Luka Šušnjara in Kranj again reminds of the footballer who impressed in a Mura jersey: “When we put all the pieces together, we’ll be a real ‘machine’!”
Text: David Klemenc. Photo: Blaž Weindorfer / Sportida
That taking a step or two back can be good for continuing a career is something that our interviewee, the top scorer of the 2. SNL (along with Jaša Martinčič, Matic Kopač, and Gibson Okocho) and Triglav’s winger Luka Šušnjara, can certainly confirm. After many years of stagnation, things in Kranj finally seem to be moving for the better, and it looks like an interesting story is unfolding, which the Domžale academy product agrees with.
“The club has stabilized, new people are here, everything is in full swing, and there’s optimism. At the start of the season, we confidently announced a push for promotion, and I think it wasn’t without reason. It’s true that the loss to Gorica clipped our wings a bit, but it hasn’t derailed us. We still believe in ourselves. We’re a new team, so we’re not too worried that we aren’t fully in sync yet. I believe that once we put all the pieces together, we’ll be a real ‘machine’ that will crush everything in its path,” said an optimistic 27-year-old Luka Šušnjara.
Positive changes in Gorenjska were also noticeable in the recruitment for the 2024/25 season, which could be pivotal for Triglav. “We brought in the right reinforcements, ‘stole’ the best players from direct competitors, like Jakob Cukjati and Lan Piskule, who are great prospects, and also experienced players like Marko Brkić, Grega Sorčan, Oliver Kregar, and Andraž Žinič, along with some quality foreigners. Just by looking at the names, we belong in a higher category,” Luka Šušnjara confidently stated.
This year’s second division season is very strong, with more competition at the top of the standings than ever before. According to him, the fight for first place will be very interesting. “The champion will be decided between us, Gorica, Sežana, and Beltinci. Given what’s happening in the lower part of the Prva liga Telemach, I would say it wouldn’t be surprising if, besides the champion, a second-division team also earns promotion through the playoffs, meaning we could get two new first-division teams. I’m almost certain of it,” hinted Luka Šušnjara, referring to the strong teams battling for promotion to the Slovenian football elite.
Luka Šušnjara: “Atalanta? I was young and naive!”
Luka Šušnjara is one of those Slovenian players who left for Italy as a youngster, joining the prestigious club Atalanta, though he now has mixed feelings about that period. “I was young and naive. When you hear Italy and Serie A, you rush in headfirst. Today, I definitely wouldn’t make the same decision, or I would go there with a 17-year-old body and my current mindset. I advise young players to stay home for a year or two longer before seriously considering going abroad,” warns Luka Šušnjara, emphasizing that rushing away from the safety of a domestic environment isn’t wise.
After stints at various domestic and foreign clubs, his biggest success came in Prekmurje, where he helped Mura achieve promotion to the first division and win the cup. During that time, Luka Šušnjara established himself in the black-and-white jersey of the Murska Sobota club as one of the most exciting players in the Slovenian club scene.
“I started the season in Celje, played well, and got called up to the youth national team, but then strange rumors surfaced that my lifestyle was negatively affecting my teammates, which wasn’t true. I was sent on loan, which I didn’t like, so we terminated the contract, and I joined the second-division Mura. That’s where I had the best time so far in every way – from results, to fan support, to relationships in the club. The crowning achievement was winning the cup,” he fondly recalls his time in Murska Sobota.
Thanks to his outstanding performances, he didn’t go unnoticed and received a tempting offer from France, which he naturally accepted. “Chambly was an ambitious second-division club, and they even talked about reaching the first division. They offered me a lucrative three-year contract, but after half a season, instead of being at the top, we were at the bottom. I decided to leave because I saw no point in struggling there any longer,” Luka Šušnjara briefly described his disappointing adventure in the land of the Gallic roosters.
He then moved to Polish top-flight club Wisla from Plock, where everything started off like a dream, but then illness struck. “First match, first goal, first win. I thought I’d finally hit my stride, but after a few matches, a shock – I came down with a severe form of COVID, and I couldn’t recover for a long time. In the meantime, the coaching staff changed, and as usual, the new coaches brought in their players, and there was no room for me anymore,” explained the pacey winger.
Malta was a complete mistake
After training on his own for a while, he received an offer from Koper, where he spent a year and won the cup. “The team was fantastic, and we fought for the title until the last round. But because I wanted more playing time, I decided to move to Sežana, where I played for free for half a season just to get back into competitive rhythm,” he revealed an interesting fact. Despite good results in Sežana, where Tabor, for example, crushed Domžale 4-0, things didn’t go as planned. “Nothing worked in the club; it was chaos and debts, so it ended the way it did.”
After spells in Šibenik, Malta, and most recently North Macedonia, where he never stayed longer than six months, Luka Šušnjara has now decided to return home. “Malta was a complete mistake. They still owe me money, and lawsuits followed. It seems like it’s just money laundering there. In Macedonia, I helped Vardar stay in the league, but after an incident where we were locked in the stadium for three hours and threatened after a loss, I decided to leave,” he revealed, adding that Slovenian conditions are far better: “The Macedonian league is far behind ours in terms of quality and infrastructure.”
Today, Luka Šušnjara openly enjoys football at Triglav Kranj, where he’s back playing regularly and scoring goals. “Things have opened up for me, and I’m enjoying every match. That’s the most important thing to me right now,” concluded the top scorer of the 2. SNL.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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