Leon Sever has had an interesting journey: at 14 in Italy, after a series of steps backwards, he is now enjoying football again in Israel
Text: David Klemenc. Photo: Grega Valančič / Sportida
An intriguing journey of ups and downs is ahead with our guest this time; Planet Football has visited Slovenian footballer Leon Sever, who earns his living in Israel, where he is a member of the second-division team Hapoel from Nof HaGalil. Leon is very satisfied with his current situation, even though he has experienced the downfall of three clubs in his career, which have significantly contributed to his football journey. “Today everything is back to normal,” admits Leon Sever, and he doesn’t only think of himself. Triestina with its wealthy American owner is chasing Serie B, Sežančani hope to return to the Slovenian top flight, while Koper has been a regular contender for European cup spots in recent years.
Leon Sever, aged 26, interestingly, spent his early years abroad, specifically in Belgium. “It’s true, I was born in Brussels because my father worked at our embassy there as a diplomat for many years. We returned to Slovenia as a family when I was about 4 years old.” He took his first football steps in his hometown club Izola under the guidance of what he calls the “legendary Fabius Lovrečič“, and he adds how he misses such types of coaches. “Lovrečič was an excellent coach for working with young players, and he taught us discipline, which in my opinion is lacking in future footballers today.“
At the age of fourteen, he experienced his first move abroad, which unfortunately ended too soon. “As promising young players, I, along with two teammates (Rok Požrl, Žiga Opara), were invited to nearby Triestina, where I felt excellent. They took care of us, even picking us up from school and driving us to training. Unfortunately, the club went bankrupt at the end of the season, so we returned to our home club.” The then youth team of Izola qualified for the top league, but due to competitive ambitions, Leon Sever moved to their eternal rival Koper, where high expectations were the norm. This turned out to be the right decision, as he won the cup under coach Igor Božič in 2016. “That generation was excellent, so it saddens me that only I, Mark Gulič, and Haris Dedić are still playing professional football.“
Leon Sever and clubs with the fate of the legendary Rex
Sever also critically reflects on the current policies of many top league teams that rely on average foreign recruits: “Bringing in a lot of foreigners and at the same time pushing unproven young players is not a good recipe. This way we devalue many experienced domestic players.” He also points out that in his time, a chance in the first team was only given if you stood out significantly, whereas “today you score a goal in youth teams and you’re already considered the next Ronaldo.“
At seventeen, he made his debut for Koper’s first team and was offered his first professional contract, but he did not accept it. “Koper was in a strange position, and everyone knew that they wouldn’t get a license, so it didn’t make sense to consider this option.” Soon, the worst-case scenario happened, and Koper became his second team to experience the fate of the legendary Rex, which now lies between Izola and Koper.
“The representatives of the Sežane club approached me and presented a project to get the club into the top league within two seasons. It was important for me to know that they counted on me and believed in my development. It was not difficult for me to accept the offer.” The Sežane plans came to fruition, and in the second season, they achieved their goal and were an important player in the top league, but then problems began.
“Sežana, both the city and the club, can only be described with superlatives; everything went according to plan, but when Covid hit, the system began to slowly fall apart. We all silently felt that nothing good awaited us, so I knew it was time to change the environment.” Leon Sever left before Tabor approached the brink of almost complete collapse, a crisis that was only averted by foreign investors.
Prefer a break than 6 months without football
“I was contacted by representatives of the newly promoted Turkish second-division team Manisa and presented almost the same project as Sežančani – to reach the top league in two seasons. The conditions were unimaginable for me, so the agreement was made in a few hours.” Despite an excellent preparation period, he soon experienced a cold shower. “The day before the first match, I was not in the squad and did not know the reason. Then the new sports director calmly told me that they did not need me and that I could leave. After two team victories, I knew I would not play for the next six months, so I terminated the contract and returned home,” Leon Sever experienced both the joy and tragedy of professional football in countries like Turkey.
He then returned home and joined Ljubljana‘s Olimpija, with whom he won the championship in his first season, but could not prevent an unfortunate exit from Europe, which deeply affected the club. “In the end, we returned to the Europa League, which meant a lot to us. We ended the season poorly, which was certainly a result of serious conflicts in the locker room, which also showed on the pitch.” Sever then moved to Domžale, where he had the opportunity to work with Andrej Prša. However, it soon proved unsuccessful, as he couldn’t break into the first eleven, which led to his departure to Israel.
Home seasoning in Israel
When Sever entered Israel, he enjoyed very successful moments with Hapoel Nof HaGalil, and his first season was exceptional, as they reached the cup final right away. “This was definitely the biggest moment of my career. Unfortunately, we lost in the final, but I am still happy because we achieved something remarkable.” However, the second season was less successful, as he fought to avoid relegation in the latter part of the league. “In the third season, we had the chance to improve and play in a higher tier, but unfortunately, we did not seize that opportunity. Nonetheless, we are fighting for high positions in the league again this season.“
Sever says he feels very comfortable in Israel, where he encounters friendly people and pleasant weather, while he also looks forward to visiting his homeland. “Visiting home in Slovenia always makes me happy and gives me new energy. So everything is good.“
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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