MYTANAR TOP LEAGUE 35/36 SEASON PREVIEW PART ONE.
-- by Nevenka Planinc, Dalibor Kosec, Cerim Jovic and Irma Simunec
1923 ESCA
Location: Centralni, Esca, Zentria
Stadium: Radnika (Capacity: 60,000)
Manager: Sava Grgurovic, 65, 10th 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 Mytanar Top League (34/35); 1 x National Cup (30/31)
GAZETA SPORTA SEASON PREVIEW by Nevenka Planinc
• Where do 1923 Esca stand ahead of the 35/36 season?
The addition of Harry Henderson was a bit like the cherry on the top of the cake for 1923 Esca heading into the last campaign and the experienced Tumbran was part of the difference which led them to their first ever Mytanar Top League title. Henderson is excellent at reading the game and was able to sweep up whilst his central defensive partner Nicolás Riesgo was able to go out and cut out attacks at the source whenever possible. It made for a fearsome pairing and allowed 1923 Esca to have one of the strongest defensive records in the division. At the opposite end of the pitch Drazen Skara has grown into a consistent goal scorer both at club and international level, he is someone his club can rely upon to provide the goods and Sava Grgurovic has put the right support cast around him to provide him with service. 1923 Esca’s attacking patterns are much more progressive than a few years ago with the likes of Tejic, Smiciklas and Bajic.
Grgurovic used the title success to add some real depth to their squad, the promise of further silverware providing a persuasive lure to pretty much anybody. They cleared the decks, getting rid of some of the depth players who might struggle to reach the next level like Milan Bojevic (free transfer to Arsenal); Mesud Erjavec (free transfer to Vitalia); Sava Karanovic (NSD 100,000 to Partizan). Back-up goalkeeper Rade Nikolic might feel hard done by to be leaving the club, though he will relish the chance of an improved role at Vitalia following his NSD 750,000 exit. 1923 Esca wanted to improve between the sticks, something which might cause Isak Vennerod a degree of consternation given that he placed third in the Golden Glove award – but the capital club saw an opportunity with Nyva Zvornik’s relegation and invested in Chromatik goalkeeper Seung-Min Do as a result. He’ll be the new starter. Smajil Krasevec joins from Lok. Cassia for half a million, a good option if Milos Bajic is eventually snapped up by a club in a bigger league. Finally in come two frees, Ostap Palamarchuk from the Chromatik university system and Strahinja Nanusevski from Liria Prizren. It’s a return for the experienced striker and Palamarchuk is regarded as an eventual successor to legendary club captain Remy Vandendriessche.
GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 2ND - There’s not much to choose between 1923 Esca and their big rivals from last season 1896 Ebor, so putting the capital club second in our predictions is something none of our writers are enormously committed to – it is one which really could go either way. 1923 Esca managed to survive last season, despite some hairy moments and they were rewarded with what has been an elusive thing throughout the club’s history: a league title. They also went to the National Cup final, but there they lost out to 1896 Ebor and were unable to complete a famous double as a result. Will that head-to-head encounter have any impact on 1923 Esca’s confidence? The additions they’ve made to freshen up the squad should guard against complacency and they still have heaps of quality throughout the line-up, it’s difficult to bet against Grgurovic’s managerial expertise so don’t be surprised to see them go back-to-back and prove our predictions wrong!
1896 EBOR
Location: Luka Ebora, Ebor, Visoravna
Stadium: Olujastadion (Capacity: 42,500)
Manager: Tana Colbright [NPH], 62, 3rd 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); 5 x National Cups (08/09, 09/10, 20/21, 26/27, 34/35); 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 35/36 season?
A super experienced manager who had a clearly defined style of play and a track record of being able to get their players playing in that manner? 1896 Ebor will be wishing they had gone for a manager with that sort of profile years ago given just how well Tana Colbright has done in her first two years on the northern coast of Mytanija. Colbright’s side were not far away from the league title last season and will perhaps be a little disappointed given that they went into the final day in top spot. They collapsed at home to Ararat and the club’s supporters were worried that damage could stop them from winning anything last year, though the players pulled together and managed to secure their 5th National Cup. A good season which could have been truly spectacular, but yet more proof – if it were needed – that Colbright knows what she is doing. 1896 fans may be a bit wary of this, they’ve been here before, Zdeslav Nesic enjoyed cup success before going on a long trophy drought. The club appear to have more talent across the pitch now, they look well-set to build on last season.
A less busy transfer window than many for 1896 Ebor, but then they have so much talent throughout their line-up that it really is just polishing the chassis rather than any major tinkering for them. Casey Roehampton has been a star performer for SK Elita Ryzaev over the past couple of years, a high-profile loan signing made by owner Vasko Rebec which would come with an NSD 4 million obligation to buy if SKER retained their Top League status at the end of the 2 year loan spell. Rebec looking to exit the club necessitated the sale of Roehampton as he looks to recoup the money spent on the club, so 1896 Ebor’s NSD 5 million was welcomed and now they have another winger who can provide goals and assists to partner Anna Korniloff-Kouyate on the other side. That purchase meant that Ramiz Agic was surplus to requirements and SKER leaned on the recent dealings to move him across Ebor for free. Oppic midfielder Thorvar Spinkvik called time on his career at the age of 38 after a really long spell in Ebor, he goes down as a real iconic player in this most recent period in the club’s history.
GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 1ST - A big financial outlay for 1896 Ebor as they look to secure a first title in a very long time. They haven’t operated like a traditional Mytanar club in recent years, always looking to book a profit on transfers, instead they’ve been happy to spend as they look to win trophies and it has allowed them to close the considerable gap which Atletik had built up. 1896 Ebor’s starting line-up is the strongest in the league, full of quality from front to back and anything less than a title for each of the next two or three years will likely be a disappointment. Success might mean players leave, of course, but that will be a symptom of success – something 1896 have been a little starved of. With Bigombe, Onio, Baer, Korniloff-Kouyate, Roehampton and van Oers – a star-studded line-up reminiscent of Atletik’s galaktički era – they will be feeling very confident and failure to bring a trophy back to the Olujastadion this year will be seen as Colbright underperforming as manager, the pressure might be on, but it's a pressure the Nepharim coach said she wanted to bring back to the city!
ATLETIK
Location: Zenit Toranj, Thessia, Thessia
Stadium: Novi Atletskistadion (Capacity: 67,000)
Manager: Edis Znidarsic, 47, 5th 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 35/36 season?
Atletik Thessia usually regard any trophyless season as a major failure, but given that they ended last term a mere four points off the title and beaten finalists in the IFCF Challengers’ Cup they have slightly altered their usual mind-set. Edis Znidarsic might usually be under pressure ending a season empty-handed, but the club’s board have rewarded him with a bumper new deal and serious backing in the transfer market with a focus on youngsters who should be able to bring Atletik forward. It appears the club want Znidarsic to be a coach in the vein of Marius Sadowsky and Robin Hjik who can have a lengthy tenure and develop the club’s culture of success with a focus on youth. Gabriel Sayritupac has been something of a revelation, playing as a right-sided forward and ending up third in the Player of the Season award as a result; and Nahia Legarra continued his exceptional scoring record with the service provided to him. This is still a great Atletik team and they will be a handful going forwards with the quality of young players available to them.
A busy transfer window at Atletik, as it always seems to be, Zahir Ivankovic exits the club for NSD 3 million to Chromatik side Lhor. Nermin Pecenica, a promising young talent, goes to Brigham for NSD 1.7 million. Badara Thiam Ngagne heads to Vitalia after never really staking a claim for a consistent starting spot, perhaps a victim of the change to a three-forward system under Znidarsic. Miha Slomsek is probably the headline signing, joining for NSD 1 million from SK Elita Ryzaev to replace Ivankovic. Zlatan Andrijasevic joins from Za’ai’ai for NSD 250,000, providing his boyhood club with a different option up front from the bench. Other than that the additions have been for the future, Evin Françine-Miklavivec – a Mytanar-Chromatik dual national – joins from the Chromatik school system and is instantly sent on loan to NK Dyka to further his development. Frederic Yabusele and Þalía Sturladottir join on similar deals from Montreal Koreana and Kurtz Herritik respectively, with Yabusele going to Dinamo Esca on loan where he will start for the promoted side.
GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 3RD - You know, Atletik aren’t too far behind 1896 Ebor and 1923 Esca in terms of quality, they’re just a little bit younger in profile. Those two clubs will be wanting to secure silverware before this Atletik group grow into their primes, because then it will be a real struggle. We see this with Atletik every so often due to the way they develop talent and then sell it on, the IFCF Challengers’ Cup run of last season was perhaps them being a little ahead of schedule. Znidarsic appears to be making a tactical change this season, with Amandara Navinsdóttir Thakur starting in between Nahia Legarra and Gabriel Sayritupac. The Graintfjaller false nine should be able to use her movement to create space for her colleagues and act as something of a hinge between midfield and attack. Gustavo Alcocer and Zlatan Andrijasevic are strong options from the bench, too. Expect this campaign to be a real big one for Denis Ovsyannikov – he’s shown his quality both domestically and internationally – and Atletik will be relying on him to perform. Znidarsic will want to see a step forward from some of his young defenders, too, so expect some chopping and changing if they fail to demonstrate that that is happening.
LIRIA
Location: Prizren, Vojovitica
Stadium: Stadion Prizren (Capacity: 84,000)
Manager: Adel Gudelj, 48, 5th 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 35/36 season?
At the end of the last campaign it felt as if Liria had lost their way a little bit under Adel Gudelj. They had a few bright spots in the season, particularly Arsene-Michael Litt’s playmaking performances in midfield and the emergence of Prisca Ciern at left-back. They will need a lot more than that if they want to impress their support, most of whom are yearning for success given that a few years have now passed since Liria won the league and National Cup in back-to-back seasons. Gudelj will want a fair bit more from his experienced competitors – the likes of Emil Kitinov, Bruno Ozmec and Davor Mahovlic. These players have all been in and around the national team in recent years, so they are quality operators, though it feels like they haven’t hit the heights that they were once accustomed to for a couple of seasons. With Litt in the squad it’s about the supporting cast providing him with the platform to create from and that’s where Liria fell short a little last term.
A quiet transfer window demonstrates how the Liria board feel about Gudelj. They are not massive confident in him altering the team’s fortunes and it is expected that they might not renew his contract should he fail to impress by the end of the season. They have managed something of a coup in the transfer market, however, following the departure of veteran forward Strahinja Nanusevski on a free back to 1923 Esca. Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov is the next big thing in football, the Chromatik-born striker has Mytanar heritage, although he’s firmly committed to Chromatika internationally – already racking up the goals and appearances for their national team. Xuen-Zhukov is already a complete forward, capable of scoring goals and bringing others into play and he is also physically developed beyond his years. He’s going to be a real handful for opponents and should score a lot of goals in his time in Prizren.
GAZETA SPORTA WRITERS' PREDICTION: 4TH - It’s difficult to get a read on Liria, after all, this is pretty much the same team which toiled to 4th last year. It took them a while to build a gap on chasers CDSA and Litala ’93 and they weren’t ever really in contention against those ahead of them. Gudelj’s coaching should guarantee IFCF football, but it doesn’t seem to be able to take the Prizren side to that higher level which Grgurovic, Colbright and Znidarsic seem able to manage at those clubs higher in the table. The club’s board will be at something of a fork in the road at the end of the season, so Gudelj will have to lift this team to better performances if he wants to keep his job – something which might be helped by the presence of the best goalkeeper in the Top League last season Lazar Obradovic and new forward talent Xuen-Zhukov. Myana might be wondering why they have allowed him out on loan given just how much he has done for the Chromatik national team under Mytanija legend Lev Repin already!
