NSD 250,000 heading to JK Ebor); and Bruno Zganec (NSD 300,000 heading to Nyva). All of that leaves Liria’s balance sheet looking fairly healthy, though we can’t know exactly how much the undisclosed fee for Arsene-Michael Litt set the club back.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 4TH - It might be boring but there’s a reason why we’ve backed the top four to finish as the top four in the same order again and it’s because – despite all the business – there still appears to be the same hierarchy in terms of quality. Liria have made some great transfers, Arsene-Michael Litt in particular should become a player who lights up the Top League, but they are perhaps lacking that singular top-level player who can make the difference every single week. Litt might well become that player this season, but we will need to see it. The likes of Emil Kitinov have declined after so much promise, never quite delivering on the potential he showed at NK Dyka. Ozmec and Mahovlic still provide control and energy in the centre of the pitch, whilst Simic is a whirling ball of energy who seems to instinctively know where the next chance is coming from and Hurko Germain is a fantastic ball-playing defender. Adel Gudelj will feel he can do a lot with this team, but where Atletik have Legarra and Sayritupac; 1896 Ebor have Onio and van Oers; and 1923 Esca have Okombo and Skara, Liria don’t quite have that player. That’s perhaps where the gap is. Liria do have good depth, plenty of players who will be able to slot in and lots of younger talent coming through (both Mlinarevics, Prisca Ciern, Bozo Mihic etc), so keeping faith in Gudelj and the process will be key. It’s a small transitional period and Gudelj will hope Litt is the player to lead them out of it and back towards glory, a Cup run and another IFCF group stage qualification would be welcome signs of heading in the right direction.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Lazar Obradovic (c)   34   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Prisca Ciern          18   NPH      ✪✪✪
DC      Hurko Germain         25   ASG      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Filip Mlinarevic      18   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Iosif Chervonskiy     25   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Emil Kitinov          26   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Bruno Ozmec           28   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Davor Mahovlic        28   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
AMC     Arsene-Michael Litt   26   QUE      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Mijat Simic           30   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Tasos Svarnas         25   OTH      ✪✪✪

GK      Obren Vujic           29   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Milomir Pesic         32   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Milan Gobeljic        24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Nermin Crnkic         18   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Alen Komadina         29   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Zhen Luo              25   YZH      ✪✪✪
MC      Zvonimir Rendulic     24   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Bozo Mihic            20   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Alen Gvetadze         29   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Stipe Mlinarevic      18   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Strahinja Nanusevski  31   MYT      ✪✪✪

IN
Prisca Ciern [NPH] from AFC Treason [NPH] to Liria, free transfer
Milan Gobeljic [MYT] from NK Dyka to Liria, NSD 750,000
Arsene-Michael Litt [QUE] from FC Felsenkirchen [STL] to Liria, undisclosed
Zhen Luo [YZH] from Rudar to Liria, NSD 800,000 + Duro Galovic
Tasos Svarnas [OTH] from CDSA to Liria, NSD 1.25 million

OUT
Guv Culak-Forzu [QUS] from Liria to JK Ebor, NSD 250,000
Duro Galovic [MYT] from Liria to Rudar, p/exchange
Mirko Kosic [MYT] from Liria to Creston Wolves [COR], NSD 2 million
Bruno Zganec [MYT] from Liria to Nyva, NSD 300,000

RETIRED
Osman Muhic [MYT], DC, 37

Legends: Danek Badjkev (manager/player); Miki Sipilainen [OPP] (player); Yuri Matveyev (player); Tikhon Voronin (player); Stefan Wallinaar (player); Niksa Obadko (player)
Icons: Miro Obad (player); Lavrentii Aliev (player); Tyko Rissanen [OPP] (player); Adel Gudelj (manager/coach/player); Bernd Schulz (player); Jeda Mehmedic (player); Mersudin Smajic (player); Lazar Obradovic (player); Mijat Simic (player)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 34/35 SEASON PREVIEW PART TWO.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

CDSA

Location: Decraa, Vojovitica
Stadium: Psenicova (Capacity: 43,000)
Manager: Elaine Everdeen [EQS], 44, 1st season in charge; T: possession, R: developer, P: perfectionist

Club synopsis: Now one of only three teams that has never played outside or been relegated from the Mytanar Top League due to rivals' Energija-Nuklearna's relegation, CDSA are regarded as one of Mytanar football's traditional clubs despite never really having a sustained period of success to be able to point to. They are a team that was historically linked with the military, a heritage that has long been cast-off as CDSA are now one of the most staunchly left-wing clubs in the country (a thread which runs through everything they do, running their own social programmes and regularly being involved in charitable causes). CDSA have never really subscribed to a specific style of play, but they have long been regarded as one of the best clubs for producing young talent - especially skillful attacking midfielders. CDSA are a club which have many fan friendships and fierce rivalries around Mytanija due to their left-wing politics, but they are also largely respected across the board due to their traditions and history.
Fanbase: CDSA's moderately sized fanbase is drawn from a wide mix of socioeconomic backgrounds, but is generally considered to be middle-class - a stereotype which is reflective of Decraa being a city that is home to multiple universities. CDSA's supporters are very proud of the fact their club has never been relegated from the Top League and of the team's uncanny ability to keep producing quality young players. Their supporters love to see a local kid given a chance in the starting line-up. Expectations at the club mostly stay quite low, the fans are happy enough as long as their club are doing good deeds and their ever-present top-flight status isn't under threat. Lijeva are the club's largest ultras group and they are fiercely left-wing. They can be violent, particularly when it comes to fixtures against clubs whose ultras groups hold opposing political views.
Rivals: Energija-Nuklearna (North Vojovitican Derby); Turbine Decraa (local); 1923 Esca (political); Lok. Cassia (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★
Sponsors: KPK (dairy)

Major honours: 2 x National Cups (06/07, 19/20)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do CDSA stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
CDSA were extremely pleased to qualify for IFCF football last season, finishing in 5th place in the Mytanar Top League and securing that ever helpful cash injection which international competition brings. Slavko Jelic has gradually built CDSA into a team that can compete at that sort of level again, but the club will now have to find a way to cope without the iconic manager who had spent 11 seasons with the club. Jelic took the opportunity to go for the Sargossa job when Lev Repin recommended him to their football association. It’s a controversial move in Decraa, many here remember the Mytanar Conflict, where Kalinina’s troops were backed with Sargossan support. The dictator eventually escaped to the country, too, though the emergence of a number of Sargossan-Mytanar footballers perhaps demonstrates that times are changing. CDSA’s own Juan Esteban Collazo is a good example of that. Momchil Klemetic, legendary midfielder turned director of football, has followed Jelic across Rushmore as part of his new-look coaching staff. That does mean that CDSA have needed to appoint a new manager and they have done so from within their own ranks, which feels very on-brand. Elaine Everdeen, another club legend, will take over for the new season and – given that she has been assistant manager to Jelic for the last few years of his reign – that appears to be as much of a continuity candidate as the club could possibly appoint. She’ll hope to repeat the qualification to the IFCF Challengers’ Cup this season and try to go a step further in the National Cup, where the club were knocked out at the semi-final stage by eventual winners NK Dyka last year.

Last season CDSA had a productive strike partnership between the physically imposing and mobile Vasilij Pivk (13 goals in 28 appearances); and the Othilean Tasos Svarnas, a former pure poacher who Slavko Jelic transformed into a more technical deep-lying forward who could get involved in his team’s build-up play. Svarnas impressed so much in this new role that Prizren giants Liria registered their interest and eventually agreed a deal worth NSD 1.25 million to take Svarnas to southern Vojovitica. Many feel that CDSA got the better end of the deal there, Svarnas had only impressed in this new role last year and only under Jelic’s tutelage. Liria manager Adel Gudelj will have a job to make sure he repeats that kind of form. Naturally the sale meant that CDSA would look for a replacement and they found willing sellers in the form of Atletik. Edis Znidarsic had decided towards the end of last season that academy product Galib Terzic was a bit too similar to Nahia Legarra and that Atletik only needed one of the two in their attack. Terzic, an old-fashioned poacher, was available for NSD 1 million which CDSA were happy to pay. It does mean that CDSA will perhaps go back to having Pivk doing the running and physical work with Terzic poaching chances alongside him, but if Everdeen has learned anything from Slavko Jelic then she might be able to oversee a Svarnasesque change in Terzic’s game this year.

The only other business in and out of Psenicova this summer was at the back, experienced central defender Novak Pap saw his contract expire and agreed a deal with second tier Pamuk Trunca for the last few years of his career. This did mean that CDSA needed a bit of extra cover at the back and Everdeen personally asked the club to look at Jedrenje centre-half Andrija Dasovic. The 19 year old has impressed early on in his career and looks to have all the attributes to thrive in a back three, being very comfortable on the ball and having plenty of pace. CDSA paid NSD 500,000 to bring him in, bringing their net spend to a modest NSD 250,000.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 6TH - The prospect of going into the new season without Slavko Jelic’s experience might feel very daunting for many CDSA supporters, but it should also be an exciting opportunity. It’s sometimes easy to forget that Jelic went through a very rough patch a few seasons ago, where there were rumours that he might not have his contract renewed as CDSA’s progress stalled. He rode that out and brought CDSA back into the upper echelon of the league table, qualifying for IFCF competitions to round-out his achievement. The excitement should come from the fact that Elaine Everdeen will bring some new ideas, even if she has been a part of Jelic’s coaching staff for a few years. She’s believed to want a slightly more possession-based approach than her predecessor and that change in approach could help CDSA remain in the uppermost reaches of the league. She has players who can do this, Pierre-Karl Cizeron is fantastic on the ball (and his Under-23 Player of the Season award from last year backs that up); and the same can be said for Jelena Jashev, Ismet Zmiric, Juan Esteban Collazo and Marin Boglic too. There could be some minor teething issues under Everdeen, but we don’t foresee CDSA dropping that far off the standards of last season and they should make it a really competitive battle for that last IFCF spot. If Pivk can repeat last season’s form and Terzic can find his feet quickly it will help them along in the pursuit of that goal.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Visa Marinkovic       31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Pierre-Karl Cizeron   22   QUE      ✪✪✪✪✪
DC      Ezib Salihovic (c)    33   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Jelena Jashev         22   SVJ      ✪✪✪✪
DMC     Muamer Predojevic     22   MYT      ✪✪✪
ML      Laura Rustu           30   NPH      ✪✪✪
MC      Ismet Zmiric          22   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Juan Esteban Collazo  21   SRG      ✪✪✪
MR      Marin Boglic          25   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Vasilij Pivk          23   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Galib Terzic          25   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Slobodan Ivanovic     25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Andrija Dasovic       19   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Nnamdi Lusamba        18   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC/R    Janko Gotovina        30   MYT      ✪✪
DMC/MC  Duje Vukoja           22   MYT      ✪✪
ML      Vasa Vojev            32   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Zarko Mrsic           29   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Kosta Urosevic        31   MYT      ✪✪✪
MR/L    Dragan Jovanovic      31   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Dario Gvetadze        31   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Mirko Bazdarevic      22   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Andrija Dasovic [MYT] from Jedrenje to CDSA, NSD 500,000
Galib Terzic [MYT] from Atletik to CDSA, NSD 1 million

OUT
Novak Pap [MYT] from CDSA to Pamuk, free transfer
Tasos Svarnas [OTH] from CDSA to Liria, NSD 1.25 million

Legends: Ruben Almerique [AQL] (manager/player); Elaine Everdeen [EQS] (player/coach); Ismet van Huijgevoort (player); Alen Hrdaljko (player)
Icons: Alexey Tatarchuk (player); Roman Benarik (player); Vaclav Soacek (player); Momchil Klemetic (player/director of football); Slavko Jelic (manager); Pierre-Karl Cizeron [QUE] (player)

LITALA ’93

Location: Litala, Esca, Zentria
Stadium: Sokolovny (Capacity: 30,000)
Manager: Luca Zagorc, 48, 4th season in charge; T: offensive, R: developer, P: intense

Club synopsis: Litala ’93 are a club with a storied history which can arguably lay claim to being the biggest club from the Mytanar capital. That wasn't always the case though, during their greatest period they were regarded as plucky underdogs who stuck it to the big boys. Now they are rightly seen as one of the powerhouses of the opening decade of professional football, Litala won a pair of titles under cherished manager Lukas Boronin when Erathi playmaker Isidoro Nao played in the club's famous lavender shirt. Often defined by their opposition to all things 1923 Esca, Litala are known as the club of the working class in the Mytanar capital and as such are generally the anti-establishment choice. Litala ’93 supporters never tire of rubbing their two league titles in the faces of their greatest rivals, with 1923 Esca going 31 years before their first trophy despite their greater resources.
Fanbase: A large fanbase in Esca and well-supported more widely across Zentria, Litala ’93 are often seen as the rebel's choice due to their long-standing links with the capital's working class. The club fosters a great sense of inclusivity with strong volleyball and handball sections receiving just as impressive support as the football team does. As a club Litala ’93 have significant links to left-wing politics and Ultras Litala reflect that in the stands with colourful choreographies in support of socialist and anti-racist causes. They have strong friendships with left-wing teams in other regions like Atletik Thessia and Ararat Severyan, as well as with Dinamo Esca in the capital. It's a different story during games against 1923 Esca of course, they can often descend into violence and Litala don't maintain the best of relationships with other capital clubs like Zenit or BVK Dinamo due to their politics either.
Rivals: 1923 Esca (All-Esca Derby); 1896 Ebor (historic)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: Pačariz (spirits)

Major honours: 2 x Mytanar Top Leagues (07/08, 08/09)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do Litala ’93 stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Litala ’93 ended up very disappointed in their inability to qualify for the IFCF Challengers’ Cup last season, missing out to a dogged CDSA team who had a better defence but perhaps were not quite as free-flowing in possession or free-scoring in front of goal. Luca Zagorc’s team laid on enough changes that both Jiahui Wang and Dragisa Alagic fired in 13 goals each and ended up with the joint-third best attack in the league. Scoring isn’t an issue for them, then, but adding that extra layer of defensive security will perhaps be needed if they want to make that next step and get back into IFCF football. Another deep run in the National Cup also ended in disappointment, reaching the final for a second year in a row but being beaten by NK Dyka, Dragomir Lazic chiding them for not learning the lesson of the defeat to Ararat a year before – the NK Dyka manager believed he used more or less the same approach to defeat Luca Zagorc’s team. Litala must have felt they had banished the demons of a year before by knocking Ararat out in the semi-final, but defeat in the final must have Luca Zagorc trying to work out which deities he has got on the bad side of. It’ll be something that Litala want to try to rectify as soon as possible, particularly given the upwards trajectory that Esca rivals 1923 appear to be on.

Zagorc has overseen plenty of business to try to achieve those goals, three incoming transfers and four going out of Sokolovny. The arrival of Enigma Armageddon on a free transfer from Energija Chernovets is regarded as a real coup, the former Chromatik international midfielder may be 33 but he still has the playing intelligence to do a real job at the base of Litala’s midfield. The aggression which saw him ousted from the Chromatika national team for booting an opponent in the head could be useful in the ever physical Mytanar Top League, though he might find opponents here who are more than happy to make a meal of contact to see him sent off too. Another Chromatik midfielder, Roxane Beaumanoir, also arrives without any money spent. Beaumanoir is a central midfielder with excellent passing range and dead ball ability. She’s a graduate of the Chromatik university system and is expected to spend a year playing mostly from the bench to acclimatise to the professional game before playing more of a role in the starting line-up next year. We’ve left Litala’s most expensive move until last, Mytanar full-backs come at something of a premium and Nyva’s Kusman Manasiev is no different. NSD 1.25 million has been spent to bring the left-back in and the 24 year old should secure the club’s left-side for the next half a decade or so.

There aren’t too many departures of interest, nothing of the size of Boza Despotovic’s sale last summer (who they’ll be happy to replace with Armageddon this time around). Braco Lazarevic left for NSD 200,000, heading to Rudar Uchenik. Dragoljub Vlahovic never really made it at Sokolovny and he’ll be dropping down a level to play for newly promoted Turbine Decraa in the Druga Liga for NSD 300,000. Atanasije Tanackovic has seen himself marginalised with the signings of Armageddon and Eedo Kamensek last summer, he heads to newly promoted Top League side Energija-Nuklearna for NSD 600,000 in a move which may well burn any bridges between the academy product and the Litala 93 support. There is finally the 2 year loan to Licentian side Hope Bay for young Uros Ostojic, highly-rated at Sokolovny and believed to be a player who could one day play for the first team either in the number ten position or as a striker who likes to drop deep.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 5TH - Litala ’93 have a little bit more stability than CDSA and that’s one of the reasons behind our writers tipping them to finish ahead of the Decraa club in the Top League this season. CDSA are without Slavko Jelic and under the leadership of a new coach, whilst Litala continue under the steady hand of Luca Zagorc for a 4th season. The departure of Boza Despotovic last season meant that they lacked a little bit of quality in front of their defence, but the move for Enigma Armageddon provides exactly that and should help to rectify some of the issues the club faced in that area of the pitch. Manasiev might not be a signing who will set the world alight from left-back, but he does represent a relatively intelligent investment even if his fee might have been a little on the high side. It’s an exciting time to support this club, their starting eleven looks solid across the pitch and Zagorc’s style appears to be well-set to take on the demands of both league and cup – even if he couldn’t quite get his players over the line in either last year. Alen Miokovic-Cica is one to watch, an 18 year old central defender who Zagorc has already tipped to play for Mytanija one day. He’s likely to be a starter from match day one this season.

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Dragisa Lazarevic       28   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Kusman Manasiev         24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Jasar Abadzic           29   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Alen Miokovic-Cica      18   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Antun Spiridonovic (c)  29   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Enigma Armageddon       33   CMT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Efthimis Vasseas        26   OTH      ✪✪✪
MC      Neven Hjik              29   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC/ST  Evtim Asenov            27   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Dragisa Alagic          28   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Jiahui Wang             29   NYK      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Ljuba Carapic           26   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Zivorad Moldovan        28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Sime Krolo              30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Radenko Pejakovski      25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Ljes Velimirovic        26   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Eedo Kamensek           23   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Roxane Beaumanoir       22   CMT      ✪✪✪
MC      Evgeny Prikhodko        23   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Gavrilo Kerovic         22   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Florent-Roparzh Krstic  26   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Lucho Cortés            20   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪

IN
Enigma Armageddon [CMT] from Energija Chernovets [STL] to Litala ’93, free transfer
Roxane Beaumanoir [CMT] from Southern Chromatik University [CMT] to Litala ’93, free transfer
Kusman Manasiev [MYT] from Nyva to Litala ’93, NSD 1.25 million

OUT
Braco Lazarevic [MYT] from Litala ’93 to Rudar, NSD 200,000
Uros Ostojic [MYT] from Litala ’93 to Hope Bay [TLI], 2 year loan
Atanasije Tanackovic [MYT] from Litala ’93 to Energija-Nuklearna, NSD 600,000
Dragoljub Vlahovic [MYT] from Litala ’93 to Turbine, NSD 300,000

Legends: Isidoro Nao [ERA] (player); Lukas Boronin (manager); Florent-Roparzh Le Tallec [PBI] (player)
Icons: Vagn Meyer [PIS] (player); Musa Kiril (player/manager); Miska Kasvio (player); Musa Pechachek (player); Jiahui Wang [NYK] (player); Boza Despotovic (player); Dragisa Lazarevic (player)

ARARAT

Location: Severyan, Rauchnya
Stadium: Korecky Road (Capacity: 25,000)
Manager: Misel Ravnjak, 60, 11th season in charge; T: defensive, R: resourceful, P: spirited

Club synopsis: A provincial club that have punched well above their weight over the years, Ararat are mostly known for being a horrible team to come up against on the pitch (especially in Severyan); and for the carnival atmosphere their supporters create on the terraces. Ararat as a football club and Rauchnya as a region more generally have been on the receiving end of some of the worst examples of ethnic discrimination in Mytanija, anti-Rauchik sentiment still pervades in some of the other regions and footballers have refused to sign for Ararat because of their views in the past. Severyan as a city mirrors Rauchnya as a whole by being slightly poorer than the national average and Ararat and their supporters mirror this too. The club have links to Catholicism - evident in the team's name - but this is less relevant than it used to be and they are perhaps defined more by their links with Severyan's fishing industry than anything else. The authors' of arguably Mytanar football's greatest (and most unlikely) story - their Rushmore Copa de Campeones and National Cup double in the 32/33 campaign.
Fanbase: Ararat are well-supported within Rauchnya but their support does not go beyond Rauchik territory, a situation which perhaps says more about those in other regions (except Thessia and Visoravna who have always stood alongside Rauchnya) than it does about Ararat and Rauchnya. Their supporters are known for being welcoming once their hard-nosed, distrusting exteriors are broken (an unsurprising symptom of historical ill-treatment). As a fanbase they are quite reasonable with their expectations and if you speak to an Ararat supporter they often cannot believe their luck that their team is regularly fighting it out towards the top of the Top League nowadays. Cirkusgrupa are their ultras group and they are known for being active regarding social issues: often creating displays relating to anti-racism, LGBT rights, immigration issues and Mytanar unity (they're particularly involved in this due to Rauchnya historically being painted as non-Mytanar, particularly under Kalinina's regime). This is in direct contrast to their great rivals Lok. Cassia who are fierce Rauchik nationalists, right-wing and massively racist towards outsiders.
Rivals: Lok. Cassia (Rauchik Derby); 1923 Esca (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★ / Pitch ★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: Air Rauchnya (airline)

Major honours: 3 x Mytanar Top Leagues (12/13, 24/25, 31/32); 1 x National Cup (32/33); 1 x Rushmore Copa de Campeones (55)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Irma Simunec
• Where do Ararat stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
After a few years of Misel Ravnjak making Ararat dream dreams they never believed to be possible last year was an exercise in bringing everybody back down to earth, a little. They weren’t terrible, but it just wasn’t quite the same high-flying Ararat team that we had seen over the couple of years before that. The loss of Lindse Kvasina was felt deeply, the Nepharim playmaker wrote herself into Ararat history with her influence and impact, but there were also issues with the team defensively too – something which will perhaps have hurt Misel Ravnjak more than anything else. Conceding 40 goals is almost unheard of for an Ararat Severyan team under Ravnjak’s management. Finishing 7th is never catastrophic though and it does provide something to work from for the new campaign. A run to the semi-finals of the National Cup suggested that Ravnjak might be able to keep the dream alive for another year, but Litala ’93 saw them off in a way that they couldn’t in the final the year before. Ravnjak’s team did exceptionally well to get all the way to the play-off round of the IFCF Challengers’ Cup qualifying gauntlet, eventually being comprehensively defeated at that stage by Pasargan giants CA Paulinthal. They also had a chance to play in the IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup, being drawn against Brenecia’s Northern Stallions in the first round and being sent out 2-0 on aggregate, a result which may have disappointed many at the club who felt that that competition was one which Ararat could really test themselves in.

Ararat’s recent success has created a rather large market for their better players, the unfortunate price of success for a club of Ararat’s size. It has resulted in funds being raised which have allowed Ararat to invest in the club’s facilities and infrastructure, but it does also mean that they are without some of their better players. This summer saw Vasja Vansek leave for NSD 3.5 million to Pasargan side Galatica, a move which has necessitated a formation change for Misel Ravnjak. Similarly Asmir Milosevic has departed for 1896 Ebor for a fee of NSD 2.5 million. The loss of Vansek saw Ravnjak go to a 5-3-2 formation, allowing him to have all three of Pogaenik, Rebernik and Hall on the pitch at once. This change did mean that wingers Rajmund Krizman and Viggo Sjostrom were rather surplus to requirements, Krizman leaving on a free to Pamuk and Sjostrom to newly promoted Rudar for NSD 250,000. Mevludin Kadic has retired in the meantime too.

All of those moves did provide some money for Ravnjak to reinvest, along with some areas of the pitch which required serious attention. The biggest outlay was on Licentian striker Mirthe van de Pol, brought in for NSD 1.5 million from St. Bart’s United in her homeland. Ararat may well have seen the success of van Oers and hope that van de Pol can mimic her compatriot’s success in the Top League. It will also take some of the goal scoring burden off Vido Mehic, who is now entering the twilight of his career. Dario Crcic was brought in for NSD 300,000 from 1896 Ebor and Val Nexev-Pilta from 1923 Esca on a free transfer, both intended to provide cover in the centre of defence. Nephara’s Luther Hassel has been signed on a 2 year loan from Sabrefell Moths to be Ravnjak’s new starting left-back. He’s had a lot of success with loanees from Nephara and Hassel will want to continue the good work that the likes of Lindse Kvasina have done at the club over the years.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 8TH - It does feel like this is very much a transitional period for Ararat, they’ve been taken to places nobody could have imagined under Ravnjak’s genius and now they’ve had most of the players who got them there taken away from them. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, they’ve held onto Mingrong Yuan and Ravnjak has overseen the development of Chloe Koppenol expertly. Mirthe van de Pol appears to be an astute signing, a young forward who could really help Ararat get from one era to the next. It’ll be exciting to see how youngsters like right-back Neo Susec, Tumbran playmaker Petra Hall and Tikariotian stopper Ásgeir Steingrímsson continue their development, all have done well in spurts, Petra Hall in particular impressing at a very early stage in her career. It might not be as easy to do well with less quality around them but they have a chance to strike out themselves to become the big name players in this squad now. It’s likely to be another mid-table finish for this group of players, but there’s plenty to keep an eye on for neutrals and plenty to be optimistic about if you are an Ararat supporter.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Pedja Kasun (c)       37   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Luther Hassel         20   NPH      ✪✪✪     (On loan from Sabrefell Moths [NPH])
DC      Mingrong Yuan         29   YZH      ✪✪✪✪✪
DC      Ásgeir Steingrímsson  18   TKT      ✪✪✪
DC      Chloe Koppenol        27   TLI      ✪✪✪✪
DR      Neo Susec             21   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Radovan Pogaenik      32   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Jonatan Rebernik      28   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Petra Hall            20   TMB      ✪✪✪
ST      Mirthe van de Pol     23   TLI      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Vido Mehic            32   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Lin Ipavec            28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Goran Stojkov         30   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Dario Crcic           20   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Josip Cermelj         30   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Val Nexev-Pilta       26   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Belmin Kodrie         31   MYT      ✪✪
MC/DMC  Fernando Moruga       22   SRG      ✪✪✪
MC      Miralem Mazar         31   MYT      ✪✪
MC/AMC  Tine Prijatelj        24   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Maurizio Scianna      33   AUS      ✪✪
ST      Slavoj Okec           18   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Dario Crcic [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to Ararat, NSD 300,000
Luther Hassel [NPH] from Sabrefell Moths [NPH] to Ararat, 2 year loan
Val Nexev-Pilta [QUS] from 1923 Esca to Ararat, free transfer
Mirthe van de Pol [TLI] from St. Bart's United [TLI] to Ararat, NSD 1.5 million

OUT
Rajmund Krizman [MYT] from Ararat to Pamuk, free transfer
Asmir Milosevic [MYT] from Ararat to 1896 Ebor, NSD 2.5 million
Viggo Sjostrom [OPP] from Ararat to Rudar, NSD 250,000
Vasja Vansek [MYT] from Ararat to Galatica [PAS], NSD 3.5 million

RETIRED
Mevludin Kadic [MYT], MR, 36

Legends: Misel Ravnjak (manager); Pedja Kasun (player); Lev Repin (player); Mateja Stojkovic (player/coach); Zelimir Apostolov (player/coach); Mingrong Yuan [YUE] (player); Lindse Kvasina [NPH] (player)
Icons: Iuliu Zaplatic (player); Dobroslav Stojanovic (player); Aleks Kulikov (player); Dordo Urbanc (player); Ermin Urankar (player); Omer Kuhar-Arh (player); Vido Mehic (player); Chloe Koppenol [TLI] (player)

FK ARSIKA

Location: Arsika, Nasto
Stadium: Novi Zavej Park (Capacity: 30,000)
Manager: Ermin Drzic, 39, 1st season in charge; T: possession, R: merchant, P: ambitious

Club synopsis: A team which hasn't had much to shout about over the years despite hailing from a one-club city of over 1 million people, FK Arsika have recently come into money under the ownership of concrete and chemical tycoon Sacha Dobruzhanski. Dobruzhanski has big dreams for his hometown club and has the money needed to pursue them, with an aim of eventually qualifying for international competitions. Arsika's warm weather, youthful population and status as Nasto and Avnalia's largest city makes it an attractive place to live and the club have employed an aggressive approach in the transfer market to try and improve the squad with that offer. Dobruzhanski is prepared to use his cash to improve the team but he's also spent money on the club's facilities - including a new stadium - all this money being thrown around has made other clubs dismissive of FK Arsika and prepared to disparage any successes as the mere result of being nouveau riche. Given the financial situations many Mytanar clubs find themselves in it is possible they are also a little envious.
Fanbase: A growing fanbase who are slightly split over their club's ownership situation, some seeing it as a necessary evil in the modern game and others uncomfortable with Dobruzhanski taking the club away from its roots. Their expectations are similarly split between those who'd like the club to succeed immediately due to the new money and those who'd like to see sustainable development over time. The atmosphere at Novi Zavej Park has the most 'foreign feel' of any Mytanar grounds with a more family-orientated approach and less being run by ultras. Their support is also split on politics, this time along age lines with older supporters being more right-leaning (and potentially supportive of the Kalinina regime during its time); and younger fans being left-leaning. This hasn't manifested itself as a battle on the terraces yet, FK Arsika are one of few Mytanar clubs without an active ultras group.
Rivals: Rotor Ravnina (West Nasto Derby); Nyva Zvornik (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Dobruz Industries (construction/chemicals)

Major honours: 1 x National Cup (05/06)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do FK Arsika stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Dzvezdan Kitanchev’s tenure with FK Arsika ended with more of a whimper than a bang, the club ended up finishing mid-table in 8th last year, only drawing one of their thirty games and seemingly struggling at both ends of the pitch. His first couple of years in charge of FK Arsika and his time spent at NK Dyka seemed to be enough to convince the FSM to hire him as national team coach, but there was a feeling around FK Arsika that the time was right to make a change, even if owner Sacha Dobruzhanski always seemed determined to try and make things work with the man who he personally identified as the manager to take the club to the next level. A Third Round exit from the National Cup at the hands of Olympic Thessia wasn’t an embarrassment, but it perhaps did harden minds and Kitanchev may well have ended up being replaced even if the Mytanija job hadn’t come his way. Dobruzhanski and his board went looking for candidates and ended up plumping for a rather left-field option in the form of Liria coach Ermin Drzic. Drzic, a former player for Liria as well as Euran sides Workers Union and Carsby, is only 39 and it will be his first ever head coach role. He collected 13 caps for Mytanija, scoring 1 goal, but this could end up being his biggest challenge yet. He’s expected to want to continue FK Arsika’s possession-based approach, but early signs have been that he’s going to change to a Liria-inspired 4-3-1-2 formation away from the 4-4-2 diamond that FK Arsika fans had become used to under Kitanchev.

Drzic has been reasonably busy over the summer, removing some players he regarded as deadwood and replacing them smartly. It has also seen Sacha Dobruzhanski reach into his pocket in a way which he had become disinclined to do towards the end of Kitanchev’s FK Arsika tenure. Vangelis Anagnakis was the first incoming transfer, the 19 year old Delaclav attacking midfielder arriving from Stockton in his homeland for NSD 750,000. The youngster plays in a position which Ermin Drzic knows well himself and you imagine that Drzic will relish the opportunity to help a young number ten develop over the next few years. For the change to a 4-3-1-2 formation Drzic required a midfielder who could do the defensive work, but who could also be a little bit more expansive than Amynta Michail. FK Arsika scouts recommended 23 year old Brenecian Tamara Seager and Drzic liked what he saw, bringing her in for NSD 2 million from Twin Saints. Seager will be expected to do the hard yards to free up Sefir Ajanovic and Pyotr Arikansky to create ahead of her, with Arikansky preferred ahead of Vlado Arzhentinski, a player who endured a difficult season last year.

The outgoing moves have all been for free or small fees, though that doesn’t mean that some big names aren’t leaving Novi Zavej Park. Gavril Toshev is probably the biggest, a long-term captain of FK Arsika who will now ply his trade for Nyva Zvornik in Avnalia. Toshev exited after the expiration of his contract. Danilo Vasiljevic exited in a similar manner, moving to Lok. Cassia for free. Nikola Gubec and Yordan Naumov probably fall into the category of players who weren’t ever going to be first choice for the club, Gubec was sold to Dinamo Esca for NSD 250,000 and Naumov to Jedrenje for slightly less, NSD 200,000. Experienced defender Slaven Blajojevic finally called time on his career at the age of 35.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 9TH - It’s difficult to predict how well FK Arsika will do this season, Ermin Drzic is an almost entirely unknown quantity as a manager and that could see the club struggle if he fails to make the grade or excel if he is able to breathe fresh life into this group of players. The introduction of Tamara Seager and Vangelis Anagnakis will help to do that too, both are young and have bags of potential and we could see clubs at the top end of the league regret not moving on them sooner when they have to pay a premium for them in a few years’ time. Drzic will be pleased with the strong strike pairing he has at his disposal, Juljana Chmela may be 31 but her track record of finding the net has been exceptional since arriving in Mytanija. Ava Linfield was FK Arsika’s Player of the Season last term, scoring 8 goals and assisting 10 more, if Drzic can help his side to create more for the pair then you would imagine their numbers will increase to an even higher level. Many will be interested in tracking Sargossan right-back Gonzalo Varela’s progress, the 19 year old is highly-rated and could have played for Mytanija but has already declared for the land of his forefathers. A lack of cover in central defence wasn’t addressed in the transfer window, but it does mean an opportunity for 17 year old Konstantin Mitrev to try and hold down a first team place in the new campaign.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Fadil Okanovic        29   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Danco Stavric         24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Usten Odonelec        31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Rasim Yevstigneyev    28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Gonzalo Varela        19   SRG      ✪✪✪
MC      Sefir Ajanovic (c)    31   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC/DMC  Tamara Seager         23   BRE      ✪✪✪
MC      Pyotr Arikansky       24   SRS      ✪✪✪
AMC/MC  Vangelis Anagnakis    19   DEL      ✪✪✪
ST      Juljana Chmela        31   SRS      ✪✪✪✪
ST      Ava Linfield          26   NPH      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Ljupco Cvetkov        32   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Dar Konda-Ulutu       28   QUS      ✪✪
DC      Zdevko Tosor          29   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Konstantin Mitrev     17   MYT      ✪
DR      Zlatko Svalina        28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Amynta Michail        30   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Vlado Arzhentinski    30   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Bojan Velyov          24   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Pasha Secujac         27   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Damjan Degoricija     24   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Dzvezdan Ristov       27   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Vangelis Anagnakis [DEL] from Stockton [DEL] to FK Arsika, NSD 750,000
Tamara Seager [BRE] from Twin Saints [BRE] to FK Arsika, NSD 2 million

OUT
Nikola Gubec [MYT] from FK Arsika to Dinamo, NSD 250,000
Yordan Naumov [MYT] from FK Arsika to Jedrenje, NSD 200,000
Gavril Toshev [MYT] from FK Arsika to Nyva, free transfer
Danilo Vasiljevic [MYT] from FK Arsika to Lok. Cassia, free transfer

RETIRED
Slaven Blajojevic [MYT], DC/L, 35

Legends: Davor Kastari (player); Sacha Dobruzhanski (owner)
Icons: Zdenek Valisz (player); Gavril Toshev (player); Veton Rashaikov (manager); Juljana Chmela [SRS] (player); Sefir Ajanovic (player)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 34/35 SEASON PREVIEW PART THREE.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

OLYMPIC

Location: Zenit Toranj, Thessia, Thessia
Stadium: Novi Kaunostadion (Capacity: 54,000)
Manager: Emil Jefak, 59, 12th season in charge; T: counter, R: developer, P: perfectionist

Club synopsis: Olympic Thessia are an extremely proud club who retain a local feel which few clubs can match despite being from Mytanija's most populous city and having a large fanbase. Long known for being Atletik's less successful sibling they have stepped out of the shadows in recent years by sticking to their principles and continuing to develop their links to their local community despite the increasing globalisation of football. This has manifested itself in a starting line-up which almost always has a couple of Thessian lads who have come up through the club's academy and more often than not happen to be supporters of Olympic too. They're a club with growing financial power, but this doesn't mean they are free-spending as they try to be smart with their scouting and find players that other clubs are not looking at for cheaper fees.
Fanbase: They have a large and passionate local fanbase and a growing fanbase across Mytanija as people enjoy the way Olympic conduct themselves as a club which is determined to maintain its ties to its local community. It is notoriously difficult to get tickets to an Olympic game with local fans filling the Novi Kaunostadion to the brim and leading to extremely lengthy season ticket waiting lists. Like most Thessians Olympic fans are mostly left-wing and extremely proud of this fact, with socialist and antifascist symbols being commonplace at their games. Their ultras group, the Kaunosgrupa are well-regarded for their choreographies before games and are known for making home games a cauldron for the opposition. In terms of expectations Olympic's fans are very patient - having had to be during most of their history - as long as they can get one over Atletik with some regularity there isn't usually too much pressure on the manager.
Rivals: Atletik Thessia (Eternal Derby); Tekstil Ibon (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: Kafa (coffeehouses)

Major honours: 1 x Mytanar Top League (27/28)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Olympic stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Olympic Thessia have definitely regressed since the high of winning the title under Emil Jefak, but they’ve also gone from a regular qualifier to IFCF competitions to a club which seems happy with mid-table obscurity season upon season. Emil Jefak’s heading into his 12th season at the club and commentators have suggested it might be better for the club to inject some fresh ideas with a change of manager, but the club’s board have remained steadfast in their backing of Jefak and still seem to believe that he can have a second period of glory. Finishing 9th last season hardly set the world alight, but Olympic didn’t appear to be levels off some of the teams above them, particularly in head-to-head encounters. The fortunes of Ararat, 1923 Esca and Litala ’93 will offer encouragement that Olympic can quickly move up the table, though the feeling was that they perhaps needed a couple of players in order to do that (hint: they might well have got them over the summer). A Fourth Round exit from the National Cup left a lot to be desired, particularly because it was at the hands of NK Dyka, a club which many Olympic fans regard as being much smaller than them, but also a club which went on to win the National Cup. It perhaps put things in perspective a little bit for those supporters and was also a vindication of NK Dyka’s more proactive and progressive approach to the transfer market.

Olympic’s board and supporters will all hope the same thing, that their activity this summer can help them towards an outcome similar to NK Dyka’s from the end of last year: a trophy (or IFCF qualification, which some thinkers believe is a quasi-trophy these days given the money on offer and the stiff competition faced to get in). The signing of Nepharim winger Ana Blackwold for NSD 1.5 million represents a big outlay for a club like Olympic who usually begrudge breaking the million barrier. They have needed a good winger for a while though and the 22 year old could grow into the type of player Top League fans love with a bit of development – the sort of project Emil Jefak enjoys. Olympic’s other incomings are all free transfers but they have added some real quality in the form of Delaclav centre-half Rahmonberdi Zhusupov. Neroli Teoshaw-Hain will partner Zhusupov in Olympic’s new-look defence, impressing Olympic’s scouts before graduating from Ozcheb University. She could have a steep learning curve in the Top League but has the makings of a potential star, similar to Evelyn Cassidy at city rivals Atletik. Zvonko Nestorovski is the other arrival, joining from 1896 Ebor at the conclusion of his contract and providing some depth on the right-side of defence. Olympic recouped NSD 500,000 from the sales of Hasim Fejzic and Miroslav Opacak to second tier Pamuk and Vitalia respectively.

Perhaps the biggest story is the retirement of club legend Mojmir Anac, Olympic’s eternal captain who brought them to Top League glory in 27/28. He’ll join the coaching staff under Emil Jefak and nobody would back against him ending up as manager given how deeply intertwined him and the club are. Ivan Valjak also retired to rather less fanfare, though he will be remembered as a loyal servant to the club nevertheless.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 7TH - If you aren’t excited to see how Rahmonberdi Zhusupov and Neroli Teoshaw-Hain get along, trying to form a partnership under a manager who values central defenders who know one another like the back of their hand, then Mytanar Top League football probably isn’t for you. If that isn’t your bag then the signing of Ana Blackwold should whet the appetite, she’s an exciting winger and has targets in the penalty area which any wide player would love to have. Arista Tzorvas knows where the net is and Adamo Fallaci is a pure battering ram who will break the door down and carry it off its hinges through to the next room. The fun might be back at the Novi Kaunostadion, everywhere you look there’s things to like about this team, from Azurean goalkeeper Ambrosio Gomez; to mercurial full-back Uros Apolatsic; and into midfield where Sargossan-Mytanar 19 year old Sergio Pareja will be given his chance in lieu of any new signings. Jefak might have been given some money to spend but some things never change, do they? We’re tipping them to get back into the top-half and if the new signings click then we might see a bit more, an Olympic side which can fight for a spot in the top five and IFCF football.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Ambrosio Gomez        22   CBZ      ✪✪✪✪
DL      Maksim Emanuel Sulic  30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Rahmonberdi Zhusupov  26   DEL      ✪✪✪✪
DC      Neroli Teoshaw–Hain   22   ZWZ      ✪✪✪
DR      Uros Apolatsic        24   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Sergio Pareja         19   SRG/MYT  ✪✪✪
MC      Kasim Demirovic       27   MYT      ✪✪✪
AML/R   Itzhar Yvjoev         31   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMR     Ana Blackwold         22   NPH      ✪✪✪
ST      Adamo Fallaci         26   EUR      ✪✪✪
ST      Arista Tzorvas        35   NPH      ✪✪✪✪

GK      Sefik Sinanovic       29   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Edin Topgacic         34   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Elmedin Cengic        25   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Josko Omerovic        32   MYT      ✪✪✪     
DR      Zvonko Nestorovski    31   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Vilim Kupresak        35   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Selim Petrovic        33   MYT      ✪✪
AML     Sasa Zebic            32   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMR     Vehbija Bijedic       33   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Mahir Kvakic          20   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Lazar Prinelec        28   MYT      ✪✪✪

IN
Ana Blackwold [NPH] from Crisisbless United [NPH] to Olympic, NSD 1.5 million
Zvonko Nestorovski [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to Olympic, free transfer
Neroli Teoshaw–Hain [ZWZ] from Ozcheb University [ZWZ] to Olympic, free transfer
Rahmonberdi Zhusupov [DEL] from Chromatika [CMT] to Olympic, free transfer

OUT
Hasim Fejzic [MYT] from Olympic to Pamuk, NSD 100,000
Miroslav Opacak [MYT] from Olympic to Vitalia, NSD 400,000

RETIRED
Mojmir Anac [MYT], DC, 37
Ivan Valjak [MYT], DR, 35

Legends: Emil Jefak (manager); Mojmir Anac (player); Rasmus Sovak (player); Leven Vishinsky (player)
Icons: Igor Artemiev (player); Vilim Kupresak (player); Semir Besak (player)

TEKSTIL

Location: Ibon, Thessia
Stadium: Gradski Stadion (Capacity: 25,000)
Manager: Emir Saric, 66, 11th season in charge; T: philosopher, R: developer, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: Well-supported if unfashionable club who have spent most of their history in the shadow of larger clubs in their home region. Tekstil are a club that value hard work and a strong work ethic is instilled in all who come through the club's celebrated youth academy. They generally try to rely on their own production line where possible and usually keep a tight-grip on the purse strings which can sometimes limit a manager's ability to improve their team, but the club prefer to rely on their own players instead of buying in ready-made talent from elsewhere. For many Mytanars Tekstil are defined by two things: 1) their inherent link with Ibon's textiles industry, resulting in the club's eponymous name; and 2) the rivalry between the cities of Ibon and Thessia, with Atletik being the main focus of Tekstil (and Ibon's) ire nowadays.
Fanbase: An extremely loyal fan base that have stuck with the club through thick and thin. They have seen their club plumb the depths of the Treća Liga (taking sizeable followings to all sorts of provincial venues in the third tier), but they have also experienced the high of seeing their team lift the National Cup at Radnika. They keep a good perspective on things and follow their team around the country, often not expecting too much. They value hard work above all, symptomatic of their fanbase's working class roots. Their ultras group are known as the Ibon Boys and have a small hooligan element, they have no official political ideology but are known to lean leftwards like many citizens of the Thessia region.
Rivals: Atletik Thessia (Rijeka Derby); Olympic Thessia (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★ / Scouting ★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: m:tel (telecommunications)

Major honours: 2 x National Cups (18/19, 24/25)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Tekstil stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Tekstil did well last season, particularly given that their defence was dreadful by all accounts, a charge that would rarely be levelled against an Emir Saric team. A 10th placed finish is probably the peak of what they can achieve without bringing that defence up to scratch, but it showed a good level of consistency to be able to battle through the poor defending to achieve that. What will have pleased Saric is that forwards Ma-Gyo Han and Còmhan Black managed 24 goals between them last term, they perhaps won’t ever be able to reach the levels of Nebojsa Aleksic (something which might well be impossible for any player in this country given his longevity and consistency across time and leagues), but they managed to take on the responsibility of putting the ball in the net. Muharem Hajdarpasic had a real breakout year, the silky dribbler is a pure creator in the number ten position and his 13 assists over the course of the campaign show the sort of damage he can cause to the opposition. A run to the National Cup quarters was warmly welcomed by Tekstil’s loyal support, that sort of run is what is needed to liven up the mundanity of finishing mid-table every season.

Tekstil never do anything too silly in the transfer market and whilst they have let one of their best players go over the summer they do appear to have strengthened the area of the pitch which really let them down last season. The exit of right-sided wing-back Sacir Milosevic will worry many in Ibon, the NSD 3 million raised from his sale to 1830 Cathair has allowed the club to reinvest in a way which they might not have done otherwise, though. The big signing is goalkeeper Hanif Anwarsson el-Said, the Græntfjaller is regarded as the heir to club captain Zafer Muminovic between the sticks and Tekstil spent NSD 750,000 to secure him from Estdal. He has been sent on loan to second tier Vitalia for the new campaign, unlikely to unseat Muminovic year, but the loan to one of the Druga Liga promotion favourites is seen as a chance for him to get plenty of games and experience under his belt in a new country. Tekstil took advantage of Arka’s misfortune to sign Licentian full-back Eve McCabe, allowing her to team-up with countryman Black. NSD 400,000 for her signature could prove to be a bargain come the end of the season. Finally they spent NSD 250,000 on Huayramarcan central defender Ian Narváez, a signing which could make Tekstil’s scouts look exceptionally good at their jobs or a little bit silly. The 19 year old is likely to be a bit green, but Tekstil have signed him for his potential and will hope he can follow a similar trajectory to Uhin Elizabe who the club signed in a similar manner. Othilean midfielder Evripidis Zervakis was the only other play involved in a move, leaving the club for Dinamo Esca for NSD 300,000.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 12TH - If we keep predicting them to finish 12th then they will have to one year, right? Emir Saric has been at the club for ten years now and in his eleventh season it’s difficult to point out more than a couple of years where his team have underperformed relative to what was expected of them. They always seem to eke out that little bit more and that attitude comes from the manager. He’s never been blessed with star-studded squads (though having Nebojsa Aleksic at his peak was undoubtedly very helpful), but he’s always managed to keep Tekstil out of trouble and usually a place or two higher than we in the media have tipped them to finish. Their defence does look a little bit more rounded this year, though the loss of Sacir Milosevic will hurt and Amel Memic’s decline could cause some issues. But they have two fine wing-backs and from midfield forwards they look like a decent team who could improve into a good one. Hajdarpasic is one of the country’s finest young talents and is still only 18, whilst Black and Han have struck up a productive partnership. We’ve tipped them for 12th, which would be a decent return, but Saric never fails to make us look silly so it’s probably fair to disregard our assessment.

---

Pos.    Name                  Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Zafer Muminovic (c)   34   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Kur Ordanov           24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Izet Aleckovic        24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Amel Memic            33   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Ian Narváez           19   HUA      ✪✪✪
DR      Eve McCabe            23   TLI      ✪✪✪
MC      Said Radovanovic      24   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Paskal Trajcev        32   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Muharem Hajdarpasic   18   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Còmhan Black          23   TLI      ✪✪✪
ST      Ma-Gyo Han            27   CMT      ✪✪✪

GK      Ruaidhri Flanagan     29   FOD      ✪✪
DL/R    Mika Spasojevic       28   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Izet Sarajlic         30   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Svetozar Golubovic    31   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Esad Halilhodzic      19   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Bakir Mulic           25   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Miomir Krsmanovic     27   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Alden Skahic          17   MYT      ✪
AMC/MC  Zbynek Havlik         29   POB      ✪✪
ST      Nebojsa Aleksic       39   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Nihad Milicevic       24   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Hanif Anwarsson el-Said [GRF] from Estdal [GRF] to Tekstil, NSD 750,000
Eve McCabe [TLI] from Arka to Tekstil, NSD 400,000
Ian Narváez [HUA] from SRA [HUA] to Tekstil, NSD 250,000

OUT
Hanif Anwarsson el-Said [GRF] from Tekstil to Vitalia, loan
Sacir Milosevic [MYT] from Tekstil to 1830 Cathair [AUD], NSD 3 million
Evripidis Zervakis [OTH] from Tekstil to Dinamo, NSD 300,000

Legends: Nebojsa Aleksic (player); Emir Saric (manager); Mehmet Elvahic (player)
Icons: Swen Kislasson (player); Zafer Muminovic (player); Damir Milcic (player); Sacir Milosevic (player)

NYVA

Location: Zvornik, Avnalia
Stadium: Stadion Sime Pandev (Capacity: 20,000)
Manager: Vasil Janevski, 63, 11th season in charge; T: possession, R: merchant, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: A provincial team from a town of around 200,000 people, Nyva are the biggest club from the chain of islands which make up the sub-region of Avnalia. Their supporters will happily recognise that they are currently living through their team's 'golden age' with a sustained presence in the Top League, a shiny new stadium and a first ever major honour as they won the 27/28 National Cup. Nyva are inherently linked to Zvornik's agricultural workers, starting out as a club for them and still maintaining those links to this day. The perception of clubs from Avnalia and Nyva specifically as being run by poorly educated rural bumpkins couldn't be further from the truth nowadays with the club intelligently investing in improving their infrastructure off the field and playing on their links with food production to sign a lucrative sponsorship deal with one of the country's largest supermarkets Agrokomerc.
Fanbase: Nyva is an extremely working-class club which is enormously proud of their links to agricultural workers, their support doesn't really have a true political stance the way other clubs do but is slightly left-leaning on economics whilst being socially conservative in line with their rural locale. There is little pressure to succeed with Nyva, their fans just want to maintain their Top League status for as long as possible. Nyva's main ultras group is Gate 9 and they are apolitical. They lag behind some of the large groups from the mainland in terms of choreographies, but they are known for extremely violent displays of hooliganism, a result of many of the more historic ultras groups seeing them as little more than rural pretenders. This assumption made Gate 9 eager to prove themselves and they've collected quite a bloodthirsty reputation as a result.
Rivals: Rudar Uchenik (All-Avnalia Derby); FK Arsika (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★ / Youth academy ★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★ / Scouting ★★ / Youth recruitment ★
Sponsors: Agrokomerc (supermarkets)

Major honours: 1 x National Cup (27/28)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do Nyva stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Vasil Janevski got Nyva into gear at a much earlier juncture last season, building a solid defence around Ivica Svok’s experience, Kusman Manasiev’s dynamism and Chromatik goalkeeper Seung-Min Do’s reflexes. It allowed the Zvornik club to have the best defensive record outside the top five and ensured that they were comfortably removed from the relegation battle come the end of the season. Nyva did struggle for goals, only scoring 33 across the season and some of that might be down to the lack of an Anton Derajevic in the team. What they would do for someone who could fill that void, Lecho Cinika was once believed to be the solution but he has flattered to deceive. Whether it was the finishing or the system which let Nyva down, Janevski will have to devise a solution, you can’t be sure that you will be able to maintain such a strong defensive performance and some of the personnel changes over the summer might make that more difficult. Elimination from the National Cup in the Third Round was difficult to take, especially because it was NK Dyka – Nyva’s regional rivals – who put them out of the tournament and then went on to lift the thing at the end of the season.

What might make Vasil Janevski’s job exponentially more difficult this season is the loss of Kusman Manasiev, a full-back who could do his defensive work diligently and then take the ball up the pitch and away from Nyva’s goal. His sale to Litala ’93 did raise some cash for the club to use in the transfer market, NSD 1.25 million to be exact, but his ability will be missed and it could weaken what was the strongest area of the team. Velyo Kralevski was the only other outgoing player, leaving to Turbine Decraa on a free transfer. Coming the other way, also on a free, was experienced full-back Gavril Toshev. He’s left FK Arsika, a club where he has well-deserved icon status, to fill in on the right-side of Nyva’s defence. He’s not the player he once was, at one time earning caps for the national team, but his knowledge of the game is difficult to find and he should be a useful player to have in the dressing room. Another full-back arrives from Liria Prizren in the form of Bruno Zganec. His signature set Nyva back NSD 300,000, a hefty price for a player who might not quite be up to Top League football, hence why his number of appearances for Liria has been pretty limited. Nyva’s big signing – and the one which is hoped to remedy their goal scoring problems – is Pyazhnayan striker Marat Tkachev from Quebecois side Heart of Saguenay. NSD 1.5 million spent to bring him to the Stadion Sime Pandev and if he can up Nyva’s scoring rate Vasil Janevski might well regard that as money well spent, though the true test will be if his goals are able to keep the club up, something which always remains a fear for Nyva.

Retirements for two bona fide club legends in Anton Derajevic and Rudi Prosenik mean that this is a very different looking Nyva team. It feels like the pair have been around the club forever and you have to think that Janevski will miss having them in the dressing room. Derajevic really changed the path of his career under Janevski, going from bad boy of Mytanar football to a national team striker who could affect games at any moment. They’ll both be missed and we might well find out just how influential they were at the end of the season.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 13TH - Let’s start with the good things about Nyva. They’ve kept hold of Seung-Min Do, a goalkeeper who could easily play for a club higher up the Top League. Ivica Svok hasn’t shown any signs of decline despite being 33. Their midfield of Bozhinoski, Akrapovic, Zmajevic and Kilkenny is solid and consistent, they all know one another’s games intimately. Now let’s look at the negatives. The sale of Kusman Manasiev means that Nyva are severely weakened at left-back. Marat Tkachev signing has shown that the club are willing to buy if they think they have the right player, but the Pyazhnayan is 22 and something of an unknown quantity. There’s a lot of pressure on him to come good quickly this year as scoring was Nyva’s main issue last season. Third, Nyva’s depth is nearly non-existent. Outside of Mersed Jankovic and Sasho Koncaliev it’s difficult to see a player who can come on and not be a step down in quality. Vasil Janevski has icon status for winning a National Cup here, but keeping this set of players up could prove to be his biggest challenge yet. We think he’ll just have enough to do it, the experience in this side should see them over the line, but there’s some very competitive promoted sides to deal with.

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Seung-Min Do            26   CMT      ✪✪✪
DL      Bruno Zganec            26   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Ivica Svok (c)          33   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Krsto Tadic             28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR/DMC  Gavril Toshev           34   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Stefo Bozhinoski        24   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Slavoj Akrapovic        28   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Luka Zmajevic           28   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Conor Kilkenny          28   FOD      ✪✪✪
ST      Lecho Cinika            24   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Marat Tkachev           22   PYA      ✪✪✪

GK      Petar Solakov           30   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Andrei Vasiliadis       33   MYT      ✪
DC      Mersed Jankovic         28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Sinisa Manevski         31   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Zyn Wanar-Xeral         28   QUS      ✪✪
DMC     Vasil Vernekov          18   MYT      ✪
MC      Vasilij Arzensek        32   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Sasho Koncaliev         27   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Dicho Mazneikov         24   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Alessandro Cappelluzzo  29   SOR      ✪✪
ST      Drazen Zhivkov          34   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Marat Tkachev [PYA] from Heart of Saguenay [QUE] to Nyva, NSD 1.5 million
Gavril Toshev [MYT] from FK Arsika to Nyva, free transfer
Bruno Zganec [MYT] from Liria to Nyva, NSD 300,000

OUT
Velyo Kralevski [MYT] from Nyva to Turbine, free transfer
Kusman Manasiev [MYT] from Nyva to Litala 93, NSD 1.25 million

RETIRED
Rudi Prosenik [MYT], DMC/DC, 37
Anton Derajevic [MYT], ST, 40

Legends: Sime Pandev (player); Anton Derajevic (player); Rudi Prosenik (player)
Icons: Vasil Janevski (manager); Vladimir Shervashidze (player); Ilija Lambulic (player); Luka Zmajevic (player); Ivica Svok (player)

NK DYKA

Location: Dyka, Nasto
Stadium: Drachevo (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Dragomir Lazic, 58, 5th season in charge; T: philosopher, R: developer, P: intense

Club synopsis: For the vast majority of their history NK Dyka have been a club which has bounced between the second and third tiers, a lower league team which watched other clubs from Nasto fight it out against the biggest names. Upon their relegation to the Treća Liga in 24/25 iconic club president Blasko Vaskanov had a dream of changing that with his data driven way of looking at the sport which he hoped could take his boyhood club to the top of Mytanar football for the first time ever. Less than 5 years later NK Dyka are regarded as a thoroughly modern club which uses statistics and data analysis to a level which has never been seen before in Mytanija, with it factoring into all levels of decision-making. Some say NK Dyka are trying to reinvent the wheel with new-fangled nonsense, but their approach has allowed them to become self-sufficient with strong youth development and scouting in stark contrast to the financial problems many Mytanar clubs experience. The city of Dyka is historically known for being where the now long deposed Mytanar royal family had their most ostentatious palace, the Alzburg. Residents of Dyka still find it difficult even now to shake the reputation of being the seat of the monarchy and aristocracy.
Fanbase: NK Dyka are reasonably well supported within their own city, though some do tend to support more successful clubs from elsewhere given the club's long history of lower-league mediocrity. The club do not have an active ultras group. Younger generations have experienced a more exciting and successful team and therefore the club is enjoying something of a boom in local support, where children may once have worn the shirts of clubs like Liria Prizren or Energija-Nuklearna they are now proud to wear the colours of NK Dyka. Dyka is an affluent, solidly middle-class city where older generations skew towards social conservatism in the face of a fiercely liberal youth populace which is particularly strong at the large university in the city.
Rivals: Rotor Ravnina (regional)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★
Sponsors: Notek (electronics)

Major honours: 1 x National Cup (33/34)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do NK Dyka stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
The greatest season in NK Dyka’s history, lifting their first ever trophy and writing their own story as part of the rich tapestry which forms the history of the National Cup. They ran a gauntlet to get there: knocking out regional rivals Nyva Zvornik on away goals in the Third Round before sending Olympic Thessia out, edging Arka in a 5-4 aggregate thriller and then the pièce de résistance, a 4-1 aggregate battering of CDSA in the Semi Final. They still had work to do against a Litala ’93 team determined to right the wrongs of the year before, but Dragomir Lazic took a leaf out of the Ararat playbook, forcing Litala into wide areas, packing the centre of the pitch and exploiting the fact that they have little natural width. Then the Mirko Ovcina to Levi Doolan pipeline, NK Dyka’s most productive link-up, delivered the cup-winning goal. The pair will forever be club icons and Lazic might well ascend to an even higher level, somewhat surprising given that he was such an unheralded choice to follow in Dzvezdan Kitanchev’s footsteps. Many thought he’d last a year or two, this will be season number five and he’s done something Kitanchev couldn’t do by winning a trophy.

Success means that clubs higher up the food chain become interested in your players, but that’s something that NK Dyka are well-used to and prepare for every single day. Milan Gobeljic is the next to leave, heading to Liria to provide depth in central defence (and potentially start if young Filip Mlinarevic’s development stalls). Gobeljic earned NK Dyka NSD 750,000, a tidy profit of around NSD 400,000 on the fee they paid Dinamo for his services in 31/32. Lazic had his eye on Mirza Ekmecic before Gobeljic left, but his departure hastened the club’s move for the former NK Thessia man. The 26 year old arrives for NSD 300,000 and whilst his age probably means NK Dyka won’t make as big a profit if he ever leaves he should be able to slot into their back-line fairly seamlessly. Promising centre-back Martin Deliivanov also exits, heading to Atletik for NSD 500,000. It’s perhaps fair to say that Lazic never saw what many around Mytanar football see in Deliivanov, perhaps put-off by his attitude and extra-curricular activities. A move to Atletik could work for all parties in the end. Aca Zivanovic was the only other departure, leaving for JK Ebor for NSD 200,000. All of which leaves us with the most interesting move, the signing of 22 year old target forward Miljka Đurovsdóttir Đurović from Mühlrich for NSD 750,000. Miljka, a Græntfjaller of East Planinan extraction, is a player that got the scouting department in Dyka very excited. That’s difficult to do, they’re usually very coldly focussed on stats and data analysis, but they’ve seen something in the young striker which they feel can work well with Fodhlan forward Levi Doolan. If Ovcina can lay chances on for the pair then NK Dyka might have another sensational campaign and their supporters could see them beat the odds once again.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 10TH - Another team regularly tipped for a specific position in the league table, NK Dyka won’t care a jot if they get seasons like last year’s coming around every so often. Finishing 10th is something which seems to get more difficult every season, especially for clubs like NK Dyka who don’t spend particularly extravagantly. Possessing a player like Mirko Ovcina should make their pursuit of a top-half finish more of a possibility, he’s highly-rated within the national team set-up and should be at the top of the list for a call-up to the national pool for the next World Cup qualifying campaign. He knows how to breakdown opposition defences and that always makes him an asset, particularly when paired with a hard-working runner like Yefim Usov and doubly so with a diligent defensive midfielder like NK Dyka captain Blazhe Gjorgjioski behind him. It’s an exciting time to be an NK Dyka fan and the fact that nobody has really discussed the prospect of a relegation battle tells you everything you need to know about the club’s direction of travel. They appear to be too good for that and the adventure they will be on in the IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup is the reward for all the good work the backroom staff have done to support Dragomir Lazic’s underappreciated coaching.

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Samuil Kashuba          27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Sinisa Vasiljev         29   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Mirza Ekmecic           26   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Petse Samardzhiev       26   MYT      ✪✪✪
DR      Vojco Nitchov           24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Blazhe Gjorgjioski (c)  26   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Mirko Ovcina            22   MYT      ✪✪✪✪
MC      Yefim Usov              24   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMC     Zmejko Matliev          27   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Miljka Đurovića         22   GRF      ✪✪✪
ST      Levi Doolan             29   FOD      ✪✪✪

GK      Pavel Georgiev          24   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Joakim Vaskov           27   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Ezgjan Kobilcov         18   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Vladimir Savic          35   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Gligor Kosovich         28   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Zoran Ilieva            24   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Petvqar Terziovski      22   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Jeroen van der Meiren   27   CRE      ✪✪✪
AMC     Marjan Uzunovski        25   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Neven Krnic             30   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Vancho Churanov         26   MYT      ✪✪✪ 

IN
Miljka Đurovsdóttir Đurović [GRF] from Mühlrich [GRF] to NK Dyka, NSD 750,000
Mirza Ekmecic [MYT] from NK Thessia to NK Dyka, NSD 300,000

OUT
Martin Deliivanov [MYT] from NK Dyka to Atletik, NSD 500,000
Milan Gobeljic [MYT] from NK Dyka to Liria, NSD 750,000
Aca Zivanovic [MYT] from NK Dyka to JK Ebor, NSD 200,000

Legends: Blasko Vaskanov (club president); Blazhe Gjorgjioski (player); Dragomir Lazic (manager); Dzvezdan Kitanchev (manager/player)
Icons: Levi Doolan [FOD] (player); Mirko Ovcina (player); Milan Gobeljic (player)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 34/35 SEASON PREVIEW PART FOUR.

-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec

Tactical (T) styles      Notes
Counter                  Favours counter-attacking build-up play
Defensive                Favours defensive football
Long Ball                Favours direct build-up play
Offensive                Favours offensive football
Philosopher              Strong proponents of a specific way of playing
Possession               Favours shorter build-up play
Regimented               Organised and well-drilled approach in all phases of play
Tinkerman                Regularly makes tactical changes

Recruitment (R) styles   Notes 
Buyer                    Happy to buy in what they need, has a clear idea of signings they want to make    
Developer                Develops youngsters helping them reach their potential ability
Merchant                 Happy to make lots of transfer dealings both in and out     
Resourceful              Finds novel ways to utilise players, has an eye for under-appreciated players who can improve their team
Thrifty                  Disinclined to spend money and prefers to work with what they have

Personality (P) styles   Notes
Abrasive                 Causes friction, both with other managers/teams and at their own club
Ambitious                Wants to succeed and manage at the very pinnacle of the sport
Casual                   Relaxed and laidback approach
Charismatic              Motivates players and keeps morale high
Intense                  Extremely focussed and involved in their job
Loyal                    Loyal to club they are at/players they currently have, remembers past allegiances
Maverick                 Unorthodox and independent-minded, expect the unexpected
Perfectionist            Strives for high standards and is annoyed by those who don't
Spirited                 Fierce competitor and highly out-spoken

SK ELITA RYZAEV

Location: Kocunar, Ebor, Visoravna
Stadium: Stadion Elita Ryzaev (Capacity: 5,000)
Manager: Martin Labrovic, 46, 5th season in charge; T: counter, R: buyer, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: SK Elita Ryzaev is a sports club which was formed in Ebor’s Kocunar neighbourhood in the aftermath of the Mytanar Conflict, named after and celebrating the area’s most famous daughter, Elita Ryzaev. Ryzaev was an Otpor fighter during the Conflict, playing a key role in the resistance against the Kalinina regime and she demonstrated a number of heroic feats during the Ebor offensive; the defence against the Siege of Thessia; and in covert operations working with Euran intelligence. Ryzaev is a hero to many Mytanars, although her name also draws ire from those who were supportive of the Kalinina regime – particularly in regions such as Zentria and Magevskaya; as well as in areas of Nasto and Avnalia and cities like Miago. Since the Conflict the club’s footballing arm have had a speedy rise up the leagues, supported in recent years by the money of Vasko Rebec, the owner of health food and supplement giant Družba Svobode.
Fanbase: The group who originally founded SK Elita Ryzaev wanted to set-up a sports club for people who supported Ryzaev’s ideals: freedom for all, acceptance of everybody and communitarian economics. Those beliefs resonated with many in Ebor and the club soon had to purchase land to build a stadium of their own – their current 5,000 capacity Stadion Elita Ryzaev – to meet the demand for tickets. They fill the stadium out every week, though in recent years dispute with major investor Vasko Rebec have led to intermittent boycotts. Many of the club’s ‘original supporters’ regard Rebec’s involvement as contrary to the political ideals Ryzaev herself supported and they have railed against what they see as his moves towards commercialisation of the club. Newcomers enjoy the football and Top League status could see those original fans marginalised further. Their ultras Severna Tribuna have led the way in the fight against this. As a group they are generally known more for their impressive choreographies than their violence or hooliganism.
Rivals: JK Ebor (local/competitive)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★★ / Training facilities ★★★★ / Youth academy ★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★★ / Scouting ★★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Družba Svobode (health foods and supplements)

Major honours: none

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Dalibor Kosec
• Where do SK Elita Ryzaev stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Whilst SK Elita Ryzaev managed to achieve their goals, i.e. remain in the Top League, they might well be a little disappointed that it wasn’t a more comfortable end to the season for them. They finished only three points clear of a Vitalia side who spent nowhere near as much and might feel that Martin Labrovic perhaps should have done a little better than that with the resources at his disposal. Still, they often say that the first season is the most difficult at this level and they are over that hump. Year two will be about progression and the board will want to see the club maintain their top-flight status in a much more orderly fashion, particularly given the money spent once again, but more on that in just a second. SKER continued their good progress in the National Cup, reaching the quarters a year after nearly making the final, eventually being sent out by Litala ’93 (their nemesis in that competition for a second year in a row). What will probably please the club the most is that Casey Roehampton was a truly electrifying presence down the right-flank, breaking the 10-goal mark by the end of the season and if she can match that this year then SKER will likely have to fulfil their obligation to sign her for NSD 4 million at the end of the 2 year loan.

As mentioned SKER weren’t afraid to remain as active in the market as they were upon getting promoted a year earlier. This year the spend was NSD 3.25 million (NSD 3 million net), so you’d expect them to be able to improve on their 13th place finish from last term. They’ve tried to add a good mix of new starting talent and solid back-up options, smart given that the latter tended to be the club’s weakness last year, where injuries could wreak havoc on the level of performance they could produce. Aries Chariots forward Alisander Farham is the headline arrival, coming in for a hefty NSD 1.5 million fee and Labrovic will need him to deliver goals to justify that fee. The move does allow the now 33 year old Josip Brajdic to play from the bench, where he’s likely to be a little more effective. SKER spent NSD 500,000 on Mihailo Gisic and Alen Osolnik (arriving from BVK Dinamo and JK Ebor), the former is likely to provide depth behind Miha Slomsek, although he could easily end up deputising should Slomsek’s obvious potential attract a suitor from higher up the table. The latter is likely to take over from Kadi Camara once the Banijan’s decline becomes terminal. Two Magevs arrive too, Lavrenti Varushkin on a free from Vitalia to provide another option in central midfield and Luka Shchavelsky from FK Magevskaya for NSD 750,000 to start at the base of SKER’s midfield. The 22 year old is a big talent and SKER have beaten off competition from some big clubs to bring him to Kocunar.

The players leaving all go for frees or minor fees, Pawel Kwasniowski the only one raising any money to put towards bringing SKER’s slightly ludicrous net spend down. He heads to NK Thessia for NSD 250,000. Arseni Bazarov exits on a free to Pamuk Trunca, Jas Bertoncelj doing the same to go to Turbine Decraa and Demir Udovic going out on loan to the same club to gain some vital first team experience. Two retirements leave the club with a younger squad profile, 35 year old left-back Djuro Bremec and 36 year old central defender Tobija Golob both calling time on their careers.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 11TH - To only be predicting an improvement of a couple of league places feels a bit crazy given the money spent by SK Elita Ryzaev this summer, it’s something which ultras group Severna Tribuna are also deeply uncomfortable with, protesting Vasko Rebec’s ownership throughout the summer with banners such as ‘millions spent on players whilst kids in Ebor still live in abject poverty’ perhaps drawing attention to ways the money could be spent better. The ultras are expected to keep their section of Stadion Elita Ryzaev empty this season, continuing their protest due to what they regard as the hijacking of a political revolutionary’s image for commercial gain. On the pitch you would expect an improvement, but this does still have a feel of a team thrown together with a lot of moving parts which need to learn to work with one another. Similar to last year we might not see the best of the squad until the tail-end of the season, once they’ve had some time to gel, though we would expect to see Roehampton hit the ground running given her obvious ability. Her goal contributions will be vital to SKER’s fortunes and Alisander Farham would like to be the main beneficiary of them. If he can be the clinical forward SKER want him to be they might be able to push for the top-half.

---

Pos.    Name                 Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Ivan Drofenik        26   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Miha Slomsek         18   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Kadi Camara (c)      35   BNJ      ✪✪✪
DC      Noah Vervloet        28   TLI      ✪✪✪✪
DR      Matija Gvardjancic   18   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC/MC  Luka Shchavelsky     22   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Bojan Pozar          26   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Marcus Autta         23   CMT      ✪✪✪
AML/R   Alem Jezernik        20   MYT      ✪✪✪
AMR     Casey Roehampton     25   NPH      ✪✪✪✪    (On loan from Newrook City [NPH])
ST      Alisander Farham     23   NPH      ✪✪✪

GK      Milivoj Ficko        32   MYT      ✪
DL      Mihailo Gisic        28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Alen Osolnik         23   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Jadranko Jeric       26   MYT      ✪
DR      Egdo Jelovan         20   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Egidij Erzen         20   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Vincencij Kapun      22   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Lavrenti Varushkin   23   MYT      ✪✪
AML     Cosme Morillo        35   DOM      ✪
AMR     Stojan Zerjav        27   MYT      ✪
ST      Josip Brajdic        33   MYT      ✪✪✪

IN
Alisander Farham [NPH] from Aries Chariots [NPH] to SK Elita Ryzaev, NSD 1.5 million
Mihailo Gisic [MYT] from BVK Dinamo to SK Elita Ryzaev, NSD 500,000
Alen Osolnik [MYT] from JK Ebor to SK Elita Ryzaev, NSD 500,000
Luka Shchavelsky [MYT] from FK Magevskaya to SK Elita Ryzaev, NSD 750,000
Lavrenti Varushkin [MYT] from Vitalia to SK Elita Ryzaev, free transfer

OUT
Arseni Bazarov [MYT] from SK Elita Ryzaev to Pamuk, free transfer
Jas Bertoncelj [MYT] from SK Elita Ryzaev to Turbine, free transfer
Pawel Kwasniowski [RAM] from SK Elita Ryzaev to NK Thessia, NSD 250,000
Demir Udovic [MYT] from SK Elita Ryzaev to Turbine, loan

RETIRED
Djuro Bremec [MYT], DL, 35
Tobija Golob [MYT], DC, 36

Legends: Martin Labrovic (manager); Kristjan Krizanic (player); Bojan Pozar (player)
Icons: Ivan Drofenik (player); Luca Zagorc (manager)

ENERGIJA-NUKLEARNA

Location: Miago, Vojovitica
Stadium: Miagostadion (Capacity: 50,000)
Manager: Zdeslav Nesic, 58, 4th season in charge; T: possession, R: developer, P: ambitious

Club synopsis: Energija-Nuklearna are a historic Mytanar club who many consider to have underperformed in terms of success relative to their size in the past. For a long time they were one of the four ever-present Top League teams, though that particular streak was broken with their relegation in the 30/31 campaign, much to the glee of still ever-present rivals CDSA (Energija-Nuklearna like to lord their two Top League titles over CDSA, though). Their historic financial difficulties have made it a semi-official club policy to be almost entirely averse to buying players and they rely on their fantastic youth academy as much as possible. As a club they are inextricably linked with Miago's coal and nuclear power stations with workers from the energy sector founding the team - there's an irony in the fact that Miago's air pollution is the worst in the country. They aren't particularly well-liked outside of their home city, many see them as self-important without the success to back it up and lots of clubs with left-wing links despise Energija-Nuklearna due to their ultras' well-documented far-right sympathies.
Fanbase: They have a large fanbase across Mytanija, drawing supporters from all over the country given the way they bounced back from financial difficulties to win the league in the 18/19 season. For the most part their supporters are considered to be working-class and with Miago being a one-club city Energija-Nuklearna are often the talk of the town and people in all professions can be found discussing the team's fortunes as they go about their day-to-day work. This rather ramps the pressure up for the manager, with expectations usually being quite high. Grolija are the club's largest ultras group and they hold incredible sway behind the scenes regarding all sorts of decisions which affect the club's future. Grolija are infamous for their right-wing political beliefs and can often be seen raising fascist salutes and chanting about how they'd like to eradicate all Thessians and Rauchiks in their sector at the Miagostadion.
Rivals: CDSA (North Vojovitican Derby); Liria Prizren (regional); 1896 Ebor (historic); Atletik Thessia (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★ / Pitch ★★★ / Training facilities ★★★ / Youth academy ★★★★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★★ / Scouting ★★ / Youth recruitment ★★★★★
Sponsors: Kikinda (confectionery)

Major honours: 2 x Mytanar Top Leagues (06/07, 18/19); 2 x National Cups (15/16, 17/18)

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Irma Simunec
• Where do Energija-Nuklearna stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Zdeslav Nesic’s possession-based approach bore fruit once again for Energija-Nuklearna, seeing them promoted back to the Top League as Druga Liga champions. ‘The box’, as Nesic’s narrow 4-2-2-2 has been dubbed, is an unusual formation in Mytanar football but it caused problems for opponents throughout the campaign. Right-back Matija Zrinski and striker Vedran Grcic were tasked with maintaining the team’s width, Zrinski charging forward from his nominal full-back position and Grcic drifting wide and this two-pronged approach allowed Energija-Nuklearna to build-up in a 3-2-5 shape when in possession. Lev Repin’s impact on the sport in Mytanija cannot be underestimated when you have second tier sides picking up tactical concepts like that, though Zdeslav Nesic has never intended to be a second tier manager. His team were actually second best in terms of scoring and conceding, runners-up Rudar having better statistics in both categories, but the all-important stat was the one in the points column and Nesic will be pleased he’s been able to instil a fantastic winning culture at the club despite arriving to fans who didn’t want him to be there. The ultras group Grolija are still unconvinced of his presence, but winning football matches tends to make any disquiet disappear for a while. They also enjoyed a run to the Fourth Round of the National Cup, beating Zenit Esca 9-3 on aggregate in the Second Round before putting 1896 Ebor out 5-4 in the Third. That particular result will have helped Nesic endear himself to any doubters, though Litala ’93 eliminating them might have set him back again.

Not a lot of business in or out of the Miagostadion this summer, a state of affairs which tends to be the case at a club which is fiercely determined to be self-sufficient and produce its own players – almost autarkic in approach. Atanasije Tanackovic could potentially end up being a very astute signing, Tanackovic was out of favour at Litala ’93 with their summer signing Enigma Armageddon meaning that he would be third in the pecking order for a spot at the base of midfield. Zdeslav Nesic was only too happy to part with NSD 600,000 to bring him to Vojovitica and he’ll partner club captain Predrag Vukomanovic as part of the defensive midfield duo in this Energija-Nuklearna team. The 26 year old should be entering his peak years and the challenge of trying to keep a club as big as Energija-Nuklearna in the Top League was one of the main factors in his move. The club also did good bits of business in retaining Bruno Saranic, Zdenko Smolic and Ricardo Sculac. The trio of 24 year olds all emerged at a similar time and are key in Nesic’s vision of how this team should play. Smolic has had offers to leave every summer since he was about 16 but has remained loyal to his boyhood club and Sculac was Energija-Nuklearna’s top scorer last year. They would be extremely difficult to replace so keeping them in Miago is invaluable. The only other movement of note is the retirement of Luka Bobic, the veteran centre-half who didn’t want to retire unless the club were in the Top League. He achieved his goal and now he’s off to join the world of punditry, best of luck Luka!

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 14TH - Nesic has a way of playing which could engender performances which allow Energija-Nuklearna to re-establish themselves as a Top League club in the long term. The issue they have at the moment is that they’re lacking a couple of pieces in their starting eleven to ensure they have the quality to do that in their first season. Predrag Vukomanovic has been an outstanding servant to the club but at 35 he isn’t the player that he once was. Matej Pervan is likely to become a solid Top League centre-half, but he perhaps needs another year of marinating before being thrust into a starting spot. They also have weaknesses at left-back and alongside Zdenko Smolic in the pair of attacking midfielders. Branko Poljic is in a similar position to Pervan in that he might well become a solid contributor at this level, but at the moment he’s perhaps not up to scratch. Nesic is a good manager though, something which can act as a bit of an equaliser to a lack of quality. The interest other clubs hold in the likes of Bertovic, Saranic, Smolic and Sculac can only be a good thing, if Nesic can get the same tune out of them as he did last term then they might surprise a few teams and send somebody down in their stead.

---

Pos.    Name                     Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Jasmin Bertovic          30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL/C    Stjepan Viskovic         28   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Bruno Saranic            24   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Matej Pervan             22   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Matija Zrinski           30   MYT      ✪✪✪
DMC     Predrag Vukomanovic (c)  35   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Atanasije Tanackovic     26   MYT      ✪✪✪    
AMC     Branko Poljic            23   MYT      ✪✪
AMC     Zdenko Smolic            24   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Vedran Grcic             31   MYT      ✪✪✪
ST      Ricardo Sculac           24   MYT      ✪✪✪ 

GK      Sasa Stjepanek           28   MYT      ✪✪
DL      Lucijan Baljak           31   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Nebojsa Guzina           35   MYT      ✪✪
DC/DMC  Vitomir Sukhorukov       29   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Dusan Gojkovic           34   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Nedzad Cengic            24   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Dejan Jovev              29   MYT      ✪✪
AMC/L   Sandro Pijevic           25   MYT      ✪✪
AMC     Imanuel Bacic            22   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Emanuele Manzo           26   AUS      ✪✪
ST      Damir Kunica             19   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Atanasije Tanackovic [MYT] from Litala 93 to Energija-Nuklearna, NSD 600,000

RETIRED
Luka Bobic [MYT], DC, 40

Legends: Kristian Haugen (player); Miroslav Filo (player); Niklas Kulmala (player); Mario Tschauner (manager)
Icons: Filip Wachsmuth (player); Omet Drazaal [CRE] (player); Carlos Alberto Saez [VLD] (player); Duje Madar (player/manager); Predrag Vukomanovic (player); Zdenko Smolic (player)

RUDAR

Location: Uchenik, Avnalia
Stadium: Velenija (Capacity: 20,000)
Manager: Veton Rashaikov, 56,4th season in charge; T: regimented, R: merchant, P: spirited

Club synopsis: Rudar are a small club from Avnalia who represent Uchenik's mining workers. They are a working-class club with deep roots in their local community and their support is fiercely loyal despite their relative lack of numbers. Uchenik is a relatively poor place and this is reflected in the club's finances and therefore its recruitment, the club has to produce its own players where possible due to the financial restrictions it has in place. Across Mytanija Rudar is thought of as a tough place to go despite the good weather, Velenija's stands are so tight to the pitch it creates a really intimidating atmosphere and its 20,000 capacity represents 10% of Uchenik's population when full. That demonstrates the importance of the club to locals.
Fanbase: A small but loyal fanbase with significant links to Uchenik's mining community, something which all Rudar supporters are very proud of. Avnalia is a chain of three islands and Uchenik's island is the only one which has significant mining activity and Rudar supporters like the fact that this marks them out from their fellow Avnalis, some of which may support Nyva which is rather handy given they're Rudar's main rivals. Rudar's ultras PS 11-19 are enormously right-wing and have a deep friendship with Energija-Nuklearna's Grolija, both groups are regularly seen together at games against the likes of CDSA, Ararat and Atletik. This friendship is built upon their right-wing politics and support for the Kalinina regime as well as widespread adherence to the Zentrian Orthodox branch of Christianity in both Uchenik and Miago. PS 11-19 also have friendships with groups from 1923 Esca and FK Magevskaya for similar reasons. This means they have a large target on their backs when they visit clubs with left-wing supporters.
Rivals: Nyva Zvornik (All-Avnalia Derby)
Facilities: Stadium ★★ / Pitch ★ / Training facilities ★★ / Youth academy ★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★ / Scouting ★★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: RM I-P (mining)

Major honours: none

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Cerim Jovic
• Where do Rudar stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Veton Rashaikov is earning a bit of a reputation for being a Druga Liga expert. He’s able to get a somewhat limited Rudar Uchenik squad promoted once again, scoring the most and conceding the least in the division and getting another bite at the Top League cherry this year. Rudar were unfortunate to miss out on winning the second tier title, being edged out by Energija-Nuklearna after a titanic three-way tussle – Lok. Cassia the third contender in that battle. Branko Brkljacic proved that there is life in the old dog yet, impressing immensely at the lower level and appearing as if he had all the time in the world when in possession. Stamat Dumbalakov, Sofroni Tsitskov and Ante Tutic all also impressed. Tutic playing the slightly withdrawn role as something of a false nine in Rudar’s 4-1-4-1 formation. Zhen Luo was also brilliant, though Rudar will be without him for the new campaign. The Avnali side also managed a run to the Fourth Round of the National Cup, Atletik eventually seeing them off at that stage with a 6-3 aggregate defeat. Rudar did manage a creditable 3-3 draw at home whilst already 3-0 down and they will have to use the home advantage that Velenija can give them wherever possible to cobble points together this year.

A lot of incomings in Uchenik, Rashaikov not one to stay loyal to the players who brought him up in keeping with his wheeler-dealer reputation. As mentioned Yue midfielder Zhen Luo departed the club for Liria Prizren, bringing in an NSD 800,000 fee which covered all of Rudar’s outlay on transfers. That does represent a big loss in terms of talent for the club, though they did at least get Liria’s Duro Galovic thrown into the deal as a sweetener and he’ll take up Luo’s spot in the Rudar midfield this year. Partnering him will be 16 year old 1896 Ebor loanee Jure Potocnik, a player who the whole of Mytanar football has enormous expectations for. He’ll be the more decisive playmaker in the midfield, though Rashaikov will hope he can chip in with goals too. Rudar took advantage of Arka’s relegation to sign Sergei Khlebov on a free and the 31 year old will instantly add a bit of quality in net. Then we come to the transfers which actually cost money, Braco Lazarevic arrives as Rudar’s new left-back for NSD 200,000 from Litala ’93; Zeljko Kuzmanovic from 1923 Esca for NSD 250,000 to give them a different option / playing style to Ante Tutic up front; and experienced winger Viggo Sjostrom comes in from Ararat for the same fee. Those three moves all have the vibe of being prepared for another Druga Liga season should the worst happen this year, though Sjostrom at least does bring in a history of winning things with an underdog team given his league, cup and Copa de Campeones successes at Ararat. Central defender Luka Cvitanic, now 39, also called time on his career in the only other business of note.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 15th - Rashaikov could face an uphill task to keep this group up. Getting six new players integrated into a squad is difficult enough, but when five of them are expected to be starters and you’re a newly promoted team the size of that challenge multiplies almost exponentially. Looking at the positives Rudar have at least retained the players who have been at this level before and who have impressed. Branko Brkljacic might be 38 but he was a stalwart for Atletik and Mytanija for a reason and is still at an exceptional level of fitness and technical ability for a club like Rudar. Stamat Dumbalakov seems like he’s been around forever and is an assured presence in defence, whilst Ante Tutic at the other end of the pitch is able to link play by dropping into midfield and can poach chances in the penalty area. The loan of Potocnik is a real coup and has everybody involved with the club excited, but a 16 year old moving pretty much the longest distance you can move in Mytanija to play football for a year might not end up how you would hope – it’ll require serious mental strength for him to succeed, but if he’s the player people believe he might be then that sort of mentality should be a given. They’re seriously lacking in depth as you would expect, but we’ve had stranger things happen in the Top League than thin squads stay up. Rudar might well be the next.

---

Pos.    Name                   Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Sergei Khlebov         31   MYT      ✪✪✪
DL      Braco Lazarevic        25   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Stamat Dumbalakov      28   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Kur Samardzhiev        29   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Blagoj Kovachev        26   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Branko Brkljacic (c)   38   MYT      ✪✪✪
ML      Sofroni Tsitskov       26   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Duro Galovic           30   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Jure Potocnik          16   MYT      ✪✪✪     (On loan from 1896 Ebor)
MR/L    Viggo Sjostrom         31   OPP      ✪✪
ST/AMC  Ante Tutic             29   MYT      ✪✪✪

GK      Branimir Lukic         30   MYT      ✪
DL      Ivica Ivezic           26   MYT      ✪
DC      Gojmir Antonov         18   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Sacha Stoychev         20   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Miljan Rakocevic       36   MYT      ✪
DMC     Jozo Bartovic          18   MYT      ✪
ML      Stojan Jovanovska      29   MYT      ✪
MC      Zvezdan Obradovic      37   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Teodor Tsarknias       29   MYT      ✪✪
MR      Ivan Tuntev            28   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Zeljko Kuzmanovic      31   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Duro Galovic [MYT] from Liria to Rudar, p/exchange
Braco Lazarevic [MYT] from Litala 93 to Rudar, NSD 200,000
Sergei Khlebov [MYT] from Arka to Rudar, free transfer
Zeljko Kuzmanovic [MYT] from 1923 Esca to Rudar, NSD 250,000
Jure Potocnik [MYT] from 1896 Ebor to Rudar, loan
Viggo Sjostrom [OPP] from Ararat to Rudar, NSD 250,000

OUT
Zhen Luo [YZH] from Rudar to Liria, NSD 800,000

RETIRED
Luka Cvitanic [MYT], DC, 39

Legends: Boba Umkhayev (player); Dusko Konecni (manager); Ante Tutic (player)
Icons: Vaclav Simon (manager); Zvezdan Obradovic (player); Branko Brkljacic (player); Stamat Dumbalakov (player); Zhen Luo [YZH] (player)

LOK. CASSIA

Location: Cassia, Rauchnya
Stadium: Stadion Cassia (Capacity: 22,000)
Manager: Dusko Konecni, 55, 4th season in charge; T: counter, R: resourceful, P: charismatic

Club synopsis: The club of Cassia's (and Rauchnya's) railway workers, Lok. are your standard well-supported provincial team which perhaps hasn't always played as well as a team from a city of around 1 million people should. Their rivalry with Ararat Severyan is one of the most fiery matches in Mytanar football and hasn't been played as often in recent years due to the two clubs' different trajectories, a resumption of the fixture is always eagerly awaited on both sides of the Rauchik divide. They are a club of modest means, but they are another which has been bolstered by recent government investment, a brand new stadium their reward ahead of the Copa Rushmori held in Mytanija. Lok. Cassia held the unwanted accolade of being the worst Top League club ever for around 12 years following their pitiful total of 12 points in the 16/17 season, thankfully that has since been surpassed in sheer awfulness by FK Magevskaya's 10 point season in 28/29.
Fanbase: Whilst Lok. Cassia's main rivals Ararat Severyan respond to anti-Rauchik sentiment by promoting Mytanar unity and inclusivity, the Gate 11 ultras respond to it with vociferous right-wing Rauchik nationalism. Gate 11 do not have as much influence over the club as other right-wing groups seem to enjoy and they are regularly criticised by players, managers and more moderate sections of the Lok. fanbase as a result. It is a large fanbase which crosses socioeconomic lines due to the size of Cassia's population. Their biggest rivalry is with Ararat Severyan due to both regional proximity and opposing political views; and the Gate 11 group also have a bone to pick with CDSA's ultras whom they regard as lily-livered communists that talk a good game but weren't there when the Rauchik people were being exterminated by Kalinina's regime. There are regularly violent clashes with right-wing groups from parts of the country which backed Kalinina's regime too (eg. with Energija-Nuklearna's Grolija, 1923 Esca's Odeljak 1-11 etc).
Rivals: Ararat Severyan (Rauchik Derby); CDSA (political)
Facilities: Stadium ★★★★★ / Pitch ★★★★ / Training facilities ★★ / Youth academy ★★
Recruitment: Financial power ★★ / Scouting ★★ / Youth recruitment ★★
Sponsors: Inženira (engineering)

Major honours: none

---

GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Irma Simunec
• Where do Lok. Cassia stand ahead of the 34/35 season?
Lok. went up in third place last season, albeit only finishing three points behind Energija-Nuklearna and actually being level on points with runners-up Rudar. They were title challengers for much of the campaign and the fact that there was a three-horse race for the Druga Liga title is perhaps a good sign for the health of Mytanija’s second tier. Izudin Kastelec had a particularly good time, evidently playing at a lower standard than what he is used to and he made it look easy. You feel that a big move has perhaps passed him by at this point in his career, the interest from Mytanija’s ‘big three’ has waned but that won’t bother Lok. Cassia fans much – they’ll just be glad to keep him. A season in the second tier also allowed the likes of Joso Pretnar and newly-minted Sargossa international Milagros Fernán to emerge, benefitting Lok’s squad more widely. Rasid Zuzek has been their key defender for a couple of years and he was impressive too, earning a big move as a result, but more on that in just a moment. Lok. also managed a run to the Fourth Round of the National Cup, mimicking the other two promoted sides, their run ended with a 4-1 aggregate defeat to SK Elita Ryzaev – something which might be slightly worrying for anybody in Cassia given that SKER are likely to be one of Lok’s main rivals in the Top League relegation battle this year.

The hope will be that Lok. have been able to bridge that gap to SKER over the summer. They’ve tried to do that by re-signing Daris Dolinsek from NK Thessia, the 26 year old came through the ranks in Cassia but felt a move away was the best choice for his development a few years back. He’s back at Lok. now, costing them NSD 200,000 after a few years which have basically been an extended development loan. He’ll partner Miljan Kocjan after Rasid Zuzek departed Cassia for Atletik Thessia, a controversial move given that Lok. and Atletik ultras sometimes clash on politics and due to the latter’s friendship with Ararat. Zuzek’s sale brought NSD 500,000 into Lok’s coffers, though you feel that the money won’t match-up to the impact Zuzek could have had in terms of improving Lok’s defence this season. The only other incoming move was the signing of Danilo Vasiljevic on the expiry of his contract with FK Arsika. Vasiljevic will come in at the base of Lok’s midfield and use his defensive nous to allow Izudin Kastelec and Joso Pretnar to play a little bit more expansively ahead of him. Lok. manager Dusko Konecni was interested in bringing a winger to the Stadion Cassia, but unfortunately couldn’t find the right move and that means Lok. will go into the new season with Edvin Vehovec and Smajil Krasevec, who may be a little bit disgruntled due to the gaffer looking to replace them. Not the best thing for team spirit early on in the campaign.

GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 16TH - If Rudar are lacking Top League quality depth then Lok. Cassia basically have none at all. In some ways Lok’s squad is actually preferable to Rudar’s, it’s more settled and you get the feeling that the 4-3-3 they use is a simpler formation to try to employ in the Top League than Rudar’s 4-1-4-1 with a withdrawn striker. Konecni has Efthimis Spiteroglou at his disposal, the Othilean is big and physical and will enable Lok. to get the ball up the pitch and away from their own goal. Izudin Kastelec and Joso Pretnar are a pair who wouldn’t look out of place plying their trade for one of the league’s perennially mid-table clubs. Kocjan can marshal a defence and Fernán is a player who appears to be developing at a rate of knots. If only they could have kept Zuzek, you would feel a bit more positive for this Lok. Cassia side. Looking at their bench it is apparent that there isn’t much quality to change games outside of youngsters Leon Macek, Jakub Plecnik, experienced midfielder Hajrudin Kerin and inconsistent striker Anel Belsak. Even that four are more Druga Liga than Top League, though Macek and Plecnik will likely one day grow into competent performers at the higher level. Lok. will have a difficult campaign, but for once they might even be likeable to the neutral despite their ultras’ questionable political views. Who thought you’d hear that coming into the season?

---

Pos.    Name                    Age  Nation   Rating
GK      Gerasim Runov (c)       33   MYT      ✪✪
DL/ML   Milagros Fernán         22   SRG      ✪✪✪
DC      Miljan Kocjan           27   MYT      ✪✪✪
DC      Daris Dolinsek          26   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Svetozar Tomazin        27   MYT      ✪✪
DMC     Danilo Vasiljevic       32   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Izudin Kastelec         25   MYT      ✪✪✪
MC      Joso Pretnar            23   MYT      ✪✪✪
AML     Edvin Vehovec           26   MYT      ✪✪
AMR     Smajil Krasevec         23   MYT      ✪✪
ST      Efthimis Spiteroglou    28   OTH      ✪✪✪

GK      Daniel Novakovic        26   MYT      ✪
DL      Leon Macek              18   MYT      ✪✪
DC      Frane Lipus             18   MYT      ✪
DC      Jakub Plecnik           18   MYT      ✪✪
DR      Enej Kumar              32   MYT      ✪
DMC     Hajrudin Kerin          31   MYT      ✪✪
MC      Misel Lukic             34   MYT      ✪
MC      Vukasin Jelic           34   MYT      ✪
AML     Rolando Ledinek         30   MYT      ✪
AMR/ST  Milos Tsvetanov         36   MYT      ✪
ST      Anel Belsak             24   MYT      ✪✪

IN
Daris Dolinsek [MYT] from NK Thessia to Lok. Cassia, NSD 200,000
Danilo Vasiljevic [MYT] from FK Arsika to Lok. Cassia, free transfer

OUT
Rasid Zuzek [MYT] from Lok. Cassia to Atletik, NSD 500,000

Legends: Viktor Janczek (manager); Izudin Kastelec (player)
Icons: Takats Piursz (player); Sergey Kochergin (player); Edin Znidarsic (manager/player); Gerasim Runov (player)

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 34/35 SEASON REVIEW

Coming off the back of a season where Atletik won their 14th Mytanar Top League title you could be forgiven for thinking that the rest of the league were prepared to accept their fate once again, so dominant have Atletik been down the years, but last season was more interesting than the end result perhaps indicated. 1896 Ebor managed to push the eventual champions all the way, ending up only three points behind and under Tana Colbright they appear to be heading in the right direction. 1923 Esca have added consistency to quality under Sava Grgurovic and they might relish a title challenge after back-to-back 3rd place finishes. Liria will want to compete a little more after losing their way a little under Adel Gudelj, whilst the likes of CDSA and Litala ’93 will battle for IFCF qualification once again.

At the opposite end of the table SK Elita Ryzaev managed to stay up last term, though it was perhaps a little closer than they would have liked given the money spent. They will want it to be much more comfortable this season with another small fortune spent to bolster their squad. Tekstil, Nyva and NK Dyka will be looking nervously over their shoulders, afraid that they might well slip into a rather unexpected and unwanted relegation battle should they err whatsoever over the course of the campaign. Energija-Nuklearna return to the Top League as champions under the tutelage of Zdeslav Nesic and they will believe that this time they are much more prepared for the rigours of the top-flight. Rudar Uchenik and Lok. Cassia join them and whilst their lack of depth may present issues they will hope to give a good account of themselves. Lots to keep an eye on.

Let’s find out what happened this year:



1923 Esca have a reputation for being the club of the establishment, inextricably linked with the heart of the capital, thought of as aloof and snooty and having a vision of themselves which is well beyond the reality of the club’s fortunes. Up until the 30/31 National Cup 1923 Esca had never actually lifted a trophy, the club’s infrastructure had been in place for years and probably should have supported more success but financial mismanagement, poor coaching and even worse recruitment had prevented the club from achieving, well, anything really. Supporters of other clubs regard that as confirmation of the capital’s detachment from the rest of the country, 1923 Esca the lightning rod for much of the ill-feeling those from other regions have towards the very worst kind of Escans.

The arrival of Sava Grgurovic as manager has allowed 1923 Esca to change their path, he’s been at the club for 9 years at this point and whilst his appointment was met with disquiet at the time he has only endeared himself to the club’s notoriously difficult supporters in the intervening period. His 4-5-1 might not appear to be the most expansive formation around, but it often plays a little bit more offensively than it looks. His wide midfielders are tasked with a lot of running, expected to be defensively responsible whilst also maintaining the team’s width in attacking areas. The 4-5-1 often becomes the rather in-vogue 3-2-5 in possession, with the right-back tucking in and the marauding left-back Armoni Okombo racing forward to either overlap or underlap the left-sided midfielder.

Mentioning Okombo means we have to discuss another area in which Grgurovic has excelled: recruitment. Okombo was brought to Esca on a pittance and has become the best left-back in the league over the last few years. The likes of Marek Ladicorbic and Imanuel Smiciklas were signed when other clubs were struggling, the best players on limited teams and Sava Grgurovic was able to assess how their attributes would fit in a team with rather loftier ambitions. This is the side which Grgurovic has put together over the years, the team which has taken the club to back-to-back 3rd place finishes. Grgurovic’s moves this summer may well have been the most pivotal in the club’s history however.

Grgurovic wanted to introduce an experienced centre-half to his starting line-up, the sort of player who could lift the rest of the team with their performances and raise the ceiling of the club as a whole. Step right up veteran Tumbran international Harry Henderson, brought in for a very reasonable NSD 1 million from Aleiusia Capital. Henderson partnered with the supremely talented Sargossan-Mytanar youngster Nicolás Riesgo looks like a top defensive partnership and Grgurovic was floating on clouds after the deal was confirmed:

“It’s the sort of transfer which can lift an entire club, we didn’t come into the transfer window expecting to bring Harry in specifically, but we knew the profile of player that we wanted and when the opportunity arose we knew we had to move quickly to bring him here to Esca. We weren’t sure if it was something that would appeal to him initially, but we put our offer across and showed him what we’ve been hoping to build towards and how we felt he could help us get there. He liked what we had to say and now he’s in our squad, I’m ecstatic, it feels like the sort of move that we needed to make that next step up – to try to reach Atletik and 1896 Ebor.”

A relatively forgiving start to the schedule saw 1923 Esca avoid any of Mytanija’s traditional ‘big three’ in their first five games, though they did travel to CDSA and beat them 1-0 at Psenicova. That has traditionally been a difficult fixture for 1923 Esca given the political differences between the clubs and their ultras and CDSA always reserve a hostile reception for the club from the capital. That win perhaps underlined the story of their first five games, with five played and five won. A 4-3 thriller at Radnika saw them outlast FK Arsika, young striker Drazen Skara grabbing the winner in injury time and being mobbed by his teammates and some fans who managed to get onto the pitch at the nominal national stadium. If the signing of Henderson was the sort of signing which can lift a whole club then that sort of win in the dying seconds can be the sort of win which forges champions, though nobody at the club would countenance mention of that at such an early juncture, of course.

“How can we talk about winning league titles when we’re in the same league as Atletik Thessia, 1896 Ebor and Liria Prizren?” Captain Remy Vandendriessche protested in response to one reporter’s question. “We’re five games into a season and people want us to say if we can challenge for the league. We’ve been consistent over the past two years and we want to continue that again this year, this start is a good indicator that we are ready to do that. Nothing more, nothing less. We want to continue this form and see where it can take us.”

It’s a different answer to that which you might hear from an Atletik player, where they are expected to win every single game, but 1923 Esca then extended their winning run with two more victories. The second of those came at home to 1896 Ebor, Drazen Skara once again finding the net and showing just why he’s thought of as one of the most promising Mytanar players around at the moment. That sort of win perhaps shows a change in mentality, it might have been the type of fixture they’d have struggled in previously and although they were brought down to earth ever so slightly with a 1-0 loss at NK Dyka they responded to that with a 5-1 hammering of SK Elita Ryzaev. A trip to Prizren to play Liria can always end up in a 2-0 loss, but 1923 Esca were a third of the way through the campaign and had amassed 24 points, only a point off the ever consistent Atletik. Did Sava Grgurovic start to allow himself thoughts of a title charge?

“We’re in a very good position, we have a nice lead over those who might compete with us for IFCF football and we’re very happy with our start. Atletik have scored 24 goals and conceded 5 over the first ten games, though, so I think we’re competing against one of the very best teams Mytanija has seen. We’ll focus on what we can do and see where it takes us, I can’t rule out a title charge, but we all know that one or two poor results for us can see Atletik out of sight. So we’ll see where we are a bit later on in the season.”

By the halfway point of the campaign 1923 Esca still hadn’t drawn a game, rather incredibly. Two more defeats saw Atletik extend their lead by a point and allowed 1896 Ebor to close the game to a mere three points. A 4-2 defeat in the All-Esca Derby stung and allowed Litala ’93 bragging rights in the short term, but again the team responded and they were at Radnika once again to play Atletik Thessia. Atletik’s new signing, Huayramarcan forward Gabriel Sayritupac put Atletik a goal ahead and 1923 Esca could easily have been cowed. Maybe they would have been in the past, but there just appears to be a different feeling around the club now and when Armoni Okombo’s cross fell to Remy Vandendriessche the captain was able to equalise clinically. That wasn’t enough though, the home side continued to push against a tiring Atletik team and Imanuel Smiciklas was able to slip Drazen Skara in to get yet another winner to close the gap. Atletik might have been top, but it felt like 1923 Esca were in the ascendancy.

“The gaffer was always trying to keep our feet on the ground,” Drazen Skara grinned. “But for me that was difficult, especially with the winning goals, it felt like we were becoming a real contender. Beating Atletik in that manner, there wasn’t any luck or a poor refereeing decision or something, we were just the better team. It felt like we were getting close to them and the table told us the same thing. I definitely started to dream and I’m sure some of the others did too.”

The capital club went unbeaten over the next five, putting five past Nyva on the road before easily casting CDSA aside. A tricky trip to Tekstil saw 1923 Esca bring a point back to Radnika, whilst Atletik’s city rivals Olympic were beaten 1-0 and FK Arsika held to a point in Nasto. In the same period Atletik won matches 3-1, 1-0 and 6-1; though a pair of 2-0 defeats on the road to friends CDSA and local enemies Olympic kept things close. 1896 Ebor were also resurgent, cutting the gap at the top to a mere point with a run of emphatic wins and then a rather less emphatic 0-0 draw at home to Rudar Uchenik. Atletik and 1923 Esca were 1st and 2nd still, both of 44 points, with 1896 Ebor just one further back in 3rd on 43 points.

“I think at this point it would be fairly dishonest not to start to think about a title challenge,” Sava Grgurovic noted wryly. “We’ve got ten games left and we’re level on points with the team at the top, but there’s three teams involved and we have to be clear that the other two are much more experienced in these situations. Atletik are serial winners, which I’m sure every 1923 Esca fan is painfully aware of. 1896 Ebor may not have had as much recent success but I respect everything Tana [Colbright] has done enormously and she has them playing brilliantly well.”

The next few weeks were a bit of a rollercoaster, almost making you wonder if the universe had heard Sava Grgurovic’s comments and decided to respond to them in the most confusing way possible. Faltering to a 1-1 draw at home to Ararat was a blow, but that was softened slightly by Atletik drawing against FK Arsika by the same score. 1896 Ebor went top for the first time by winning a 9-goal game against Lok. Cassia 6-3. The next game was huge, travelling to the Olujastadion to play 1896 Ebor. Anne-Linde van Oers had been in scintillating form and opened the scoring after Michael Baer threaded her through on goal. New signing Anna Korniloff-Kouyate had broken all sorts of records on social media when the 1896 Ebor announced her signing, a bona fide footballing celebrity who drew lucrative endorsements from high fashion brands weeks after signing. She also boasts exceptional footballing ability and had the home side 2-0 up soon after the first.

“We knew we had to get something against them,” Remy Vandendriessche says. “That was a real season-defining game. We still had to play Atletik and the matches between the teams could end up deciding where the title went given how tight it was. Not losing was the mantra.”

Vandendriessche led from the front, once again pulling a goal back for his side, driving a shot inside the post from outside the penalty area. Nyowani Kitara’s Armoni Okombo has a reputation for being the best left-back in the league and he showed exactly why when he dispossessed Gabrijel Vranjkovic in the 1923 Esca half and then took the ball all the way up the other end before crossing for Milos Bajic to equalise at the back post. A 2-2 draw which ensured that they didn’t lose, but an Atletik win saw the lead in the title race change once again. Atletik and 1896 Ebor met the following week and the Thessians handed 1896 Ebor a bit of a beating, albeit conceding two late consolation goals to end up 5-2 winners. 1923 Esca dropped points at home to a competitive NK Dyka, an opportunity lost.

Drazen Skara got things back on track against SK Elita Ryzaev with a real poacher’s finish from Nenad Tejic’s low cross. That same competitive NK Dyka then handed Atletik a shock 3-1 defeat, though 1896 Ebor’s 4-2 win over Energija-Nuklearna allowed them to close the gap to a point once again. Week 25 saw 1896 Ebor put four past Nyva away from home, a rotated Atletik side – a product of their exceptional run in the IFCF Challengers’ Cup – were on the end of a 4-3 defeat against SK Elita Ryzaev, and meanwhile 1923 Esca welcomed Liria to Radnika.

Liria had beaten Sava Grgurovic’s team earlier in the season and had recovered from a poor start to occupy 4th in the table. Once again 1923 Esca dealt well with adversity, having to score a winner after a game Liria had twice come back to equalise. Who got the winner? Drazen Skara. The young striker has a knack of not only scoring goals, but scoring important goals. 1896 Ebor were top, but once again it was 1923 Esca who were level on points with the leaders. Atletik were two further back with their defeat against SKER.

“I think the fact that these two famous clubs, Atletik and 1896 Ebor, couldn’t put us to bed all season long really encouraged everybody. If there was anyone who didn’t believe then they could see that these two teams with outstanding players couldn’t get rid of us. We were sticking with them all the way. It gave us a lot of heart.” Nicolás Riesgo, a boyhood 1923 Esca supporter, explains. The fact that there was five academy-produced players in the starting line-up also helped. “Myself, Petar Pejakovski, Nenad [Tejic], Milos [Bajic] and Drazen [Skara] all know exactly what this club is about and how much winning a title would mean. That can add pressure, but sometimes pressure can be helpful and it certainly felt that way to me.”

Liria, seemingly determined to have some sort of say in the title race, dealt Atletik a bitter blow in the Klasicni with a 3-2 win. Atletik seemed to struggle with trying to balance the league with their IFCF commitments over the latter third of the campaign. A draw between 1896 Ebor and CDSA allowed 1923 Esca the opportunity to go top and it was an opportunity they seized with a comfortable 2-0 win away to Rudar. They backed that up with a 5-1 over Lok. Cassia, relegating the Rauchik side and extending their lead at the top as 1896 Ebor fell to defeat away to Tekstil and Atletik drew 1-1 against a Rudar fighting for their lives.

This was followed by the small matter of an All-Esca Derby, 1923 Esca lost the first one of the season and once again it was defeat against hated rivals Litala ’93 who were determined to deny Sava Grgurovic’s team Top League glory. 1896 Ebor and Atletik Thessia both closed the gap with wins of their own over Olympic Thessia and Lok. Cassia respectively, but 1923 Esca were still top with a couple of games to go. ‘Our fate is still in our hands’ as Sava Grgurovic was at pains to say. Unfortunately their late-season shakiness couldn’t be escaped in Week 29, but it was at least in the second match against Atletik Thessia rather than opposition lower down the league table. A 2-2 draw at the Novi Atletskistadion allowed 1896 Ebor to go top as they smashed FK Arsika 4-1 in Nasto. The Northmen were top on goal difference, six goals better off than 1923 Esca in that category, but it was a result which put Atletik out of the picture, four points behind on the top two going into the final day and missing out on IFCF Champions’ League football for the first time in four years.

Going into the final day 1923 Esca would have to better 1896 Ebor’s result in order to win the league, the two teams went into it level on points and the side from the capital would need to hope for a favour from Ararat Severyan – a team who likely wouldn’t have 1923 Esca’s best interests at heart given the volatile scenes between the two club’s ultras every time they meet. Ararat had a bit of a mixed season, sitting in the bottom-half after the best period in the club’s history, but Misel Ravnjak is never the sort of manager to take things easy and Sava Grgurovic said as much in his final press conference of the season.

“Do I doubt Ararat at all? Why would I doubt Ararat? Misel Ravnjak is one of the most successful coaches this country has ever produced. It’s disrespectful to suggest that he will be taking it easy for the last game of the season and I imagine his players will be going at 100% to try and end the season on a high for their supporters.”

1923 Esca had to play the already safe Energija-Nuklearna on the last day, a slightly more preferable fixture given the enormous celebrations seen in Miago when Energija-Nuklearna had secured their Top League status. Both 1923 and 1896 would be playing in front of their own fans and one set of supporters would be going home disappointed. Sava Grgurovic was able to select his strongest team for the most important match in his club’s history and Radnika was rocking, Odeljak 1-11 put on one of the most impressive tifos in recent memory displaying many of the previous disappointments in the club’s past – relegations, points deductions, cup defeats, nothing was left out – leading up to Sava Grgurovic’s National Cup win and then this match against Energija-Nuklearna which could win them a first ever league title. ‘It has all led to this, make history boys!’ was the tag line and between that and the noise the stadium was generating you have to think that the players could not help but being inspired.

1923 Esca started well, controlling possession and giving Energija-Nuklearna very little to write home about. News of an early 1896 Ebor goal could easily have deflated Radnika, but to their credit they didn’t let any disappointment transmit to their players. An Ararat equaliser caused a ripple of excitement to go through the crowd and this seemed to have a bit of an impact on the players, a slight loss of concentration towards the end of the first-half, but 1923 Esca managed to turn that around without any lasting damage and then there was more good news as Ararat managed to go ahead through a Mirthe van de Pol header. 1923 Esca were level and a point would be enough to seal the title.

Half-time came and went and whilst 1923 Esca were never truly troubled by a lethargic Energija-Nuklearna who were likely still recovering from their celebrations after confirming their Top League status, they were struggling to generate any clear-cut chances. 1896 Ebor managed to equalise through Anna Korniloff-Kouyate, suddenly 1923 Esca were not top and the title would be heading north to Ebor again. 1923 Esca needed to find a goal. Credit has to go to Sava Grgurovic and his players for never panicking, they stuck to their task and kept playing their usual game. Nenad Tejic and Milos Bajic looked to stretch the narrow Energija-Nuklearna formation and as the game wore on this began to really tire the Miago side’s defence. Remy Vandendriessche and Imanuel Smiciklas were finding more space in central areas and eventually 1923 Esca were able to hurt their opponents as a result.

A switch from Bajic to Vandendriessche, from out on the right flank to the inside-left channel, shifted the whole Energija-Nuklearna across the pitch and Vandendriessche knew that Armoni Okombo would be overlapping whilst Nenad Tejic was stationed out on the left too. 1923 Esca had the opportunity for the overload against Energija-Nuklearna right-back Matija Zrinski. Vandendriessche chose to play the ball to the onrushing Okombo and the speed of the Nyowani Kitaran full-back saw him steam straight past Zrinski with the ball and opened up the Okombo to Skara pipeline yet again. Okombo crossed the ball perfectly and Skara had another close-range tap-in to put his side ahead. Now 1896 Ebor would have to score again and win their match.

The news filtered through to the Olujastadion and 1896 Ebor did seem to panic, pushing everything forward and leaving themselves open at the back. Everything was done at a frenetic pace and Ararat seemed to relish the opportunity to hit their opponents on the counter. Both wing-backs, Luther Hassel and Neo Susec, were intercepting passes and then pushing forwards and Ararat eventually capitalised on this as Hassel won the ball back and crossed for Vido Mehic to put Ararat ahead. 1896 Ebor were sinking without a trace and Ararat added insult to injury as Neo Susec dispossessed his old teammate Asmir Milosevic and then sent Mirthe van de Pol haring off over-the-top, in a one-on-one with Uhin Elizabe and van de Pol managed to get to the ball first, touch the ball inside the 22-year old Astograthian centre-half and then rattled the ball beyond Oduor Bigombe to make it 4-2 to Ararat.

1923 Esca would be champions, Drazen Skara’s strike and a little help from their rivals from Severyan seeing them over the line in one of the most exciting conclusions to a Top League campaign ever. A true three-horse race for the title also suggests the Top League is in rude health, which should result in even more credit going to 1923 Esca for managing to outlast Atletik and 1896 Ebor. Sava Grgurovic makes history, coaching the capital club to their first ever league title to go alongside the National Cup he also put in the trophy cabinet. The initial disquiet over his appointment has disappeared over the 9 seasons he has been in charge but this is unsurprisingly the biggest achievement he has coached these players to.

Esca was bedecked in black, white and red as Grgurovic and his players paraded the Top League trophy through the streets of the capital atop an open-top bus. 1923 have always been enormously well-supported, something of a sleeping giant, but the reception for the scenes of joy were akin to those we have seen at enormous political events in Esca before rather than anything we’ve seen in sport before. Litala ’93 have won titles previously, of course, but after a 35 season wait this was something of a release for 1923 Esca and their supporters. Litala ’93 supporters were nowhere to be seen in the capital!

A lot of the credit has to go to the galvanising effect of Tumbran centre-half Harry Henderson who helped to lift the team’s overall level, improved their defensive showing by four goals and whose performances were rewarded with Player of the Season recognition. The 31-year old should be able to help this team again for another couple of years without regressing too much, especially if he can perform like he has done this season again in the coming years. Credit also has to go to Drazen Skara, the young striker’s goals helping to drive the team forwards and always seeming to come at the right time, when the team needed something. The likes of club captain Remy Vandendriessche, veteran left-back Armoni Okombo and Sargossan-Mytanar Nicolás Riesgo all deserve plaudits, though the same could be reserved for everybody on a title-winning team.

“We’ve managed to build this squad over the years and this season we really felt that we could challenge with some of the additions we had made. We had the depth to match the traditional big boys and that meant that when we had minor niggles we could cope with some good players coming into the line-up. I’m so proud of the whole squad, we didn’t think too hard about winning the league until the final ten games or so, but then we zeroed in on the end goal and even when things didn’t go our way we showed heart to come back from those disappointments. We want to try to establish 1923 Esca as a permanent contender and this was the first step towards that,” was Sava Grgurovic’s final say on the season and with his managerial ability it would hardly be a shock if he delivered on that, especially given that he’s not failed in any objectives he’s set for himself or his team so far.

## Top League            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 1923 Esca              30   19   6   5    58   31  +27    63  C, IFCF CL
02 1896 Ebor              30   18   6   6    70   40  +30    60  IFCF CL
03 Atletik                30   18   5   7    65   32  +33    59  IFCF CC
04 Liria                  30   16   6   8    54   38  +16    54  IFCF CC
05 CDSA                   30   13  10   7    47   31  +16    49  IFCF CC
06 Litala ’93             30   14   6  10    49   37  +12    48
07 NK Dyka                30   12   8  10    47   43   +4    44
08 Olympic                30   10   8  12    35   45  −10    38
09 FK Arsika              30    9  10  11    34   37   −3    37
10 Ararat                 30    7  13  10    33   37   −4    34
11 Tekstil                30    8  10  12    42   50   −8    34
12 SK Elita Ryzaev        30    8   8  14    34   45  −11    32
13 Energija–Nuklearna     30    7   9  14    35   55  −20    30
14 Nyva                   30    8   5  17    31   51  −20    29  R
15 Rudar                  30    5  10  15    26   52  −26    25  R
16 Lok. Cassia            30    6   4  20    33   69  −36    22  R

Tana Colbright enjoyed a good debut season whilst taking 1896 Ebor to 2nd place and she repeated that feat again this year, though she will feel that her team perhaps should have done a little more given that they went into the final day in top spot. Their final day collapse at home to Ararat could have scarred this group of players, but they recovered well enough to lift the National Cup against the same opponents who pipped them to the league title. Colbright might believe that her team should have won a historic double, but the most impressive thing is that she has built a consistency into this 1896 team which has not been there for a very long time. A number of her players were exceptional this year, Pasargan playmaker Michael Baer finished 2nd in the Player of the Season award; Anna Korniloff-Kouyate won the Under-23 Player of the Season award with her electric play down the left; and Anne-Linde van Oers ended up winning the Golden Boot with 18 goals in 26 games. They were the league’s leading scorers and might well have believed that their individual performances deserved a little more, but they came up against a dogged 1923 Esca team who just would not go away no matter how hard 1896 Ebor or Atletik tried to get rid of them. Next season Colbright might feel that her squad have to make that next step and win the championship, she’s got the players she wants in and she has them playing some exceptional free-flowing attacking football. Given how close they’ve been in these two years Colbright has been at the helm it would be galling for them to not end their title drought.

Any trophyless season for Atletik Thessia is a disappointment, but this year is a little different and some leeway has to be given due to their incredible run to the final of the IFCF Challengers’ Cup. Edis Znidarsic has done brilliantly since coming in as manager and instilled a really progressive style of play, almost in the style of his fellow Rauchik coach Lev Repin. Getting to any international competition final is incredible for a Mytanar club and we saw the response Ararat Severyan got for winning the Rushmore Copa de Campeones a couple of years ago. This would have been a level even above that, but unfortunately Ko-orenite side Straudum VV managed to see Atletik off 2-1 in the final. Znidarsic was reflective come the end of the campaign, arguing that he tried to give his side the best chance of competing on all fronts but that it was just a step too far even with the excellent squad Atletik boast. Gabriel Sayritupac impressed enough in his debut season to finish 3rd in the Player of the Season award, whilst Nahia Legarra continued his excellent scoring record with 16 goals in 26 games. Deliang Zhao was reliable between the posts once again with 12 clean sheets. We saw more and more of Denis Ovsyannikov over the course of the campaign and that may mean that it is Jasno Odonelec’s final season as a starter with the club he supported from his Mytanar émigré community in Prahecq as a boy. It’ll be an emotional day when he finally calls time on his career, or indeed if he decides to leave Atletik to return to play for Clichy-sous-Bois for a year or two before doing so.

It feels a little bit like Liria Prizren have lost their way under Adel Gudelj. He started his time as head coach fantastically, winning the National Cup and keeping Liria close to Atletik in the league. They’ve now fallen down the pecking order in the league, consistently being 4th best in the league and not really challenging the three above them. That’s not really good enough for a club of Liria’s size and history and some of the boos which rained down around the Stadion Prizren at the end of some of the eight defeats this year demonstrated that the supporters weren’t happy either. The performances of Quebecois midfielder Arsene-Michael Litt were a bright light in a rather dismal grey season and the emergence of 18-year old Nepharim full-back Prisca Ciern will have pleased fans too. We will have to see what the club’s board decide to do during the summer, though the early signs are that they will stick with Adel Gudelj for one more season, though there is unlikely to be too much investment during the summer to try to improve his playing staff. Many believe his squad is good enough and supporters want to see the Mlinarevic twins, Prisca Ciern and Bozo Mihic trusted to help bring this team forward. Lazar Obradovic did manage to win the Golden Glove with 13 clean sheets over the course of the season and he seems to be maintaining his level despite some wanting him replaced with back-up keeper Obren Vujic last summer.

CDSA came into the season with a late change of manager and Elaine Everdeen had a tough task on her hands to mimic the achievements of club icon Slavko Jelic. The sale of Tasos Svarnas to Liria was regarded as a potential major loss, but they went about their business quietly, looked for a replacement and brought in Galib Terzic from Atletik. This was a smart bit of business and Terzic struck up a relatively good relationship with Vasilij Pivk as the season went on. CDSA continued their excellent defensive record, Pierre-Karl Cizeron being one of the best players in the Top League and being partnered by quality central defenders like Ezib Salihovic and Jelena Jashev. A great return for Everdeen in her debut season as manager and she will believe this team can kick on, as long as her board back her to keep hold of young talents like the aforementioned Pivk, Cizeron and Jashev; as well as Ismet Zmiric, Juan Esteban Collazo and Muamer Predojevic.

It is a tough year for Litala ’93, seeing their city rivals win the Top League and narrowly missing out on IFCF competition once again, finishing a mere point behind CDSA. Luca Zagorc might be scratching his head wondering what more he needs to do to get it over the line. The introduction of Chromatik veteran Enigma Armageddon added a bit of steel which they missed when Boza Despotovic departed the club and Kusman Manasiev has looked a fantastic signing at left-back after arriving for a relatively expensive fee. They miss out by the tightest of margins and many would argue that either CDSA or Litala ’93 finishing 5th would have been a fair result, perhaps they’ll get the rub of the green next season. There isn’t too much pressure on Zagorc, but he will want to show that he can take the team into IFCF competition and the likes of Jiahui Wang and Dragisa Lazarevic will want a shot at the highest level of the domestic game before their careers are out too.

NK Dyka continue the most impressive period of their history, a 7th place finish being nothing less than they deserved after ruffling feathers all year long. Dragomir Lazic was not a heralded appointment when he was made manager but he has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the club, finishing 2nd in the Manager of the Season award for his impact this year. NK Dyka may struggle to keep hold of Mirko Ovcina for much longer, he’s been one of the top midfield talents in the Top League for a few years now and he copied his manager’s success with 2nd in the Under-23 Player of the Season award. The 22-year old is a top creative talent and you would be surprised if his performances don’t merit a call-up to the national team for World Cup 92 qualification. Lazic has just made them difficult to beat and if Blasko Vaskanov can continue his transfer market magic then who knows where it might take them. A word too for Graintfjaller forward Miljka Đurovića who impressed pretty much everybody in her debut campaign, leading her team with 12 goals and working well with Levi Doolan (who will have enjoyed not having to shoulder the goal scoring burden on his own this year, though he may be a little disappointed that he wasn’t more prolific with such a talented strike partner alongside him).

Olympic Thessia round out the top-half, their main issue was their rather anaemic attack, the super experienced Nepharim Arista Tzorvas and Euran Adamo Fallaci both play in similar ways and whilst this made Olympic very threatening aerially it also made them quite one-dimensional. They had a little more success when Lazar Prinelec and Mahir Kvakic played alongside one of the other two, which may be an approach Emil Jefak looks to imitate a little more often next season. There were some teething issues between new centre-back partners Rahmonberdi Zhusupov and Neroli Teoshaw-Hain, though this did seem to improve as the season went on and you would imagine that next year – after a whole season together – Jefak will be able to fine-tune most of the errors out of their performances.

FK Arsika will be very pleased with Ermin Drzic’s debut season, even if Sacha Dobruzhanski’s expectations as owner have perhaps changed a little since his free-spending introduction to club ownership. Drzic, a creative number ten as a player, has been able to coach a very cohesive defensive structure. Two things which few would have put together before seeing it happen. FK Arsika had one of the very best defensive records in the league and credit has to go to Drzic for coaching this because it’s an area of the pitch in which there haven’t been any new signings. Old dogs like Usten Odonelec and Rasim Yevstigneyev have been able to learn new tricks under Drzic in a different style of play to that which Dzvezdan Kitanchev tried to coach. Drzic will want more goals next season, something which seemed to dry up despite the quality of Juljana Chmela, Ava Linfield and new-signing Vangelis Anagnakis. That will be the next step for Drzic, to re-introduce some attacking patterns which perhaps went missing a little this year.

Misel Ravnjak was not best-pleased with his team’s performance over the course of the season, finishing in the bottom-half and not really ever looking like they would trouble the top eight of the league. Finishing a mere five points above the drop is a disappointment for a team like Ararat who have scaled heights which very few Mytanar clubs have ever managed before. A change in shape meant that they lost a bit of their offensive threat, though Licentian forward Mirthe van de Pol demonstrated that she could be their next great hero with 13 goals over the season. They were solid enough defensively as always under Ravnjak and the emergence of Tikariotian central defender Ásgeir Steingrímsson alongside club heroes like Mingrong Yuan and Chloe Koppenol will put a smile on the face of even the most dour Ararat Severyan supporter.

Emir Saric always does the job with Tekstil, no matter how treacherous his club’s position in the Top League appears to be. He also does it by introducing new academy products into the squad at a rate which very few other clubs can match, with Izet Aleckovic and Muharem Hajdarpasic hitting the headlines for their performances this year. Hajdarpasic in particular could end up going on to become a real top talent, still only 18 years of age and with three years of Top League experience under his belt already. New signings Eve McCabe and Ian Narváez seemed to slot into the squad brilliantly too, showing that when Saric does choose to go into the market he seems to get it right. It’s expected that Hanif Anwarsson el-Said might take over from club legend Zafer Muminovic between the sticks next season after an impressive loan spell at Vitalia this season.

SK Elita Ryzaev’s owner Vasko Rebec expected a little more bang for his buck this season, not enjoying the relegation battle his club ended up in despite spending NSD 2 million in the summer on top of the money spent last year. Martin Labrovic is expected to have a very short future at the club, with talks on his tenure understood to be coming very shortly. SKER are likely to enter next season with a new coach, though it’s unclear exactly who that might be. SK Elita Ryzaev’s original supporters, the fans who set-up the club and who play a big part in the ultras group Severna Tribuna boycotted all home games and that perhaps played a part in the team’s rather underwhelming performances. Rebec has said that he is open to talks with the ultras, but they currently are unwilling to engage and want him to sell his shares back to the club’s supporters’ trust immediately – something he is clearly unwilling to do. Casey Roehampton was once again their best player and SKER have an obligation to buy the Nepharim winger due to retaining their Top League status, an NSD 4 million fee was agreed in the event of that occurring and will have to be deposited in the Newrook City bank account once the transfer window opens. An expensive fee but one which ensures that they keep their most consistent performer for another year, but perhaps a fee which again will not sit right with the club’s supporter-founders given their views on socioeconomic topics.

Energija-Nuklearna came into the season hopeful about their chances of retaining their place in the Top League, Zdeslav Nesic had introduced a new style of play and his 4-2-2-2 ‘box’ formation induced a great deal of optimism around the Miagostadion. Retaining the likes of Zdenko Smolic, Vedran Grcic and Ricardo Sculac probably helped with that belief, too, but those players then helped to deliver on that faith. It may have only been by a point, they may have conceded 55 goals which was the 2nd most in the division and they may have needed some luck along the way but Energija-Nuklearna retained their spot in the Mytanar Top League. They stay up and will play Top League football again next season. Zdeslav Nesic will want to get some support to keep Energija-Nuklearna in the league once again next year, preferably with a little bit more comfort. They started the season exceptionally well, sitting mid-table at the halfway point, but they faded in the second-half of the campaign and this meant that things got a little scarier than they would have liked. They will want to avoid that next year, but Energija-Nuklearna have a bit of an aversion to spending money because of their commitment to their youth academy (borne out of ultras group Grolija being horrific ethnonationalists who don’t want too many ‘foreign’ players in the squad). Whether Nesic will accept that next year – despite his record as a developer of talent – is a difficult question to answer at this point.

Nyva Zvornik’s near-fifteen year stay in the Top League comes to an end, a huge blow to Vasil Janevski’s record at the club which had delivered the club’s only ever trophy, the 27/28 National Cup. The loss of two club legends in Anton Derajevic and Rudi Prosenik really seemed to hurt Nyva, they started slowly and there was a sense of lethargy which couldn’t be shaken throughout the campaign. Big signing Marat Tkachev didn’t really hit the ground running in the manner he was expected to and Nyva were poor defensively too. You could see a few key players leaving over this summer, the likes of Chromatik goalkeeper Seung-Min Do who’s been doing his best without too much protection in front of him. Luka Zmajevic and Slavoj Akrapovic are others who might well depart if good offers come in and that would make returning to the Top League a much more difficult task.

Rudar were expected to struggle this season and struggle they did, although they had some bright moments, perhaps more than originally expected. Their rather unusual 4-5-1 with a false nine struggled at the higher level, they scored the least goals of any team, but they still managed to stay off the bottom and that’s an achievement in itself. Branko Brkljacic demonstrated that he could still play at a very high standard and Stamat Dumbalakov did the same, furthering his status with the club’s supporters. Jure Potocnik, an 1896 Ebor loanee, also impressed in the middle of the park and at 16 he will only get better and better. Rudar might even try to get him back on loan for the new season and his presence will only help their chances of returning straight back to the Top League.

In last place, the wooden spoon, is Lok. Cassia. They lacked a lot of depth and that showed when injuries hit in key areas of their squad. They had Druga Liga standard players in their team playing against Top League opposition and whilst you can occasionally scrape a result with that, it is very difficult to consistently perform to the level required to stay in the Top League. Some solid competitors like Izudin Kastelec, Joso Pretnar, Efthimis Spiteroglou, Miljan Kocjan and Milagros Fernán could all compete in this division, but when Pretnar was out for a couple of months; when Kocjan suffered from a recurring injury in his ankle… Well, they had those same Druga Liga standard players or inexperienced youngsters to come in. It was always an uphill task for Lok. and whilst they gave it a good go and bloodied a few noses along the way they were always going to struggle and they did, tasting relegation once again. They’ll be competitive in the Druga Liga again next year, Lok. always seem to manage that, but their resources do seem to hinder them from doing anything more unless they have an exceptional manager in charge like the now departed Edis Znidarsic. Dusko Konecni is a committed coach, but he’s perhaps not quite at that level, so he probably needs a little more support – but that’s something which Lok. Cassia’s board cannot always offer, so the wheel keeps on turning as it always has.

END OF SEASON AWARDS
Player of the Season:
1. Harry Henderson [TMB] (DC, 31, 1923 Esca)
2. Michael Baer [PAS] (MC, 26, 1896 Ebor)
3. Gabriel Sayritupac [HUA] (ST, 26, Atletik)

Under-23 Player of the Season:
1. Anna Korniloff-Kouyate [QUE] (AML, 23, 1896 Ebor)
2. Mirko Ovcina [MYT] (MC, 22, NK Dyka)
3. Drazen Skara [MYT] (ST, 20, 1923 Esca)

Manager of the Season:
1. Sava Grgurovic [MYT] (1923 Esca)
2. Dragomir Lazic [MYT] (NK Dyka)
3. Tana Colbright [NPH] (1896 Ebor)

Golden Boot:
1. Anne-Linde van Oers [TLI] (ST, 1896 Ebor; 18 goals in 26 games)
2. Nahia Legarra [ASG] (ST, Atletik; 16 goals in 26 games)
3. Drazen Skara [MYT] (ST, 1923 Esca; 15 goals in 27 games)

Golden Glove:
1. Lazar Obradovic [MYT] (GK, Liria; 13 clean sheets, 38 conceded in 30 games)
2. Deliang Zhao [YZH] (GK, Atletik; 12 clean sheets, 32 conceded in 30 games)
3. Isak Vennerod [OPP] (GK, 1923 Esca; 11 clean sheets, 31 conceded in 30 games)

[Mytanija]

NATIONAL CUP 34/35 SEASON REVIEW

FIRST ROUND

.............CVMZ   2–0   NK Istina     1–0  1–0
        Akademija   4–2   Metalac       4–1  0–1
          Hajerek   0–4   Lok. Ostrova  0–2  0–2
     KF Shkelzena   2–6   Spartak       2–3  0–3
            Rotor   3–1   Ibalia        2–1  1–0
Jedinstvo Zavolja   1–3   Slavia        0–1  1–2
     KF Volkovija   1–5   Djakovo       0–1  1–4
      Malotranska   1–4   Arsenal       1–2  0–2
           Padina   2–4   Torpedo       2–3  0–1
 FK Istocna Obala   4–2   FK Sedlovina  4–2  0–0
      Međunarodna   2–3   Meja          2–2  0–1
           Obolon   2–2 a Vinogradar    1–2  1–0
          Granica   4–7   Obalna        4–3  0–4
           Ribari   2–0   Zenit         1–0  1–0
         Zabrezje   3–1   NK Bijeljina  2–1  1–0
           Slovan   1–2   Ancharmunska  0–1  1–1

SECOND ROUND

.FK Magevskaya   5–3   SK Port Jarko     2–1  3–2
  Lok. Ostrova   3–1   CVMZ              1–0  2–1
          Arka   3–0   Meja              3–0  0–0
         Pamuk   2–1   NK Thessia        0–0  2–1
     Akademija   1–2   Rotor             1–1  0–1
  Ancharmunska p 1–1   Obalna            1–0  0–1  (aet) (5–4 pen.)
       Djakovo   1–3   Ribari            0–2  1–1
      Zabrezje   3–5   Dinamo            0–1  3–4
    Vinogradar   0–2   Crvena Zvezda     0–1  0–1
   Zeljeznicar   1–1 p BVK Dinamo        1–0  0–1  (aet) (3–4 pen.)
       Turbine   5–1   Arsenal           2–1  3–0
        Slavia   4–3   Spartak           3–3  1–0
       Vitalia   3–4   Partizan          3–2  0–2
      Jedrenje   2–0   JK Ebor           2–0  0–0
        Pretia   7–0   FK Istocna Obala  4–0  3–0
Radnik Avtovac   8–2   Torpedo           5–1  3–1

THIRD ROUND

......Partizan   0–3   Olympic             0–0  0–3
        Dinamo   3–2   Jedrenje            3–2  0–0
          Arka   2–7   SK Elita Ryzaev     2–3  0–4
         Rotor   1–4   FK Arsika           0–2  1–2
 Crvena Zvezda   3–4   NK Dyka             2–2  1–2
       Atletik   1–1 a Tekstil             1–1  0–0
     1923 Esca   4–1   Lok. Cassia         3–0  1–1
        Ararat   1–0   Turbine             1–0  0–0
Radnik Avtovac   1–3   1896 Ebor           1–2  0–1
    Litala ’93   8–4   Nyva                5–3  3–1
 FK Magevskaya   4–2   Pretia              2–1  2–1
         Rudar   3–4   Liria               0–0  3–4
  Ancharmunska   1–4   Pamuk               1–2  0–2
        Ribari   0–5   Slavia              0–1  0–4
  Lok. Ostrova   0–4   Energija-Nuklearna  0–3  0–1
    BVK Dinamo   0–4   CDSA                0–3  0–1

FOURTH ROUND

..............CDSA   1–3   Ararat         0–2  1–1
Energija-Nuklearna   4–2   Slavia         1–0  3–2
           Olympic   2–5   NK Dyka        2–4  0–1
             Liria   4–1   Tekstil        3–1  1–0
        Litala ’93   4–5   1896 Ebor      2–3  2–2
             Pamuk   4–7   1923 Esca      2–4  2–3
            Dinamo   2–2 a FK Arsika      1–2  1–0
   SK Elita Ryzaev   9–4   FK Magevskaya  6–3  3–1

QUARTER FINAL

......1923 Esca a 3–3   FK Arsika           1–0  2–3
         Ararat   0–1   Energija-Nuklearna  0–1  0–0
SK Elita Ryzaev a 1–1   Liria               0–0  1–1
      1896 Ebor   5–1   NK Dyka             1–0  4–1

SEMI FINAL

......1923 Esca   6–4   Energija-Nuklearna  5–3  1–1
SK Elita Ryzaev   1–3   1896 Ebor           1–0  0–3

FINAL
Venue: Radnika, Esca (Attendance: 60,000)
Weather: Sunny (31°C)
Referee: Nemanja Jovancic
1896 Ebor 2–1 1923 Esca

In a season where Atletik Thessia’s IFCF commitments could perhaps be used as an explanation of their failure to win the Mytanar Top League title, it was more difficult to point towards that for their exit from the National Cup. The Thessian giants were put out by their Rijeka Derby rivals Tekstil in the Third Round, in the gap between the IFCF Challengers’ Cup group stage and knockout rounds. That did rather leave the door open for everybody else, although Atletik have not been as dominant in the cup as they have been in the league. Holders NK Dyka were looking to try to defend the club’s first ever trophy and they got their defence underway in nervy fashion, though they did at least eventually see off Crvena Zvezda 4-3 on aggregate. But the story of the cup was rather similar to the story of the Top League campaign, a story of 1896 Ebor and of 1923 Esca.

1896 Ebor had a potentially difficult tie against second tier Radnik Avtovac in the Third Round and a trip up into the mountains of western Thessia. The 1,000-capacity Opštinskistadion had a mere 100 1896 Ebor fans present for the tie, with more Policija present than away fans. 1896 Ebor did manage to win the game 2-1 with a much rotated squad, Sebastian Nygaard getting their first and Petar Majdandzic heading home their second. Radnik pulled one back late on through promising 19-year old forward Rudi Vasata, but they would travel to the Olujastadion needing to win by two due to 1896’s pair of away goals. A committed challenge saw Radnik keep things close throughout the second leg, but 1896 Ebor’s quality shone through as they were unable to create many clear-cut chances and the home side eventually got a goal of their own to kill the tie off, a rare goal for 37-year old Thorvar Spinkvik.

1923 Esca had a much more comfortable experience in their Third Round tie against Lok. Cassia. The Top League strugglers barely tried in the cup, much preferring to try to keep players fit for the challenge of fighting for safety in the league. That ended up being rather futile, but you can understand the line of thinking. 1923 Esca handed them a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, Sava Grgurovic refusing to rotate his team and Drazen Skara, Nenad Tejic and Imanuel Smiciklas all finding the net as a result. Grgurovic decided that this was a comfortable enough lead and made 10 changes – all of his outfield players – for the second leg. Mitse Gioshev, a player who is very highly-rated at Radnika, put 1923 Esca ahead and despite Lok. equalising in the second-half they were able to progress 4-1 on aggregate without having to risk too many of their senior players for the second leg.

The capital club were rewarded for their exploits with a relatively gentle tie against Druga Liga opposition in the form of Pamuk Trunca. 1923 were good away from home, racing into a 4-0 lead before the hour mark before then taking their foot off the gas and conceding two late on to keep the tie alive. Sava Grgurovic was apoplectic on the sideline, left in disbelief at his side’s lack of concentration in the latter stages of the game. He allowed some of his usual substitutes a chance to impress in the second leg and they were kept honest by a determined Pamuk side, but they did eventually win the game 3-2 thanks to a towering header by big Lacina Issoumou. Issoumou is seen as the Skara replacement if or when the exceptional young striking talent decides to spread his wings and pursue higher wages and opportunities to compete for IFCF Champions’ League glory. Goals like that will only give the club greater confidence that Issoumou can replace Skara when the time comes.

Tana Colbright’s team had a much more difficult tie against Top League opposition in the form of 1923’s city rivals Litala ’93. 1896 had to go to the capital for the first leg and in a thrilling 5-goal encounter eventually won out 3-2, but not before going behind twice to goals from Jiahui Wang and Efthimis Vasseas. Each time the Ebor club equalised, first through Anna Korniloff-Kouyate and then a beautifully curled free-kick from Michael Baer. Substitute Brajko Gavrilovic found the winner with a header against the much smaller full-back Ljes Velimirovic, who was deputising for club captain Antun Spiridonovic. A hard-fought victory, but no less than 1896 Ebor deserved for sticking with the game. The second leg was no less hard-fought, though this time it was 1896 Ebor going ahead, putting two past Dragisa Lazarevic in the first-half and then conceding two in the last ten minutes to put absolutely everybody inside the Olujastadion on edge. The Northmen always had that goal from the first leg to their advantage and it ended up being the difference between the two sides, sending 1896 Ebor through to the Quarter Finals.

“We’d worked hard to get through that tie, but it was still only the Quarter Final stage and everybody left was also a Top League side. There was a lot of work to do.” Slobodan Vujovic explains. “And then we got drawn against the holders. Games against NK Dyka are like pulling teeth and Mirko Ovcina had shown that he’s one of the best players in the Top League throughout the season, it was a very difficult tie. Miljka Đurovića had also been a good signing and her height and aerial ability was going to be a challenge for our whole defence.”

If 1896 Ebor were worried about NK Dyka they didn’t show it, only winning 1-0 at home through a second-half Majdandzic goal, but in the second leg they ran rampant. A 4-1 hammering was meted out, Anna Korniloff-Kouyate was outstanding, tearing the right-side of the NK Dyka defence to shreds and likely giving Vojco Nitchov nightmares for days afterwards. Korniloff-Kouyate helped herself to a brace before setting-up Anne-Linde van Oers and Gwen Settler for their goals. A superlative performance by a player who has hit the ground running in Mytanija like few new signings are able to, seemingly able to balance her litany of off-field commitments with being a consistently impressive performer on the pitch. 1896 Ebor booked their ticket to the Semis successfully.

1923 Esca had more difficulty in doing so against Ermin Drzic’s well-organised FK Arsika side. A 1-0 first leg win with ten-men demonstrated that the capital club had the heart to drag them through even the most difficult situations. Marek Ladicorbic’s lunge on Vangelis Anagnakis was deemed dangerous and reckless by referee Bekir Hodzic. That man Drazen Skara was still able to make the difference even with ten men, though, being played through by Smiciklas and holding off Rasim Yevstigneyev before finishing emphatically. The second leg was nowhere near as comfortable, FK Arsika using home territory to their advantage to press much higher and this got the crowd behind them early on. Goals had been hard to come by in the league for FK Arsika, but here Juljana Chmela and Ava Linfield combined to good effect. Linfield opened the scoring after running onto a Chmela flick-on, then Linfield slid Chmela through and the Squornshelan striker finished with aplomb. The tie had been turned on its head and 1923 Esca had work to do. Skara held the ball up well against the giant Usten Odonelec before passing to Nenad Tejic cutting in from the left. Tejic hit a deft pass for Milos Bajic to run onto and the right-sided midfielder thumped his shot home. A crucial away goal which would send 1923 Esca through if the game stayed like that. Naturally, it didn’t stay like that and FK Arsika found a third goal after Chmela knocked the ball down for Anagnakis to volley into the net. 1923 Esca would need another. Mitse Gioshev had impressed in previous rounds and was brought off the bench to affect the game here, winning the ball back in midfield and striding forward to play an incisive pass for Milos Bajic to run onto. Bajic reached the by-line and cut the ball back for an on-rushing Remy Vandendriessche to thrash beyond Fadil Okanovic. 1923 Esca had their second away goal and the score level on aggregate and that was the way it would stay, closer than they would have liked but progression nevertheless.

All of a sudden both 1896 Ebor and 1923 Esca found themselves in the Semi Finals and fighting for the title at the same time. They were kept apart in the draw, too, making a head-to-head fight on two fronts possible. Both would play sides battling against relegation, with 1896 Ebor meeting SK Elita Ryzaev in something of a nouveau Ebor derby and 1923 Esca playing Energija-Nuklearna, two teams whose ultras hold an uneasy truce with one another – they agree on their generally right-wing politics, but being two of the more violent groups in the country there’s always a chance that disagreement could lead to mutually assured destruction.

They played out a 5-3 thriller in the first leg, 1923 Esca using the advantage of Radnika’s raucous atmosphere to put the pressure on early but Energija-Nuklearna acquitted themselves relatively well as the game went on. The side from the capital still managed to take a two-goal lead into the second leg, though, and then they managed the second leg brilliantly to finish 1-1 and win 6-4 on aggregate. 1896 Ebor had a less successful first leg, travelling the short distance across Ebor to Kocunar and tasting defeat after a goal from Nepharim striker Alisander Farham. 1896 Ebor were excellent back at home though, scoring early through Korniloff-Kouyate, grabbing a second with Michael Baer’s free-kick and then putting a third past Ivan Drofenik when Alexandre Onio rose highest at a corner.

“Atletik had been involved in the battle for the title, but it had felt like it was going to be us or 1923 Esca for much of the second-half of the season, especially when you could see Atletik were starting to focus on the IFCF Challengers’ Cup. In a way it only seemed right that we’d go up against one another one more time for the National Cup,” our friend Slobodan Vujovic says after the season. 1923 Esca had the upper-hand in the league, winning one and drawing the other. 1896 Ebor evidently needed something a little different to win this single game shoot-out for the National Cup.

The game would be played at Radnika, so it was pretty much a home game for 1923 Esca and plenty of the tickets reserved for neutrals and FSM corporate sponsors would find their way into the hands of supporters of the capital club. That would make things difficult for 1896 Ebor, but their passionate ultras group The Northmen made themselves heard and their impressive choreography saw an Ebor eagle savaging an Escan lion prior to kick-off. 1923 Esca’s Odeljak 1-11 had a smoke display of their own, with plumes of white and red smoke punctuating a wall of black smoke billowing from their traditional section of the ground. In the league 1923 Esca eventually won out and given the titanic nature of the tussle between the two sides it was perhaps fair that Tana Colbright and 1896 Ebor didn’t go home empty-handed.

The Ebor club have a new hero in Anna Korniloff-Kouyate and this final was all about her. 1923 Esca went 1-0 ahead after Nicolás Riesgo headed home from a Nenad Tejic corner, but Korniloff-Kouyate appeared to take that as a personal insult and then gave poor Petar Pejakovski no rest for the remainder of the 90 minutes. Her attacking runs twisted this way and that, using her pace to turn Pejakovski inside-out. 1896 Ebor had the equaliser just before the end of the first-half, Gwen Settler giving AKK the ball and almost saying ‘there you go, do something’. Korniloff-Kouyate obliged, taking the ball past Pejakovski, jinking inside the backtracking Ladicorbic and then lashing the ball through the legs of Riesgo to leave Isak Vennerod stranded.

Getting level was important, but Korniloff-Kouyate wasn’t content with merely that, every time 1896 Ebor won possession back 1923 Esca knew where the ball was heading: out to the lithe winger on the left-wing. She would score the winner in the 68th minute, collecting the ball from Michael Baer before playing a neat one-two with van Oers and speeding into the gap between Pejakovski and Riesgo. Vennerod rushed out, trying to make himself big, but Korniloff-Kouyate was cool enough to chip the ball over the goalkeeper. She raced away to celebrate in front of the 1896 Ebor section of the ground, mobbed by her teammates and the score of 2-1 would be the same in the 94th minute when the shrill sound of Nemanja Jovancic’s whistle called time on proceedings. 1896 Ebor had their 5th National Cup, Tana Colbright’s first trophy as the manager of the Ebor club and their first piece of silverware since Zdeslav Nesic coached his side to the 26/27 National Cup. A long wait for a trophy for a club of 1896 Ebor’s size but Colbright has managed to end that drought in only her second year in charge, a fantastic start to life as coach in Ebor.

[Mytanija]

MYTANAR FOOTBALL 34/35 LOWER LEAGUE AND YOUTH REVIEW

## Druga Liga            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Vitalia                30   21   6   3    49   19  +30    69  C, P
02 Dinamo                 30   19   4   7    61   31  +30    61  P
03 JK Ebor                30   14  10   6    56   36  +20    52  P
04 Radnik Avtovac         30   15   7   8    34   26   +8    52
05 Pamuk                  30   13   8   9    36   36    0    47
06 FK Magevskaya          30   12   8  10    43   34   +9    44
07 Arka                   30   12   8  10    45   40   +5    44
08 SK Port Jarko          30   12   7  11    38   38    0    43
09 Zeljeznicar            30   12   7  11    46   48   −2    43
10 Jedrenje               30   10   7  13    42   49   −7    37
11 NK Thessia             30    9   9  12    45   51   −6    36
12 Pretia                 30    8   8  14    31   40   −9    32
13 Partizan               30    7  10  13    37   46   −9    31
14 Turbine                30    6   8  16    32   55  −23    26  R
15 BVK Dinamo             30    6   5  19    38   61  −23    23  R
16 Crvena Zvezda          30    5   6  19    29   52  −23    21  R

Vitalia have bounced straight back to the Mytanar Top League as Druga Liga champions with as dominant a defensive showing as you are likely to see, conceding only 19 goals through their 30 games as 22-year old Graintfjaller goalkeeper Hanif el-Said impressed with his excellent proactive goalkeeping. He’s only on loan in Vostochnaya Tochna, el-Said will return to Tekstil Ibon after spending the season at the club and he is expected to take the starting role at Gradski Stadion for the 35/36 campaign. Credit also has to go to club captain Vitaliy Dmitriev for marshalling an inexperienced defence around him, as well as midfield orchestrator Eduard Issatsenko and his partner Atletik loanee Ilija Patrnogic. Nikita Izhutin is known as something of a maverick in Mytanija, but he seems to consistently get solid results out of a young squad, allowing Vitalia to constantly regenerate after selling some of their stronger performers.

They will be joined in the Top League by Dinamo Esca, a club which will be returning to the top tier of Mytanar football for the first time in 15 years. The 18-year old striker Milica Prokopljevic and his 31 goals were absolutely integral to this, he demonstrated exactly why Atletik Thessia decided to spend money on him during the summer prior to this season and the loan back to Dinamo also appears to have helped his development no end. Prokopljevic is tall and powerful, but he’s also lightning quick and appears to relish scoring all types of goals. He’s a real talent and we’ll see if he can replicate his form in the Druga Liga in the Top League next season, he’ll still be playing for Dinamo too, fulfilling the second year of his 2-year loan and Dinamo will hope that he can help them to retain their hard-won Top League status. The return of Kotrba to the Top League will be much-welcomed by many, Dinamo are a big club who have languished in the second tier for far too long.

JK Ebor are the third promoted side, sneaking into the 3rd in the table ahead of the newly promoted Radnik Avtovac due to their superior goal difference. JK Ebor were only promoted to the Druga Liga in 32/33 themselves, so this represents fantastic progress for them with a very young squad, though trying to stay up next season may prove to be an uphill task with their limited resources. They will also have to do it without the influential regista Nurija Papez, whose loan from Top League champions 1923 Esca has ended. Papez was snapped up last summer and had a similar loan-back deal to Milica Prokopljevic, but only for a single-season. Coping without him will be tough for JK Ebor, but they will relish the opportunity to compete in the Top League for the very first time nonetheless.

Both Radnik Avtovac and Pamuk Trunca were supremely impressive after getting promoted into the second tier, ending up the ‘best of the rest’ behind the three promoted sides. Radnik Avtovac in particular pushed JK Ebor all the way, with Ajdin Mujezinovic’s performances from midfield offering an excellent mix of defensive stability and creative ingenuity. Ararat Severyan are understood to hold a significant interest in Mujezinovic, so it may be hard for Radnik to hold onto their top talent beyond this summer. Pamuk will also be happy that they were competitive for so much of the season, though they did fade a little as the season went on.

FK Magevskaya and Arka Snezhnaya were among the favourites for promotion, both dropping down from the Top League at the end of last season and having strong squads. Both clubs will be disappointed with how their respective seasons panned out, too, unable to bounce straight back in the way that Vitalia did and mired in the second tier for another season. It is increasingly difficult to get out of the division, with sides like Dinamo and JK Ebor improving rapidly to usurp the established order. Similarly Zeljeznicar will be frustrated with their campaign, ending up in the bottom-half of the table when they arguably should have done so much more. Slava Raspopov and Mijat Krstic might both be on thin ice at FK Magevskaya and Arka, but Vehbija Sokolovic’s managerial position appears to be unassailable at Zeljeznicar despite the disappointment.

Whilst Radnik Avtovac and Pamuk Trunca were flying high chasing promotion, their fellow promoted side Turbine Decraa drop straight back down to the third tier. Shockingly they will be joined by two clubs who have spent a lot of time in the Top League in recent years. Catastrophe struck for both BVK Dinamo and Crvena Zvezda this season, the former being a typical yo-yo side between the first and second divisions; and Crvena Zvezda being Mytanija’s fifth most successful club with a fan base to match. Heads have rolled already, with both Konstantin Rajkovic and Nemanja Pivec paying for the performances with their jobs. Rajkovic has retired following his lengthy spell at BVK Dinamo finally coming to an end, it wouldn’t have been the way he wanted it to come to a close but he has been a great servant to the club both as a player and as a manager. Former club captain Damir Azanovic has already been appointed Crvena Zvezda head coach and he will want to restore the club to their former glories as soon as he can.

END OF SEASON AWARDS
Player of the Season:
1. Vitaliy Dmitriev [MYT] (DC/DMC, 29, Vitalia)
2. Dalibor Vlahovic [MYT] (MC, 35, JK Ebor)
3. Evripidis Zervakis [OTH] (MC, 29, Dinamo)

Under-23 Player of the Season:
1. Hanif el-Said [GRF] (GK, 22, Vitalia)
2. Milica Prokopljevic [MYT] (ST, 18, Dinamo)
3. Nurija Papez [MYT] (MC, 19, JK Ebor)

Golden Boot:
1. Milica Prokopljevic [MYT] (ST, Dinamo; 31 goals in 28 games)
2. Tomislav Bajcev [MYT] (ST, JK Ebor; 24 goals in 30 games)
3. Mehmet Aliaspahic [MYT] (ST, Vitalia; 22 goals in 29 games)

## Treća Liga North      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Međunarodna            30   21   4   5    62   31  +31    67  C, P
02 Arsenal                30   19   7   4    72   38  +34    64  P-O, P
03 Torpedo                30   17   8   5    56   31  +25    59
04 Meja                   30   16   7   7    49   34  +15    55
05 Slavia                 30   16   4  10    55   47   +8    52
06 Vinogradar             30   14   7   9    63   51  +12    49
07 Slovan                 30   14   6  10    54   40  +14    48
08 Malotranska            30   12  11   7    55   38  +17    47
09 Obalna                 30   13   5  12    47   42   +5    44
10 Jedinstvo Zavolja      30    9   7  14    52   64  −12    34
11 NK Bijeljina           30    8   6  16    29   46  −17    30
12 Ancharmunska           30    7   7  16    35   52  −17    28
13 Padina                 30    6   7  17    36   59  −23    25
14 Metalac                30    5   9  16    34   54  −20    24
15 FK Sedlovina           30    5   7  18    20   51  −31    22
16 Hajerek                30    2  10  18    32   73  −41    16  R


## Treća Liga South      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Spartak                30   21   5   4    65   26  +39    68  C, P
02 Zenit                  30   22   1   7    73   35  +38    67  P-O
03 Ribari                 30   21   3   6    61   37  +24    66
04 CVMZ                   30   19   6   5    65   41  +24    63
05 Ibalia                 30   19   4   7    62   42  +20    61
06 Rotor                  30   18   6   6    64   29  +35    60
07 Zabrezje               30   16   8   6    50   25  +25    56
08 Lok. Ostrova           30   15   3  12    46   46    0    48
09 Akademija              30   14   5  11    45   35  +10    47
10 FK Istocna Obala       30   12   4  14    46   49   −3    40
11 Granica                30    9   4  17    49   50   −1    31
12 KF Volkovija           30    6   4  20    27   61  −34    22
13 NK Istina              30    5   4  21    31   60  −29    19
14 Djakovo                30    5   2  23    32   80  −48    17
15 KF Shkelzena           30    4   3  23    27   74  −47    15
16 Obolon                 30    2   2  26    31   84  −53     8  R

Treća Liga Promotion Play-off
Arsenal 1–1 Zenit
  Zenit 1–3 Arsenal

Arsenal win 4–1 on aggregate, Arsenal promoted

---

SPIRIT OF YOUTH TROPHY FINAL
Venue: Stadion Yolanda Savic, Thessia (Attendance: 24,322)
Weather: Rain (20°C)
Referee: Stepan Yamskikh

Crvena Zvezda 1–3 Olympic

[Mytanija]

STORIES OF THE SEASON

We saw 1923 Esca win their first ever Mytanar Top League title and 1896 Ebor seal a 5th National Cup, their first trophy for eight years, at the end of last season. We’re going to take a look at some of the top stories from around the top two divisions of Mytanar football and see how they might impact the season ahead as the start of the new campaign draws ever closer. Take a look!

ATLETIK’S UICA / IFCF HEARTACHE GOES ON

In usual circumstances a trophyless season for Atletik Thessia would lead to mass introspection and internal recriminations, but last season very nearly ended up being one of the greatest season’s in the club’s history, so the reaction to the lack of a trophy has been somewhat muted compared to what might occur normally. Atletik managed to reach the IFCF Challengers’ Cup final, an achievement which is especially impressive given the financial disparity between the Mytanar Top League and most of the leagues which regularly challenge at the latter stages of these competitions – particularly in terms of wages. Unfortunately for Atletik fans this ended how it usually has for them in IFCF and UICA competitions, with defeat, something which the other two of Mytanija’s traditional ‘big three’ (1896 Ebor and Liria Prizren) like to remind them of at every opportunity.

Atletik qualified for the IFCF Champions’ League after winning the 33/34 league title, but defeat at the hands of Athletic Saint Eleanor in the Playoff Round meant that the season started with disappointment. Saint Eleanor’s champions, besides sharing a form of the ‘Athletic’ moniker, were exceptionally threatening every time they brought the ball forward and Atletik’s new-look back line showed their inexperience, with Foma Koshkin in noticeable distress after giving away a couple of goals. Edis Znidarsic refused to criticise his players, taking the blame and saying that it would be a learning experience for some of the younger members of the squad. Jasno Odonelec also refused to let it mar the rest of the season: “[W]e still have opportunities to be successful, including in international competition, so we have to recover from this quickly.”

The Thessian giants were handed a potentially challenging group but one which they felt they could progress from. Audioslavian side AC Izotz Zubia are one of the biggest clubs in multiversal football, but Cordasfjord FC and Darmen’s MTK Kingsville felt like gentler draws which could allow Atletik a path through the group stage. A 1-0 win away to Izotz Zubia was the stuff of dreams for Atletik supporters, Gabriel Sayritupac dribbling past Mytanar international (and former Atletik star) Grigorij Savicevic before firing in the winner. Draws, along with a home loss against MTK Kingsville, threatened to undo Atletik’s qualification hopes but they secured a crucial 2-1 win away to Cordasfjord and the 9 points gained from the group were enough to progress in 2nd behind Zozi.

A draw against Marine Coast United offered further encouragement, Vilitan clubs can be difficult opponents on their day but their star has waned somewhat in recent years. A 4-2 first leg win at the Novi Atletskistadion was crowned off with a Foma Koshkin header which led to him roaring in front of the Kippax Ofras section of the ground – he explained afterwards that it felt like he had finally made-up for the error which had Atletik playing Challengers’ Cup football rather than in the Champions’ League in the first place. A nervy 2-1 defeat in the second leg demonstrated the danger Marine Coast United could pose, Nahia Legarra’s goal ensuring that Atletik remained ahead and made it through to the Round of 16.

Dejan Zgela’s Damogran FC awaited them there, a tie which really whet the appetite in Thessia and once again Atletik leaned on the raucous atmosphere inside the Novi Atletskistadion to build-up a lead. Jasno Odonelec put them ahead, still affecting games even in the twilight of his career. Then the young man who entered the fray in his stead for the second-half, Denis Ovsyannikov, added a second. Ovsyannikov is believed to be Atletik’s future and the way he helped to run the game here, his rangy and lithe physique allowing him to cover every blade of grass, definitely pointed in that direction. As did his evident technical ability, he wasn’t afraid to pull out a flick or a trick if the situation required it. A strong defensive performance from future club captain Evelyn Cassidy and messrs Koshkin and Elmedin Suljic brought Atletik through the second leg with a 0-0 draw and a place in the Quarter Finals.

Darmeni opposition had posed problems for Atletik already once, so the draw handing them a tie against Scott City perhaps wasn’t greeted with the greatest enthusiasm. A 4-3 thriller in Thessia demonstrated exactly why, Scott City just wouldn’t lie down and it made for a fantastic game. Nahia Legarra’s late brace was needed to turn the game on its head and even then Scott City still had an even later chance to equalise which was tremendously saved by Deliang Zhao. The tie was very much alive heading into the second leg, though, meaning plenty of work to do for an Atletik side who were still competing on two fronts with a lively title race on home soil. Znidarsic’s charges negotiated the second leg beautifully, playing compact, defensively responsible football whilst remaining a permanent threat on the break. Zahir Ivankovic provided an outlet down the left and when he seized on a loose ball midway through the second-half the first thing on his mind was to drive forwards into the Scott City half of the pitch. His run didn’t seem to stop and as defenders got sucked across to try to stop him it left space for Gabriel Sayritupac, Ivankovic played a simple pass to the Huayramarcan and Sayritupac did the rest to secure a famous victory away from home.

The Licentian Isles’ St. Thomas were next up, at the Semi Final stage of the competition and all of a sudden Atletik had a very real chance of lifting a first ever IFCF / UICA trophy. It felt like there had been a Mytanar interest amongst Atletik’s opponents in international competition all season and this tie was no different with Dusko Ocokoljic – brother of Jezdimir, former Atletik hero – plying his trade for St. Thomas. This tie was the first in the knockout rounds where Atletik would play the second leg away from home, they wouldn’t be able to get their early lead and then see the game out in the second leg this time. That was no bother to Edis Znidarsic, although the league was slipping away as more and more of the team’s focus was directed towards the Challengers’ Cup. A 1-1 draw in the Licentian Isles ensured that it was all to play for in the second leg and the tie followed the same path in the second leg, the two sides level at 1-1 and appearing to be heading towards extra time. Football loves narrative, though, so when Denis Ovsyannikov’s corner was swung into the centre of the box and Licentian central defender Evelyn Cassidy rose highest to head it home against the Licentian champions in the last five minutes it perhaps should not have been as big a surprise. The Novi Atletskistadion was shaking when the goal went in and Cassidy punched the air, mobbed by her teammates, Atletik would play for the IFCF Challengers’ Cup.

Ko-orenite side Straudum VV would meet them there, a chance for them to win Ko-oren’s first ever IFCF or UICA title. Atletik would get a chance to win a first ever international trophy to go alongside their pair of Rushmore Copa de Campeones. It would also allow them to finally quiet the noise from ‘big three’ rivals 1896 Ebor and Liria for never having been able to convert domestic dominance into international glory. Atletik supporters flocked to Ferramendiak in Audioslavia to the 85,000 capacity Burdina Jauregia, optimistic that this might finally be the occasion on which they could end their years of disappointment when it came to UICA and IFCF competitions. Unfortunately for them it was not to be, Straudum VV just being able to outlast Atletik when it mattered most to secure a 2-1 victory and the IFCF Challengers’ Cup. Edis Znidarsic’s team had so nearly gone all the way, he had been so close to doing something that even the great Marius Sadowsky had not been able to do. In the end they left empty-handed, having slipped to 3rd in the league and been put out of the National Cup at an early juncture.

The team were still given a heroes’ welcome when they returned to Thessia and the club’s board reiterated their support for Znidarsic, a spokesperson telling the media that the young manager ‘had made every Atletik supporter dream’ and that ending up without a trophy after that campaign was a small price to pay given the way the team had performed in IFCF matches. Znidarsic, for his part, was enormously disappointed: “I can’t help but feel that we could have come out of this year with the league and the Challengers’ Cup, if small moments had just gone a little differently and as the manager responsible for all of those players I have to live with that. I have to look at what I could have done differently to affect the matches. Next season I’ll have to try to put whatever I assess into action and ensure that Atletik don’t end up trophyless, it’s not in this club’s nature for that to happen.”

Atletik have experienced another summer of change as the club’s recruitment team look to constantly reinforce the club’s future with young talent. Zahir Ivankovic has finally decided to look abroad after being snubbed for a national team place despite winning three titles and a cup with the club. Badara Thiam Ngagne has been moved on after some underwhelming performances and Nermin Pecenica sold after he refused to accept being loaned out. Zlatan Andrijasevic will return to the club to offer cover in attack and Miha Slomsek arrives to play left wing-back. Znidarsic will hope that the number of changes doesn’t cause lethargy at the start of the campaign as it seemed to last time, although he may be heartened by the way his defence finished the season after being somewhat thrown together at the beginning. They can’t dwell on their disappointment for too long as they’ll have another Challengers’ Cup campaign to look forward to and an attempt to wrest back their domestic crown from 1923 Esca.


NK DYKA LOOK LIKE A CLUB ON THE UP

A 7th place finish might not be the most impressive thing ever, but for a club like NK Dyka who have never really scaled those sort of heights before it most definitely is and it’s the latest success for a club who very much appear to be on an upward trajectory over recent years. Club president Blasko Vaskanov’s focus on data and statistics might seem a little cold at times, but it has been enormously successful as NK Dyka’s results have been nothing short of superb in his time at the club. Vaskanov’s love for data has been combined with manager Dragomir Lazic’s intensity on the training ground and his possession-based approach which aims to minimise defensive risk. It appears to be a marriage made in heaven.

This year it allowed them to challenge for an IFCF spot for much of the campaign, because not only did NK Dyka have the off-field set-up and the coaching absolutely spot on, they also had an absolutely fantastic squad to put everything into action out on the pitch. Mirko Ovcina was so good that he is expected to be a locked in selection for the Mytanija national pool for World Cup 92 qualification. The 22-year old is one of the best Mytanar creative talents and he combines that with a desire to never stop running, plenty of defensive commitment and physicality. You wouldn’t want him to sit and protect your defence but as a so-called ‘free 8’ who can try things in the attacking third and lead his team’s press he’s nothing less than top drawer.

NK Dyka also finally had a goal scorer on hand to consistently finish the chances the team creates, but Miljka Đurovića was also much more than just a goal scorer this year. The Graintfjaller striker is an expert at bringing her teammates into play, able to use her height to win aerial battles and hold-off defenders. She led the team with 12 goals and set-up a further 7, a fantastic return for a young striker playing overseas for the very first time in her career. She’s quickly become a fan favourite in Dyka and her goals helped the team to finish as high up the table as they eventually did. Strike partner Levi Doolan seemed to work well alongside her, though there appears to have been a rift between the Fodhlan forward and the club during the summer over the club actively looking for reinforcements in forward areas – something which leads us handily onto one of the most exciting arrivals to Mytanar football in a very long time.

Eirika Jonathansdóttir might be 32 now, sold to NK Dyka by Starling for NSD 800,000, a fee which could be a snip if she is able to show some of the best form from the earlier parts of her career here in Mytanija. The signing was driven by Vaskanov’s data, with it looking to identify players who might be under-valued by their current (or now previous, in Eirika’s case) sides and who NK Dyka could use. There is a belief that Eirika can be used alongside fellow Graintfjaller Miljka Đurovića to great effect, with Miljka’s aerial ability complemented well by Eirika’s speed of thought and directness. It’s something which has angered Levi Doolan, the 30-year old likely to be the one who loses his place after Đurovića’s outstanding debut season, though we’ll have to see how the club deal with the fallout. There is also the small matter of how Eirika’s pregnancy has affected her, though the club are optimistic that the experience of some of Mytanija’s top volleyball stars demonstrates that pregnancy is hardly a stumbling block for top athletes these days.

The deal for Eirika was financed in its entirety by the NSD 6 million the club raised from selling Mirko Ovcina to Stahlburg City, where he’ll play alongside Mersudin Smajic. Losing one of your major stars is never a good thing, but NK Dyka have reacted well to selling players before (see Emil Kitinov) and they have reinvested the money raised wisely with Dyane Angle coming in to play left-back – a problem position for the club – and Leontiy Korchagin signed from relegated Zenith side Leichhardt for a club record NSD 3 million. Korchagin has international experience for Mytanija and is something of a departure from the club’s usual approach of signing low and selling high, but he is a signing which could push the club to a higher level given his obvious quality.

Atletik Thessia loanee Evin Françine-Miklavivec has the unenviable task of trying to replace Mirko Ovcina in the NK Dyka midfield, though there are murmurs about Petvqar Terziovski getting a chance to act as the team’s main playmaker alongside Françine-Miklavivec and Yefim Usov. That would necessitate a change of formation and a move away from the 4-4-2 diamond which has defined the club in recent years, but Lazic is known to have tricks up his sleeve.


THE EMERGENCE OF YOUNG STARS IN MYTANIJA’S SECOND TIER

A genuinely exciting development last season was that the Druga Liga, Mytanija’s second tier, seemed to be offering opportunities to young players which allowed them to be thrust into the national spotlight. Milica Prokopljevic and Nurija Papez (both pictured, right), were the two main beneficiaries of this and are expected to be named in the national pool for World Cup 92 qualifying as a result. That’s a huge vote of confidence for both the players in question and any youngsters who might be loaned out to a Druga Liga club in the future, as neither have played at Top League level yet but are still rated highly enough on the basis of their performances in the second tier to warrant a call-up.

Prokopljevic hit more than a goal a game, with 31 goals in 28 appearances helping to secure Dinamo Esca’s promotion back to the Top League for the first time in fifteen years. Prokopljevic was completing the first of a 2-year loan at Dinamo, the club at which he came through the youth system, after Atletik Thessia bought him for NSD 1 million a year ago. They agreed the loan back as part of the deal, ostensibly to ensure that Prokopljevic would get as much game-time as possible to continue his development. They might now be regretting extending that deal to two years as Prokopljevic appears to have it all, he’s tall and powerful, extremely quick and scores all kinds of goals. It’s a position which Atletik are well-stocked in with the likes of Nahia Legarra and Gabriel Sayritupac, but you can easily visualise Prokopljevic playing through the middle with those two playing off him. Prokopljevic will get another year to work on his game with Dinamo at Top League level, something which could be invaluable long-term. His emergence has come at a good time for Mytanija, with the ‘traditional’ striker position being one that we seem to be a little short in at the moment with false nines being so in vogue, albeit with the likes of Drazen Skara starting to stake a claim for a greater role.

Nurija Papez plays an altogether different role, a lot deeper on the pitch, but no less important to the astute tactical mind. Papez is what some footballing cultures might call a regista, but what is known in Mytanija as a ‘conductor’. Mersudin Smajic has played this role with the national team and at Liria Prizren after coming through the ranks at Tekstil as more of a box-to-box midfielder. Papez is more of a purist in the position, he’s never going to trouble those who identify with the headline stats (goals and assists), but the way that he can run a game from midfield is an extremely useful attribute to have and was a huge part of JK Ebor being able to gain promotion alongside Dinamo Esca and Vitalia this season. His sense of position and timing are things which much more experienced players can struggle with, so for Papez to have developed those skills at such an early age (he’s only 20) is incredible. Papez is a product of JK Ebor’s academy, but 1923 Esca snapped him up last summer for NSD 750,000 (a fee which is increasingly looking derisory) and loaned him back to his hometown club for a season. That means that 1923 Esca are going to be able to benefit from his obvious talent as early as next season and Papez will go into a side full of confidence, coming off the back of a title win.

The talent doesn’t stop there though, the likes of Ajdin Mujezinovic (heading to Ararat); Jovica Injac (to Dinamo); and Yeremy Gribov (to SK Elita Ryzaev) have all done extremely well in the second tier and have earned Top League moves as a result. The Druga Liga appears to be in the best health it has been for a long time and a lot of that has to be due to more teams having a chance at promotion than ever before, with the gap between the teams relegated from the Top League and everybody else becoming ever smaller. A lot of credit has to go to youth coaches around the country for helping clubs with tiny budgets produce the players who have allowed this improvement to occur.

ANNA KORNILOFF–KOUYATE CAN DO IT ALL ON AND OFF THE PITCH

Some wondered exactly how Anna Korniloff-Kouyate would balance the demands of Top League football with fulfilling the innumerable endorsement commitments that she has with major Mytanar brands throughout the league season. The 23-year old Quebecois winger did a good job of answering the (usually old, white and male) critics by winning the Under-23 Player of the Season award and pushing her side onto National Cup glory. Korniloff-Kouyate also starred in commercials for Mytanar sportswear kings Odeća alongside double Olympic gold medallist surfer Kosara Raonic and walked the runway with supermodels for high-fashion brand Atelier Dina Preldzic, demonstrating once and for all that she can do it all and perform at an exceptionally high level out on the pitch.

1896 Ebor’s kit suppliers Delta will not have been overly pleased that Korniloff-Kouyate was snapped up by Odeća and ADP, but the amount of times she has appeared in the Delta branded 1896 Ebor shirt on television, in newspapers and on social media might have made-up for it. Korniloff-Kouyate’s signing and 1896 Ebor’s #WelcomeAnna campaign broke records for engagement numbers, higher than anything Atletik Thessia have achieved, even. Her performances backing up the hype appear to have sent those high numbers into the stratosphere and her presence is nothing other an unqualified success both on and off the pitch as a result.

The criticism that Korniloff-Kouyate ‘should focus on her football’ lest she become distracted and underperform always seems to come from the same individuals in the media, those who are uncomfortable with an attractive young woman of colour coming to Mytanija and becoming a smash-hit with people here so quickly after arrival. That popularity resulted in huge companies lining up around the block to be associated with her and Korniloff-Kouyate has done very well out of it. It is interesting that it is always women, such as Kosara Raonic; or black people like Bigger Mbala-Ekakia; and now Korniloff-Kouyate, ‘guilty’ on both counts who this critique is reserved for. White colleagues never seem to have the potential to become distracted in this manner.

She will be a key performer for 1896 Ebor next season, perhaps the key performer in a side which has very serious designs on winning the league title under Tana Colbright. The signing of Casey Roehampton from SK Elita Ryzaev shows enormous ambition and her introduction to this side should only free-up Korniloff-Kouyate on the opposite wing even more, with teams now not being able to double-up for fear of a switch to Roehampton on the other side who can cause the same sort of damage. Anne-Linde van Oers has been a clinical goal scorer throughout her time in Mytanija and the Licentian’s presence in that all-female front three will frighten pretty much every defence in the country.


FK ARSIKA’S NEW DEFENSIVE SHAPE UNDER ERMIN DRZIC

You could have said many things about Ermin Drzic during his playing career. ‘Creative’ would have been accurate, ‘eye for a pass’ too, even ‘frustratingly inconsistent’. You would not have said things like ‘defensively responsible’, so it’s very interesting that Drzic’s coaching has been nothing short of superb when it comes to the defensive side of the game since he became FK Arsika manager. Last season he improved FK Arsika’s defensive shape and structure to a level which few have seen before at the club, some even arguing that Dzvezdan Kitanchev never got a side playing as cohesively without the ball as Drzic has done in his first season in Arsika.

They conceded 37 goals, with only champions 1923 Esca, Atletik Thessia and CDSA boasting better defensive records across the campaign. FK Arsika were less porous at the back than runners-up 1896 Ebor, along with IFCF qualifiers Liria Prizren. That’s an exceptional coaching job by a manager who had no experience in the top job at any club prior to last year, a huge gamble by Sacha Dobruzhanski but one which seems to have paid off handsomely in the short-term at least. The challenge for Drzic and company will be to continue that defensive showing into the new campaign and that’s where the club have done extensive work over the summer, looking to mend the roof whilst the sun is shining and adding reinforcements in the defensive third of the pitch.

“We felt that we already had the players in midfield and in attacking areas, they just need a little more time together to gel and we’re hoping the new season will allow them to show their talent. We wanted to shore up our back line which had already been so impressive last term, so that’s what we went into the market for.” Drzic explained.

Dobruzhanski backed this approach too, spending NSD 1.5 million to bring former Mytanija international Ermin Urankar back home from Chromatik side Anomalies. Urankar will add a lot of experience on the left-side of Drzic’s defence and should also contribute going forwards given that he’s been a highly competent wing-back and left-sided midfielder earlier in his career. FK Arsika also brought in Lok. Cassia’s Miljan Kocjan for NSD 500,000. The 28-year old has impressed in weak Lok. teams for a few years and Drzic sees him as a replacement for the ageing Usten Odonelec, who can be more impactful from the bench. Drzic might not have been who people expected Dobruzhanski to put his trust in, but few can argue that his first season went better than expected and with FK Arsika’s new-found ability to remain tight at the back we might see them go even better in Drzic’s second year.


ZHUSUPOV AND TEOSHAW–HAIN HAVE ALL THE HALLMARKS OF A TOP DEFENSIVE PAIRING FOR OLYMPIC

Olympic aren’t able to boast of a defensive record of the same quality as FK Arsika’s from last season, but towards the end of the campaign their two central defenders appeared to have an understanding which should serve them well heading into the new year. Delaclav stopper Rahmonberdi Zhusupov and Zwangzug’s Neroli Teoshaw-Hain were identified by the Thessian club as two centre-halves who have very complementary characteristics and who can work well together for five or more years if Emil Jefak is able to get them to work together. Jefak is one of the finest coaches in Mytanija when it comes to actually getting out on the training pitch, even if he hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success in recent years, so Olympic were bullish on their chances of the two new signings developing well together

The pair experienced some teething issues, the much more experienced Zhusupov perhaps starting a bit more calmly compared to Teoshaw-Hain who had to find her feet in the Top League after graduating from Ozcheb University in her homeland and being snapped straight up by the Thessian side. Once those initial issues were overcome the pair started to look good and in the second-half of the season they became one of the strongest defensive duos in the league. Teoshaw-Hain’s anticipation is excellent and she is able to sweep up behind the more combative Zhusupov who likes to go out and challenge opponents at source wherever possible. Emil Jefak was especially pleased with the pair, believing that they will be demonstrate a higher level of assuredness next season and said that Teoshaw-Hain could go on to mimic Evelyn Cassidy of cross-city rivals Atletik in terms of her development pathway.

All of that comes after a few rough years for the club where they have had to deal with the reality of dropping down from regular IFCF qualification to jostling for position in the middle regions of the Top League table. Jefak will hope that Zhusupov and Teoshaw-Hain can provide the base for his side to work from and improve. The long-standing manager will also be hoping that he can start to integrate some of the members of Olympic’s Spirit of Youth Trophy winning under-18 side, with versatile winger Deni Avdic expected to be the first to make an appearance for the senior side.

MUHAREM HAJDARPASIC: MYTANIJA’S NEXT GREAT #10?

Muharem Hajdarpasic is one of the most exciting young talents in Mytanija. He’s still only 19, but it feels like he has been around so much longer as he already has over 80 appearances in the Mytanar Top League. He’s not a typical Mytanar number ten, the sort of attacking midfielder who wants to get into the penalty box and score goals, no, he’s more of a dribbler, a trickster who wants to take players on and – if he can – leave them sprawled in an embarrassed heap with his close control. He’s a lot of fun to watch and a little incongruent in a Tekstil team more renowned for its hard-work and defensive diligence under Emir Saric than anything else.

Saric adores Hajdarpasic, though, believing that the youngster has the creative spark needed in a side which is mostly built around being functional, tough to beat and defensively solid. To Tekstil supporters Hajdarpasic means absolutely everything, another local boy and supporter of the club in the same ilk as legends Nebojsa Aleksic, Mehmet Elvahic and Zafer Muminovic. They believe that he will stay at the club for a very long-time, unlike Mersudin Smajic, who clouded his reputation with the fans a little bit with the manner in which he departed for Liria Prizren. Hajdarpasic’s emergence comes at a time when Aleksic’s decline is terminal. Aleksic – the club’s greatest ever player – is now 40 years of age and whilst he will play for the club again next season it is clear for all to see that he is not the same player that he was even five or six years ago. Hajdarpasic has been the one to fill that gap.

The playmaker is fantastic on the pitch and his down-to-earth attitude has endeared him to the supporters, although dalliances in Ibon’s clubbing scene have put him on the wrong side of his manager a couple of times. Hajdarpasic likes to party and this, along with his ever-changing, often-dyed hairstyles have concerned some who believe he might not be as focused on football as he could be (albeit without ever receiving the same criticism as the likes of Anna Korniloff-Kouyate or Bigger Mbala-Ekakia when he still played in Mytanija, which is interesting). Emir Saric has put it down to the player being young, saying: “If I had looked like Muharem at that age I’m sure I would have been out in bars a lot too, he probably gets plenty of attention and has a great time. As long as he puts the effort in in training and in matches then I’m not too concerned about what he gets up to off the pitch.”

Mytanar football loves a story like Hajdarpasic’s, a player competing for the club they support, living a rock-and-roll lifestyle off the pitch and with talent oozing out of every pore, though some will recall the sad tale of Ismet van Huijgevoort and shudder, hoping that Hajdarpasic does not end up on the same road. Many believe he has the ability to become a player who can hold down a starting position with the national team. He is not expected to be selected for the World Cup 92 qualifying pool, with Omer Kuhar-Arh, Maks Shishkin and Jana Anusic expected to be picked ahead of him. That might raise some eyebrows, with Dzvezdan Kitanchev understood to not look too kindly on Hajdarpasic’s off-field activities despite his obvious ability. It might be the kick in the backside the youngster needs to maintain his focus a little more, though if he continues to perform for Tekstil then few in Ibon – perhaps included Muharem himself – will care.


WILL VASKO REBEC SELL SHARES BACK TO SK ELITA RYZAEV SUPPORTERS?

In a rather amazing turn of events it appears that Vasko Rebec might well be on the verge of selling his shares in the club back to the club’s supporters’ trust, meeting the demands of SK Elita Ryzaev’s main ultras group Severna Tribuna. The ultras have protested Rebec’s presence at the club for a long time, believing that his frivolous spending and sponsoring the club with his own health-food and supplements company Družba Svobode are not in keeping with the ideals upon which the club was founded – in keeping with the social, economic and political ideals espoused by the eponymous Elita Ryzaev. Severna Tribuna have not attended a home game for the whole time SKER have been in the Top League, boycotting the matches in protest at Rebec’s ownership.

That has led to an unusual atmosphere at matches, something which players have even commented on, feeling that they haven’t got the home support which many of their relegation rivals can count on. Some veteran players who have since left the club have said that the atmosphere at matches in the lower leagues was often fantastic, hostile the opposition and credit it with pushing the team onto better performances, so it’s something SKER have definitely been missing out on.

Over the summer the club have been acting a little unusually. It was expected that manager Martin Labrovic would have a very short future at the end of last season, with Rebec not impressed with the club’s showing in the league despite the investment he had made into the playing staff over the past two transfer windows. Instead, Labrovic has been kept on, with sources citing the two years left on his contract as a disincentive for Rebec to sack him when he might be considering selling his shares back to the SKER supporters’ trust.

The club’s dealings in the transfer market have also been a little out of keeping with an owner who might be trying to stay and improve the club’s standing. SKER did fulfil their obligation to buy Casey Roehampton upon the completion of her loan, that deal was contingent on SKER retaining their Top League status by that point and they had, so they signed her for NSD 4 million. However, almost immediately after that deal was signed, 1896 Ebor were announcing that they had signed Roehampton permanently for NSD 5 million, allowing SKER to book a profit on the transfer. They also sold promising full-backs Matija Gvardjancic and Miha Slomsek, Gvardjancic to Chromatik side Crossroads for NSD 4 million and Slomsek to Atletik for NSD 1 million (proof of the domestic discount if ever you needed it!).

This fire-sale seemed to confirm suspicions that Rebec was trying to recoup the money he had invested in players over the two years since SKER won promotion to the Top League. Rebec had spent NSD 5.25 million since promotion, an eye-watering amount for a club of SKER’s size. The magnitude of that figure is enormously unusual in Mytanar football and everybody knows that if Rebec is going to sell shares back to the supporter’s trust he’s unlikely to get the rate he wants. Selling NSD 10 million of players allowed him to cover the money spent on completing the obligation to buy for Roehampton (along with another NSD 500,000 of minor squad additions during this window); and the rest of the money he had spent on players whilst owning the club, leaving a tidy NSD 250,000 leftover on top. It is expected that Rebec will withdraw any available liquidity from the club prior to any sale, trying to cover the gap between what the supporters’ trust is able to pay and what he would like to get for his shares.

It could leave SK Elita Ryzaev rather immiserated, but many supporters of the club would prefer that to being used as a commercial device by an owner who wants to advertise his brand on their shirts and whose actions completely go against everything they believe the club should stand for. Supporters were never happy with the gaudy fees being spent on players and their protests appear to be getting Rebec to a point where he might well sell the club back to them, they are still suspicious though, watchful of the terms and conditions that he might offer them as part of any deal.

[Mytanija]

MKA LIGA BASKETBALL 34/35 SEASON REVIEW

MKA Liga Basketball History

Year   Champion               Runner-Up       
00/01  Košarka Esca    75–60  Atletik
01/02  Košarka Esca    79–74  Dinamo
02/03  Dinamo          71–59  BK Magevskaya
03/04  KK Rauchnya     65–63  KK Prizren
04/05  Olympic         71–70  Atletik
05/06  Košarka Esca    77–74  KK Rauchnya
06/07  Dinamo          84–80  Zenit
07/08  Zenit           81–79  Dinamo
08/09  Zenit           78–74  Dinamo
09/10  Zenit           75–70  Košarka Esca
10/11  BK Magevskaya   79–72  KK Rauchnya
11/12  KK Rauchnya     64–62  NK Dyka
12/13  KK Rauchnya     70–69  Olympic
13/14  Košarka Esca    74–65  Dinamo
14/15  Košarka Esca    88–68  Zenit
15/16  Košarka Esca    80–74  BK Magevskaya
16/17  Košarka Esca    74–73  KK Rauchnya
17/18  Padina          60–59  Košarka Esca
18/19  Atletik         75–71  Zeljeznicar
19/20  KK Rauchnya     72–51  KK Avnalia
20/21  Dinamo          71–70  Zenit
21/22  KK Avnalia      88-85  KK Prizren
22/23  Olympic         90–78  Atletik
23/24  Košarka Esca    95–82  KK Rauchnya
24/25  KK Rauchnya     93–92  Košarka Esca
25/26  Zenit           81–58  Košarka Esca
26/27  KK Avnalia     101–60  Zenit
27/28  Košarka Esca    83–75  Zenit
28/29  BK Magevskaya   80–78  KK Avnalia
29/30  Košarka Esca    77–76  BK Magevskaya
30/31  Atletik         91–74  Torpedo
31/32  Košarka Esca    86–82  BK Magevskaya
32/33  BK Magevskaya   75–60  Košarka Esca
33/34  BK Magevskaya   72–71  Košarka Esca
34/35

Team           Championships
Košarka Esca   11
KK Rauchnya     5
Zenit           4
BK Magevskaya   4
Dinamo          3
Olympic         2
KK Avnalia      2
Atletik         2
Padina          1

Basketball is a popular sport in Mytanija, in terms of participation it is one of the stronger sports, with plenty of Mytanar kids playing street basketball in the infamous 'cages' found in many deprived areas in Mytanar cities when a football isn't being kicked around. The MKA Liga, Mytanija's top level of competition, lags behind other sports in terms of commercial revenue and television coverage which means it is often considered to be behind football (obviously) and volleyball in terms of popularity. The MKA (the Mytanar Basketball Association), is trying to change that by negotiating better contracts for the TV rights to show MKA Liga games. This could involve streamlining the current format of the league, with some feeling that 28 teams is too many and dilutes the quality of the league that is meant to represent the best basketball in Mytanija has to offer. Any change of format would likely be met with fierce opposition given the structure of many of the teams as part of wider sports clubs that participate in various sports (e.g. Atletik, Crvena Zvezda and Dinamo to name but a few), that are owned and run by their members and usually (except for their football sections), aren't especially profitable. Increased commercialisation would be seen as anathema to the very values of many of these teams that are run for their members and are quite principled regarding community involvement in their clubs and staying in touch with their roots.

Mytanar basketball is characterised by finesse and skilful play, with passing and sharing the ball being crucial to the way teams play. Even bigs will boast the ability to make difficult passes and make solid reads and court intelligence is one of the most important things in the Mytanar game. Generally there are not specific players that dominate the points per game statistic. It is arguably more of a team-oriented style and players will also change position and can be tasked with taking on multiple roles in a game. There's less isolation plays than in a lot of other countries and athleticism isn't as important either, although this is something which is gradually changing as Mytanar basketball enters the international arena. Mytanija's run to the last sixteen of the last International Basketball Championship demonstrated the improvement of the national team over the past few years, with the domestic game providing the entirety of that group of players. Many coaches had been fearful that the Mytanar style of play was moving away from its team-orientated roots, but this made a return in the IBC and was quite fruitful.

Last year we had the same title game for the third time in a row between BK Magevskaya and Košarka Esca, one of the greatest rivalries in the recent history of Mytanar sport. Ateljevic roared out of the starting blocks for Košarka Esca and put up 26 points in total. They were well in the fight throughout the game and looked like they might win it right up until there was only 0.7 of a second left on the clock. Evgeny Fomin – the man who had been maligned by so many for so long for not having the same ‘clutch mentality’ as Ateljevic – came up big when his team needed him most. Down 71-69 and looking out of ideas as Košarka Esca found a way to slow them down in the closing stages it was Fomin who took responsibility, all 213 centimetres of him. He managed to make Ljes Borisavljevic bite on a feint, creating space for himself to hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc. Why Košarka Esca had Borisavljevic – a good centre, but one who doesn’t have the speed of foot or thought to deal with Fomin anywhere other than in the paint – on Fomin is anybody’s guess, but the big man capitalised on their error to lift BK Magevskaya to a second straight MKA Liga championship. Zelimir Ateljevic looked devastated, it’s a result which equals the record between him and Fomin at 2-2 in head-to-head championship games and 3-3 overall and perhaps silences the doubters who questioned whether Fomin had the heart which they believe Ateljevic has. The new campaign awaits us, will we see a new champion? Let's find out:

## MKA Liga              Pld    W   L
01 Padina                 54   44  10  Q2R
02 Atletik                54   43  11  Q2R
03 BK Magevskaya          54   42  12  Q2R
04 Košarka Esca           54   41  13  Q2R
05 KK Miago               54   40  14  Q1R
06 KK Rauchnya            54   39  15  Q1R
07 NK Thessia             54   39  15  Q1R
08 Zenit                  54   35  19  Q1R
09 Torpedo                54   35  19  Q1R
10 Dinamo                 54   34  20  Q1R
11 KK Avnalia             54   32  22  Q1R
12 Ribari                 54   31  23  Q1R
13 Litala ’93             54   26  28
14 KK Prizren             54   26  28
15 CDSA                   54   26  28
16 Granica                54   20  34
17 Partizan               54   20  34
18 Meja                   54   20  34
19 NK Dyka                54   19  35
20 NK Istina              54   18  36
21 Turbine                54   17  37
22 Tekstil                54   17  37
23 Zeljeznicar            54   16  38
24 Akademija              54   16  38
25 Olympic                54   15  39
26 Slovan                 54   15  39
27 Rotor                  54   15  39
28 Crvena Zvezda          54   15  39

Padina Zolota set the pace in the regular season under national team coach Sergej Mitrovic, a small market team who regularly compete thanks to a strong development programme and some fantastic coaching. The introduction of young players such as point guard Srdan Dedic and power forward Jaksa Ivovic to their starting rotation has taken the team forward, with continued good performances from older heads like Vojin Simic and Nebojsa Mijatovic acting as a steady hand on the tiller when the younger players are perhaps struggling a little bit. You would imagine a few of these players will attract attention from some of the traditionally successful teams in the future, but for now Padina will look to succeed with them and a regular season #1 spot is a sign of the process at the club succeeding – that will allow them to be sustainable going forward.

Atletik take #2 and their line-up is at the opposite end of the experience spectrum to Padina, with four players aged 31 or older and they have that know-how to get the through the tough moments. Centre Ahmed Nuhanovic is 26 and seems to have the best years of his career ahead of him, he’ll be an exceptional successor to Evgeny Fomin with the national team when the time comes, a different body type to Fomin but just as good as a shooting / passing big man. They will be tough to beat when it comes to play-off time with the experience and quality they have at their disposal.

Last season’s finalists BK Magevskaya and Košarka Esca take the third and fourth spots in that order, the same order they finished in the last two title games. Both Evgeny Fomin and Zelimir Ateljevic are still key figures at both clubs, but you wonder just how long they can be the go-to man for their respective teams. BK Mageskaya signed Juraj Stanorec from KK Miago over the summer in a similar manner to how Košarka Esca signed Tose Lekov from KK Avnalia after winning a championship a few years ago. A statement signing which could serve to reinforce a period of dominance, Stanorec was an impressive support act for Fomin this year and he will be key in the future too. Košarka Esca started to see more from 29-year old point guard Ilarion Nesic this season, there was talk of him potentially coming towards the end of his time at the club, with interest in others at the position. If he can be more impactful then he may well end that line of thinking.

Outside the top four spots and the bye to the Second Round of the play-offs that they provide we have a real assortment of teams. KK Miago seized 5th despite the loss of Stanorec, Licentian point guard Adam Rankin taking a step forward and running games a little more. Mytanar-Ketioulais centre Mislav Komusar is becoming more dominant too and if he can add greater consistency to his game then he will become a real handful. KK Rauchnya appear to be heading in the right direction under Albin Jausovec’s coaching, his heir at the point guard position Jasmin Osredkar looks to be a real prospect and 18-year old Urban Petrovic could well be the next top talent at the 4 spot. NK Thessia finished #7 in the regular season, whilst Zenit’s ageing squad were good enough for #8.

Torpedo helped themselves to #9, Duro Papac and Srecko Kostic forming one of the most impressive tandems outside the clubs from the big cities (and Zolota, of course). Dinamo are next up, with KK Avnalia and Ribari securing the last couple of play-off places rather more comfortably than they might usually be secured – no team was within five wins of the play-offs from 13th down.

First Round
#5 KK Miago 82–70 #12 Ribari
#6 KK Rauchnya 84–59 #11 KK Avnalia
#7 NK Thessia 72–73 #10 Dinamo
#8 Zenit 83–67 #9 Torpedo

The first round of the play-offs can often be ripe for an upset, but we only got one this year and it didn’t come in the #5 vs #12 match-up between KK Miago and Ribari. KK Miago were pretty dominant in this game, building a strong lead which eventually stretched out as far as 17 before being curtailed somewhat in the opening stages. KK Rauchnya were even more dominant, eventually winning by 25 points as they completely shut down the KK Avnalia offense. Darko Belicanec and Sime Zdravsky were made to feel the 36 and 33 years they have in their legs by KK Rauchnya’s younger players: Osredkar, Nosec and Petrovic were so impressive and Jausovec’s approach to moving the ball quickly paid dividends. Dinamo Esca had the upset of the round, edging out a tight encounter against NK Thessia with Ratimir Sandic’s buzzer-beating three enough to seal the victory. Zenit’s 16-point win over Torpedo completed a rather one-sided first round of the play-offs.

Second Round
#1 Padina 83–70 #10 Dinamo
#2 Atletik 91–63 #8 Zenit
#3 BK Magevskaya 69–75 #6 KK Rauchnya
#4 Košarka Esca 83–79 #5 KK Miago

Dinamo didn’t have long to celebrate their first round upset, Padina immediately bringing them back down to earth with a bump by easing to an 83-70 win. Padina were solid, perhaps not quite reaching the heights of the regular season in terms of performance, but in the play-offs it’s simply about winning each game. Atletik Thessia certainly were impressive, nearly beating Zenit by 30 points in a real show of strength. Nuhanovic led the game with 40 points, his heavy scoring done off a real efficient performance. BK Magevskaya won’t have a chance to make it three titles in a row, being put out by KK Rauchnya – a club who might have a claim at being the most exciting in the country at the moment. Mihailo Nosec’s career night (26 pts/8 asts/9 rebs) allowed them to beat the champions. Košarka Esca were given a bit of a scare by KK Miago, trailing by as many as 9 points at one point, but eventually Zelimir Ateljevic decided to take the game into his own hands to set-up a semi-final against #2 Atletik.

Semi Finals
#1 Padina 95–74 #6 KK Rauchnya
#2 Atletik 77–64 #4 Košarka Esca

In some ways it seems perfect that we get to see a championship game between the regular season’s two best sides, it feels almost justified given how good Padina and Atletik were at times. Padina were excellent here too, knowing that they were playing the most in-form opponent in Mytanar basketball. Jaksa Ivovic might only be 18, but his physicality caused KK Rauchnya so many issues and they weren’t ever really able to cope with it. He collected 24 points over the course of the match, Osredkar leading them with 33, the pairing which essentially made the difference for Padina. Atletik had a difficult match-up against Košarka Esca, but Besir Sijercic put on a career-best performance to get one over Zelimir Ateljevic, his fellow 33-year old wing. Atletik have shown real variety in their performances this season, but in the play-offs it feels like they’ve taken things to a new level defensively – limiting Zenit to 63 and now Košarka Esca to 64. That could be a difference maker in the MKA Liga Championship game versus Padina.

MKA Liga Championship
#1 Padina 62–66 #2 Atletik

Atletik’s basketball department haven’t always been as successful as its football side, but this title win is one which they will savour for a long time, built on a lot of hard work and defensive prowess – shutting down one of the best offensive teams in recent memory in Padina and then putting together enough at the opposite end to get them over the line. It also marks a historic treble, with success for Atletik in handball and volleyball too, the club holding national titles in three different sports at the same time. In this game Mario Djokanovic showed his experience by really putting the clamps on wonderkid Jaksa Ivovic and slowing his game right down. That gave Atletik a real base to build from and their experience campaigners Uzejir Juric, Besir Sijercic and Licentian shooting guard Joshua van den Pol went to work on the outside whilst Ahmed Nuhanovic – fast building a case for the next best player in Mytanar basketball (after Fomin and Ateljevic) – put Padina in trouble in the paint. A four-point victory perhaps makes things look close, but it always felt like Atletik were controlling this game, playing at their own pace and preventing Padina from playing the way that got them to the championship game in the first place. It’s a third MKA Liga title for Atletik, preventing Padina from getting their second and it might be a long time before Padina challenge again with vultures circling for some of their talented young players. BK Magevskaya hold major interest in Jaksa Ivovic – with the lure of playing alongside Evgeny Fomin in his latter years perhaps being very convincing for a young big man – and Košarka Esca hold interest in Srdan Dedic too. This has all been about Atletik, a team who have been built over time and perform exactly like that. They’ll expect to be right back in the thick of the action again next season too.

[Mytanija]

RSM TOP LEAGUE HANDBALL 34/35 SEASON REVIEW

RSM Top League Handball History

Year   Champion        
00/01  Litala ’93
01/02  Litala ’93
02/03  Litala ’93
03/04  Litala ’93
04/05  Litala ’93
05/06  Litala ’93
06/07  Litala ’93
07/08  Litala ’93
08/09  Litala ’93
09/10  Litala ’93
10/11  Atletik
11/12  GK Magevskaya
12/13  Litala ’93
13/14  GK Magevskaya
14/15  Litala ’93
15/16  Litala ’93
16/17  Dinamo
17/18  GK Magevskaya
18/19  Dinamo
19/20  Litala ’93
20/21  Litala ’93
21/22  Litala ’93
22/23  GK Magevskaya
23/24  Litala ’93
24/25  Litala ’93
25/26  Litala ’93
26/27  Litala ’93
27/28  Litala ’93
28/29  Litala ’93
29/30  GK Magevskaya
30/31  GK Magevskaya
31/32  Atletik
32/33  Atletik
33/34  Atletik
34/35

Team           Championships
Litala ’93     22
GK Magevskaya   6
Atletik         4
Dinamo          2

Handball is a popular sport in Mytanija, with great participation among both men and women. The national side is one of the few that includes both men and women, too, with no split based on sex. Domestically handball is organised by the national governing body the RSM who run the Top League and Druga Liga. They have a similar set-up to their footballing equivalents, with promotion and relegation between the two leagues, with two going up and two going down. They both have 12 teams and it is run under a quadruple round-robin format, so each team plays every other team twice at home and twice on the road. The Top League has been dominated by Litala ’93 over the years, with the Esca-based club monopolising the title over the first decade, since then GK Magevskaya, Dinamo and Atletik have all won at least titles. None have come anywhere near breaking Litala's dominance though, with the club having an incredible 22 titles over the years (although none of the last four!). They have such history in the sport (and in volleyball, too), that they attract all the best players and build strong teams. It is very difficult for the others to come close. The likes of GK Magevskaya, Atletik and Dinamo all run productive youth systems which allow them to occasionally compete, but they're often fighting a losing battle against the all-conquering behemoth that is Litala ’93, although in recent years it has become more open and Atletik in particular have managed to succeed, winning three titles in a row and throwing open the possibilities of different clubs affetcing the title race season upon season. Let's see what happened this year:

## Top League            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Atletik                44   36   3   5  1306 1084 +222   111  C
02 RK Prizren             44   35   5   4  1253 1024 +229   110
03 GK Magevskaya          44   31   4   9  1198 1085 +113    97
04 Dinamo                 44   20   6  18  1175 1149  +26    66
05 RK Avnalia             44   20   5  19  1194 1147  +47    65
06 NK Thessia             44   17   3  24  1133 1222  −89    54
07 NK Dyka                44   14  10  20  1180 1206  −26    52
08 Centralni              44   15   4  25  1116 1212  −96    49
09 RK Miago               44   14   4  26  1120 1219  −99    46
10 RK Rauchnya            44   13   2  29  1124 1229 −105    41
11 Litala ’93             44   11   4  29  1139 1260 −121    37  R
12 Arka                   44    9   8  27  1123 1224 −101    35  R

Some of the headlines will undoubtedly be about Atletik's 4th title in a row, holding off a determined RK Prizren side with that little bit more title-winning nous that comes with success. RK Prizren dropped that extra point which Atletik didn't in the run-in and Atletik add another trophy to the club's already close-to-bursting trophy cabinet. You expect RK Prizren will be back again next term, desperate to add a first ever RSM Top League title to their honours list. However, the vast majority of the headlines will be about a team closer to the bottom of the table - rightly or wrongly - but it is because Litala ’93, the 22-time handball champions of Mytanija, have suffered relegation for the first time in the history of the club's handball department. The retirement of some key performers seemed to throw the team into disarray and they didn't deal with that anywhere near adequately enough, eventually relegated with the worst goal differential in the league. This is pretty catastrophic for Litala, there will be serious recriminations for everybody involved in the coaching structure, backroom staff as well as potentially even higher at executive levels. A seriously embarrassing day in the club's history. Arka Snezhnaya will join them in the second tier next season, with Crvena Zvezda and Olympic Thessia replacing them in the top-flight. A good year for last season's promoted sides NK Thessia and NK Dyka, who end up comfortably mid-table and retain their Top League status for another year.

## Druga Liga            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Crvena Zvezda          44   35   4   5  1276 1096 +180   109  C, P
02 Olympic                44   31   2  11  1192 1080 +112    95  P
03 CDSA                   44   27   3  14  1221 1122  +99    84
04 NK Istina              44   21   4  19  1180 1184   −4    67
05 RK Vershina            44   20   5  19  1142 1155  −13    65
06 Rotor                  44   19   5  20  1182 1172  +10    62
07 Tekstil                44   18   4  22  1170 1181  −11    58
08 Partizan               44   18   2  24  1203 1231  −28    56
09 Akademija              44   16   4  24  1139 1209  −70    52
10 Zenit                  44   14   4  26  1132 1220  −88    46
11 Obolon                 44   14   3  27  1134 1219  −85    45
12 Slovan                 44    9   4  31  1079 1181 −102    31

[Mytanija]

SHLM LIGA ICE HOCKEY 34/35 SEASON REVIEW

SHLM Liga Ice Hockey History

Year   Champion      
00/01  Tekstil
01/02  KK Magevskaya
02/03  Tekstil
03/04  HK Prizren
04/05  HK Prizren
05/06  HK Prizren
06/07  Hajerek
07/08  Tekstil
08/09  HK Prizren
09/10  NK Thessia
10/11  HK Prizren
11/12  HK Prizren
12/13  Zavolja
13/14  Zeljeznicar
14/15  Tekstil
15/16  HK Prizren
16/17  Zavolja
17/18  Zavolja
18/19  KK Magevskaya
19/20  Zeljeznicar
20/21  NK Thessia
21/22  Hajerek
22/23  NK Thessia
23/24  Torpedo
24/25  NK Thessia
25/26  Hajerek
26/27  NK Thessia
27/28  Tekstil
28/29  Zavolja
29/30  Zavolja
30/31  HK Prizren
31/32  NK Thessia
32/33  HK Prizren
33/34  NK Thessia
34/35

Team           Championships
HK Prizren     9
NK Thessia     7
Tekstil        5
Zavolja        5
Hajerek        3
KK Magevskaya  2
Zeljeznicar    2
Torpedo        1

Ice hockey is probably the least popular of the so-called 'major' team sports in Mytanija (i.e. football, basketball, handball, ice hockey and volleyball), with this mostly being due to its significantly restricted geographical range when compared to the others. This is mainly down to one of the key components of the sport - ice - not being in high supply in certain regions. Historically ice hockey teams were founded in cities that experience wintry conditions for longer periods of the year and often played on outdoor rinks, this ruled out lots of major cities from hosting teams in the SHLM Liga. Of course in the modern day this isn't as big an issue due to indoor ice rinks and the like, but the governing body are notoriously conservative and refuse to expand the league to feature teams from potentially lucrative markets such as Ebor, Tsrvena, Arsika or Severyan (indeed there are no teams in the league from Visoravna, Rauchnya or Nasto and Avnalia).

The sport's heartland within Mytanija is undoubtedly within the region of Thessia with teams from there having won the championship in over half (19 out of 34) of SHLM Liga seasons. NK Thessia, Tekstil, Zavolja and Zeljeznicar are all strong outfits from the region and will usually be in the upper echelons of the league table come the end of the season. With this being said, the single strongest team in SHLM Liga history is HK Prizren who have won 9 championships down the years - they hadn't won one since 15/16 but ended the fifteen year drought with glory in 30/31, extending their lead over the rest and building on that since. They're always a strong team due to the size of Prizren's population and they also draw players from throughout Vojovitica such is their reputation in ice hockey. The other Vojovitican teams (CDSA and HK Miago) cannot hold a candle to HK Prizren.

Outside of this Esca has a few teams (Akademija, BVK Dinamo, Dinamo and Zenit), but none of them have ever succeeded in winning the league title, perhaps accurately demonstrating the capital's preference for other sports. More widely in Zentria there is Hajerek and Torpedo who have both won the league title at one point or another, Obolon have surprised people a few times in recent seasons by finishing near the top of the table but they haven't managed to turn their good performances into a championship. KK Magevskaya are Magevskaya's sole representatives (perhaps unsurprisingly), and have a couple of championships which were won a long time apart. They often flatter to deceive, having good line-ups but also a tendency to self-destruct when it looks like they may be on their way to a title.

Let's see what happened this season:

## SHLM Liga             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Zavolja                34   26   4   4    76   26  +50    82  C
02 HK Prizren             34   23   6   5    69   26  +43    75
03 NK Thessia             34   22   7   5    77   29  +48    73
04 Tekstil                34   22   5   7    74   35  +39    71
05 CDSA                   34   20   5   9    71   36  +35    65
06 KK Magevskaya          34   18   5  11    54   50   +4    59
07 Zeljeznicar            34   16   8  10    49   43   +6    56
08 Hajerek                34   15   7  12    53   47   +6    52
09 Slovan                 34   14   6  14    54   51   +3    48
10 Obolon                 34   13   9  12    38   38    0    48
11 HK Miago               34   13   8  13    55   45  +10    47
12 Torpedo                34   12   6  16    49   54   −5    42
13 Atletik                34   12   3  19    52   68  −16    39
14 Dinamo                 34    6  11  17    34   63  −29    29
15 Zenit                  34    6   5  23    25   71  −46    23
16 BVK Dinamo             34    5   5  24    33   74  −41    20
17 Akademija              34    4   5  25    15   73  −58    17
18 Olympic                34    2   9  23    24   73  −49    15

[Mytanija]

MOF TOP LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL 34/35 SEASON REVIEW

MOF Top League Volleyball History

Year   Champion      
00/01  Olympic
01/02  Litala ’93
02/03  Litala ’93
03/04  Olympic
04/05  Litala ’93
05/06  Litala ’93
06/07  Litala ’93
07/08  Olympic
08/09  Olympic
09/10  Litala ’93
10/11  Olympic
11/12  Olympic
12/13  OK Rauchnya
13/14  Olympic
14/15  Olympic
15/16  Olympic
16/17  OK Rauchnya
17/18  Olympic
18/19  OK Rauchnya
19/20  Olympic
20/21  Olympic
21/22  Litala ’93
22/23  OK Rauchnya
23/24  OK Rauchnya
24/25  Litala ’93
25/26  OK Rauchnya
26/27  Olympic
27/28  Olympic
28/29  Litala ’93
29/30  Litala ’93
30/31  Dinamo
31/32  Litala ’93
32/33  Atletik
33/34  Atletik
34/35

Team         Championships
Olympic      14
Litala ’93   11
OK Rauchnya  6
Atletik      2
Dinamo       1

International honours
Litala ’93 - Volleyball Champions League 4
Litala ’93 - Volleyball Champions League 5

Volleyball is an extremely popular sport within Mytanija, particularly among women, with it enjoying the largest participation numbers for women out of any team sports. The MOF Top League is seen as the equivalent of football's Top League for Mytanar women, with wages not being significantly below those that footballers take home. The MOF Top League has been traditionally dominated by the sports' so-called 'big three': Olympic, Litala ’93 and OK Rauchnya. This represents quite a dramatic geographic spread of teams, with Olympic being based in Thessia, Litala ’93 in the capital Esca and OK Rauchnya in the region's second city Severyan. Due to the popularity of the sport there are teams throughout Mytanija, but only those three have ever managed to win a championship. Olympic and Litala ’93 split the first twelve seasons with 6 title apiece before OK Rauchnya burst onto the scene and since then it has pretty much always been a three-horse race for the Top League title. The three have fostered excellent youth systems for the sport, drawing the best talent from their local area and this means they consistently produce some of the nation's top volleyball stars. They often produce so many good players that some cannot actually get a game with the club's first team and therefore some women have had to leave the 'big three' clubs to leave to smaller teams in order to compete in the Top League. A team from outside the 'big three' finally won the national title in the 30/31 season with Peruna Zivic's Dinamo taking the championship with a team devoid of real stars. Radina Ristic's Litala ’93 continued their dominance of the sport with a second IVF Champions League, going back-to-back in historic fashion, demonstrating that Mytanar teams still dominate the sport internationally.

In the past national team players have almost exclusively come from the 'big three' clubs, but in recent years that has changed and more teams now have a realistic chance at a league title. Atletik have developed a young team which has plenty of talent, whilst Avnalia Odbojka, Dinamo Esca and VK Magevskaya are following a similar trajectory. Akademija, the national academy team, is constantly producing new talent too and it means that they can be very competitive. Those players then move on to other teams once they reach the age of 22 at Akademija. It has made a for a more competitive league and that has led to greater investment, with television companies eager to pay for exclusive rights to show one of the strongest volleyball leagues. Greater foreign investment has only furthered this and it means that international stars are increasingly choosing to play volleyball in Mytanija due to the better wages on offer. The MOF are optimistic that a strong domestic game will only help the quality of the national team, something everybody can get behind as Mytanija look to build on the VWE 11 victory and Olympic gold with more success. Let's see what happened this season:

## Top League            Pld    W   L    SF   SA     Avg 
01 Atletik                60   48  12   162   71   2.282  C
02 Dinamo                 60   45  15   155   77   2.013
03 Avnalia Odbojka        60   44  16   150   78   1.923
04 Olympic                60   41  19   148  104   1.423
05 VK Magevskaya          60   38  22   138   97   1.423
06 Litala ’93             60   37  23   139  111   1.252
07 OK Rauchnya            60   36  24   140  112   1.250
08 Akademija              60   32  28   130  120   1.083
09 Meja                   60   30  30   118  125   0.944
10 Ribari                 60   24  36   101  138   0.732
11 NK Thessia             60   21  39   107  140   0.764
12 Arka                   60   21  39    94  136   0.691
13 Crvena Zvezda          60   18  42    95  149   0.638
14 JK Ebor                60   17  43    88  155   0.568  R
15 Eskobirsk              60   15  45    83  156   0.532  R
16 CDSA                   60   13  47    79  158   0.500  R

## Druga Liga            Pld    W   L    SF   SA     Avg 
01 NK Dyka                60   45  15   157   79   1.987  C, P
02 Centralni              60   41  19   142   86   1.651  P
03 OK Visoravna           60   39  21   136  103   1.320  P
04 Sigurno Odbojka        60   38  22   137  108   1.269
05 NK Istina              60   34  26   132  107   1.234
06 Obalna                 60   33  27   120  124   0.968
07 Rudar                  60   31  29   123  115   1.070
08 Padina                 60   29  31   120  124   0.968
09 OK Prizren             60   29  31   117  122   0.959
10 Zenit                  60   29  31   120  133   0.902
11 Ostrova Odbojka        60   29  31   117  130   0.900
12 Vitalia                60   26  34   115  125   0.920
13 Slavia                 60   23  37   111  135   0.822
14 OK Miago               60   23  37   106  134   0.791
15 Partizan               60   17  43    93  151   0.616
16 Rotor                  60   14  46    83  153   0.542