Young talents – Aljaž Vodopivec (Dravinja): Son of a local legend, who skipped the youth teams and made his way from the 2nd SNL all the way to the national team

Published on 18. May 2024 18. May 2024

Photo: Danilo Vezjak

Football is the crown proof that the apple often doesn’t fall far from the tree. This could also be confirmed by Aljaž Vodopivec, one of those young footballers from Slovenia who made the most of the 2023/24 season.

Aljaž Vodopivec was still playing in the youth league last season. Well, playing… He appeared in 11 matches and clocked no more than 488 minutes on the field. One can imagine he wasn’t exactly overflowing with satisfaction. But he returned to where it all began. To where his father enthralled.

Brane Vodopivec is more or less a living legend of Dravinja. In the 2. SNL, he played a whopping 259 matches, scoring 40 goals. Well, that’s not even surprising – he showed promise from a young age. Brane Vodopivec was also a member of Slovenia’s national teams at the under-16, under-18, and under-20 levels. When he played for the youth national team in 1998, his companions included Jasmin Handanović, Aleksander Rajčević, Sebastjan Gobec, Damir Pekić, Oliver Bogatinov, Aleš Kokot, and others… Brane Vodopivec remained in football even after his playing career ended. He still works as a coach, and he has passed on numerous useful tips to his son.

Aljaž Vodopivec: “Potrditev, da sem na pravi poti”

Aljaž Vodopivec is only 17 years old, and although the 2022/23 season in the youth league was as it was, a year later everything is different. The teenager returned from Celje to Slovenske Konjice, skipped the youth team, and anchored himself in the senior squad. In the latter’s jersey, in his first season among the seniors, he played 22 matches, scoring 4 goals.

The boy’s good performances did not go unnoticed, and when the Slovenian under-18 national team visited Bosnia and Herzegovina this week, where they remained unbeaten twice against the home team, Aljaž Vodopivec also found himself on the list of coach Mišo Brečko. “When I found out about the call-up to the national team, I was really happy,” Aljaž Vodopivec said in an interview with Planet nogomet and added: “All the more so because it was my first ever. It means a lot to me, even a lot, as it is also a confirmation that I am on the right path.”

In Zenica, Aljaž Vodopivec, who could soon make a big step forward in his career and sign for Hellas from Verona in Italy, actually experienced international football for the first time. “It was great! A truly special and above all unforgettable experience,” admitted Aljaž Vodopivec and then introduced himself to our readers in the Young Hopes section.

1. Where and when did you start playing football?

I started playing football very early, when I was quite young. I started with this sport when I was six years old. My first club was Dravinja, where I still play today.

2. Who inspired you to play football, and who has had the most influence on you in football?

My father without a doubt inspired me to play football. He also played football, even for Dravinja. I remember going to watch Dravinja’s matches with him when I was little. Since I’ve been involved in football, he’s been with me and was even my coach for Dravinja’s youth team this season.

3. What do you like most about football?

Without a doubt, what I like most is the fact that it’s such an unpredictable sport. It’s also crucial that with good play, you can beat practically anyone.

4. Your favorite football moment so far?

The decision is undoubtedly simple. I would definitely choose my first goal in the senior category, which I scored already in my third match for Dravinja and also the first one I started in the starting eleven. This was in September last year, and to top it off, we won convincingly. We defeated Tabor 5-2.

5. Why, in your opinion, is football the best sport in the world?

I’ll repeat what I mentioned earlier: because it’s so unpredictable. In this sport, only what you show on the field in 90 minutes really matters. Nothing else.