Antonio Marin is recovering from an injury and will soon be available for Olimpija: “The forecast is that he could start competing for an appearance in October”

Published on 11. September 2024 11. September 2024

Photo: Vid Ponikvar / Sportida

In October, the already strong Olimpija will be even stronger. Antonio Marin has returned to the field after recovering from a severe knee injury and is counting down the days until he can don the green-and-white jersey again. Of course, it won’t happen overnight; after a long absence, he will need several training sessions to get back to the level required to meet the challenges of top-level football.

“The only thing everyone has told me is not to rush. There are desires, and then there’s reality. If you ask me, I could train fully and play tomorrow, but life doesn’t work that way. Patience is necessary. I’ve had this mindset from the beginning and I stick to it. The forecast is that I could return and start competing in October. I’m currently training with my teammates, but still without games or duels. I will definitely need time, but I believe that by the end of the year, I will have played a proper number of matches and continue from where I left off,” Antonio Marin told the club’s website.

The former player of Dinamo Zagreb, who last played in February, admitted that it was hard to watch his teammates from the sidelines. “The hardest part is watching my teammates from a distance. I watched the matches and training sessions. I lived practically every second with the players. Every move was experienced as if I was on the field myself. I regret not being able to help them yet, but I am certainly their biggest fan,” continued the 23-year-old attacking player, who has come to terms with the fact that he will be sidelined for a while after the injury.

Antonio Marin: “It’s part of the sport”

“It’s part of the sport. Looking back, it feels like I tempted fate. At first, I was of course in shock. I couldn’t believe it happened during training. Almost right before the end of the game, in a completely normal situation. Until the examination, I hoped it wasn’t a serious injury, but I felt that something was wrong. Later, I quickly came to terms with the situation. I realized that I didn’t have many options. A successful operation followed, I received a work program immediately, and the rehabilitation started progressing successfully right away,” explained the player with experience from Italy.

Regarding his recovery, Antonio Marin, who has played 15 matches for the Croatian U21 national team, said that everything has gone smoothly from the start: “From the very beginning, everything has been going very well. I worked with top specialists who have previously worked with many Croatian players. I regularly did special training sessions for such injuries. I used every moment to my advantage and think that everything has been more than beneficial so far. This includes the psychological aspect, which is very important here.”