Ante Šimundža admitted that the first priority was abroad, but in Maribor he wants to see a winning mentality at every step again
It used to be Maribor. A giant. A club that demolished everything in front of it. A club that has won trophies. A club that has far surpassed the wildest dreams of Slovenian football fans in Europe. Today, the story is different. Today Maribor is a club that is dying and drowning in grey mediocrity. But at the same time, Maribor today is also a club that is once again led by a man from the golden days. Ante Šimundža was officially appointed Maribor’s new coach on Tuesday. But when he was appointed, he was honest: his first wish was to go abroad. But why did he choose Maribor in the end?
“To be honest: the wish was to go abroad. That’s kind of how I mapped out the coaching path I took. But I said when I finished the story at my last club that I would not refuse an ambitious story in Slovenia. Here I have proven myself as a football player and as a coach. I have a lot of respect for the Slovenian league and Maribor is a big challenge for me. It will not be easy, it needs a process, a reorganisation and a search for the roots of Maribor’s success. There were no concerns after the first call,“, said Ante Šimundža at the introductory press conference, who also sees the solution to his new club’s problems in a winning mentality,“which must be visible at every step, and in every employee of the club“.
Ante Šimundža: “Privilege and honour”
Ante Šimundža, who has managed Maribor in 99 matches so far, and will be playing his 100th match against Mura which he led to the historic championship title, stressed, among other things, that he did not return because he wants to enjoy the familiar surroundings. He is driven by passion and energy, and above all by the will to work hard.
“It is a privilege and an honour to have been among the candidates and to become the coach of Maribor. Maribor is my city and my club. Everything that has gone before is history that Maribor can be proud of, and I am proud to have been a part of it. But in football, you always have to prove yourself. I am not one of those who thinks he came here because I love Maribor. I came to work,” said the 52-year-old expert.
Ante Šimundza was crystal clear about the objectives. He came to be the best. “The goal is to become champions,“, said the once world-class striker, who nevertheless hinted that he would be Autumn part of the 2023/24 season used primarily to get to know and realise ideas, only then should it be his Maribor. “It would be naïve of me to say more now and to assess how and what,” says Ante Šimundža.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
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