Darjan Slavic visited Football Planet after the great win over Domžale: “They accused me of being inexperienced and unsuitable for the job…”
Text: David Klemenc. Photo: Global Game Media
After Monday’s morning recovery session, which was sweetened by the outstanding victory in the municipal derby against Domžale—a triumph that could hardly be sweeter—the players of Radomlje were given a day off on Tuesday. Coach Darjan Slavić rewarded them for their excellent and record-breaking ten days. The rest will be highly beneficial not only for the players but also for the coaching staff. We caught up with the 41-year-old from Murska Sobota on his way to Austria, where he has been living in recent years.
“Yes, I live in Austria, but my new home, Bad Radkersburg or Radgona, is right by the Slovenian border. Only a bridge over the Mura river separates us from Gornja Radgona, where my better half got a job. It’s less than a 15-minute drive to Murska Sobota, so I wouldn’t call it living abroad,” said the predictably cheerful Darjan Slavić in an interview for Planet Nogomet. Today, he is known in the Slovenian football scene as the coach of Radomlje, but more seasoned football veterans remember him from his playing days.
After playing for his hometown team Mura, he moved to Austria, where he stayed in Bad Radkersburg for seven years, scoring 65 goals in 171 matches. After ending his playing career, he decided to settle there. However, this has not been a significant obstacle in his increasingly successful leadership of Radomlje, who have won three crucial relegation battles in their last three games. First, Nafta fell, then Primorje, and now Domžale.
Darjan Slavić: “I convinced them and I succeeded”
In a recent interview with Planet Nogomet, defender Rok Ljutić confidently predicted that they would aim for nine points in these three ‘mini-finals,’ although seven would have sufficed. They claimed all nine points, and optimism is running high accordingly—not just among the players but also the coach. “I know the boys and what they are capable of. I convinced them and succeeded in getting them to aim for three wins. These games were a true test of our worth, and we really had to prove ourselves. I am proud that we made it happen,” said Slavić.
After a routine win against Nafta and an outstanding finish against Primorje, the millers (Radomlje) demolished their municipal rivals Domžale 4:1 on Sunday. “It wasn’t hard to motivate the guys. I made them understand that the late goal in Ajdovščina, deep into stoppage time, wasn’t just luck—it came because we fought until the end. I told them they weren’t just playing for the club but also for themselves. They’re all young players aspiring to play abroad, and that’s the only way they’ll get there,” explained Slavić.
The match against Domžale could have easily gone in a different direction, but the millers woke up in time and more than compensated for the early setback. “Domžale executed their opening play perfectly and scored from their first opportunity, but I’m extremely proud of my team’s response. We had trouble finishing, so last week we spent the last 30 minutes of each training session focusing on finishing, and it really paid off. I think this will now become a regular part of our routine,” said the 41-year-old Slavić with a smile.
Seeking answers: who’s ready for more?
Radomlje were close to extending their unbeaten streak to four games, but they fell just 30 seconds short in Koper. Despite that, the coach says it didn’t affect the players’ morale too much since they weren’t under pressure for the result in Koper. “Of course, a loss like that hurts, but it wasn’t too bad because we knew we were going up against a favored opponent. To be honest, our minds—mine and the players’—were already on the match against Nafta, which was just a few days later. Those games are our reality; we know that’s where we need to pick up points. Still, I think the match could have ended differently. We played more than half the game with one less player, which disrupted our system, but we still created some chances. If Halifa Kujabi’s counter had been successful, we could have come home with three points. But as I said, there was no great disappointment,” Slavić remarked.
Radomlje now faces a new series of three tough matches, but unlike the previous encounters against direct rivals in the relegation battle, this time they have a different challenge ahead. First, they will host Celje, followed by a cup match against Olimpija in Radomlje, and finally, an away game at Ljudski Vrt against Maribor.
“Our team is young, and it would be unrealistic to expect us to win all these games when we’re playing at full intensity every two days against such opponents. It’s true that Celje and Ljubljana are playing in Europe this week, which might tire them out a bit, but we can’t count on that too much. I still believe they have deep enough squads to field two competitive teams. The same goes for Maribor. We’ll approach these games without pressure, and we’ll give a chance to those who usually play less. This will be our opportunity to find out who’s ready for more. However, we aren’t raising the white flag, and I’m convinced we can surprise one of them,” said the optimistic Darjan Slavić.
He had less than 24 hours to decide
This year, Radomlje has promoted several young players, which carries a certain risk, but it seems to be paying off. “On paper, we do have an inexperienced team. The jump from youth to senior football is significant. Primorje, for example, has a team that played in the second league, which gives them a lot of experience. But my boys surprise me every day—Kukovec, Malenšek, and Davidović play as if they’re five years older, even though they’re still very young,” said coach Darjan Slavić, who took over Radomlje in April this year.
When he took over the last-placed team in the league last season, it wasn’t an easy decision, and it surprised the football world. However, he doesn’t regret it. “Everything happened very quickly; I had less than 24 hours to make a decision. I listened to my instincts, which told me to go for it. I knew it was an opportunity that only comes once, and I had to prove myself. The team was in last place, and I had nothing to lose. In the end, we succeeded, even though many had written the players off when I was appointed, and they criticized me for being inexperienced and unfit for the job. But in the end, everything fell into place, and we finished the season ahead of Aluminij,” concluded the coach from Prekmurje.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet