Ante Šimundža revealed Jan Repas’ condition after the victory in the eternal derby and also praised the successes of the youth academy

Published on 12. May 2024 12. May 2024

Photo: Žan Pak

Derby, exceptional atmosphere, some nervousness upon the return of fans to the stands of Ljudski Vrt, are just some of the words with which Ante Šimundža began the press conference after his team’s victory over Olimpija, which propelled them to the second place on the league table before the final round, consequently easing their path in the qualifiers for the Conference League next season.

“This is something that happens in derbies because emotions are at play, so things happen that you wouldn’t even think could happen to you. But I must say, the players played an exceptional game from a mental and character perspective, of course, they were also lifted by the crowd. I wasn’t satisfied with the first half because we gave Olimpija too much space, somehow we didn’t execute things in attack as we wanted, although we scored twice more, but the situation ultimately turned in favor of the visitors. We could have exploited their vulnerability better, on the other hand, our defensive idea today wasn’t what we agreed upon, as we left too much space,” said the Maribor coach regarding the goal conceded in the 57th minute and the reaction thereafter.

Šimundža: “As individuals and as a team”

The Violets are currently undefeated in fourteen consecutive league matches, which also pleases Šimundža, who says: “In any case, this gives the boys confidence, which means that the things they do in training pay off, that even in slightly poorer technical execution, we stick to principles and order, which we showed better in the second half than in the first. Then automatically, nothing is too difficult for anyone, both for us to analyze and for them to execute, thereby recognizing that they can progress as individuals and as a team.”

“For Repas, we’ll see because he has an ultrasound on Monday, but it doesn’t look good, which is why he immediately left the field. Meanwhile, Martin Milec has his usual problems, so I hope he can be in the training process next week, if possible, and consequently ready for the match against Koper,” the 52-year-old revealed regarding the condition of two members of the starting eleven.

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He didn’t miss the success of Maribor’s U15 and U19 teams. Before the eternal derby, the junior and youth teams presented themselves to the audience, who have dominated their opponents in the current season. “Champions, right? They have better results than us. Fairly, as I said before the match: we don’t have a basis for euphoria, we have a basis for laying the foundations that we want in the next season. The Maribor football school has always been good, but now, in the transition from youth to senior football, they have no problems only in Maribor, but all over the world, which means that very few immediately taste senior football at the highest level. Ultimately, however, this applause from the fans can only mean additional encouragement for them, something you enjoy in Maribor when you’re on top.”

Ante Šimundža Photo: Žan Pak