Albert Riera is a master of navigating chaos: when all seemed lost, Celje rose up and achieved historic success
Photo: Urban Lesjak
Celje celebrates a historic achievement! For the first time, Slovenia will have two clubs in Europe this autumn! The Slovenian champions won the return leg against Pyunik 4:1. It seemed that hope had already left the Z’dežele stadium. Poor performances, chaotic events around the club, a notable clean-up, and the coach’s arguments with fans… But it seems that Albert Riera performs best when the chaos is at its peak. In Ljubljana, amidst the turmoil, he won the double crown. Now, in the midst of the greatest unrest, he has led Celje to historic success.
Although Celje had missed out on both the Champions League and the Conference League spots, they finally succeeded in their last attempt. Pyunik won the first leg 1:0, but the return match was a rollercoaster. Both teams received a red card; Celje led 2:0, Pyunik came back, and extra time seemed imminent. Then… Armandas Kučys stepped onto the stage, redeemed himself for all the previous misses, scored two goals, and sealed the success that will be written in golden letters in the history of football in the city by the Savinja River.
Celje started the match very well. Klemen Nemanič equalized Pyunik’s advantage in the 22nd minute, with Pyunik’s James sent off in the 11th minute. Before the break, Celje scored again, with Luka Bobičanec converting a penalty in the 42nd minute. In the 50th minute, Mario Kvesić received a second yellow card, and Celje’s troubles began, which worsened in the 63rd minute when Eugeniu Cociuc scored a penalty for Pyunik. The penalty was awarded after a video review.
The home team appeared very, very vulnerable, and extra time seemed quite likely. But extra time never came. The home team dispelled all doubts within the 90 minutes. The hero? Armandas Kučys. The Lithuanian scored two goals, the first just three minutes after coming on, and the second in the 85th minute. The Armenians were defeated but also agitated. After the match, they tried to “scrap,” but it did not spoil Celje’s celebration in the least.
For the first time in history, Celje will play in Europe this autumn. The Slovenian champions are in the Conference League! Who would have thought considering all that has happened in recent days and weeks… Albert Riera is once again what he has always been – the savior, the messiah, the hero.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet