Branko Ilić has no doubts that Zoran Zeljković will be successful on the Olimpija bench: he grew up with this club, so he has a different perspective on everything
Photo: SPS
The 3,000-kilometre journey took Zmaji all the way to the Faroe Islands, where they will play their third conference league match on Thursday. After two consecutive defeats against Lille and Slovan, the Slovenian champion is chasing the last glimmer of hope for promotion, but the task will be anything but easy. Branko Ilić is one of those who will keep his fingers crossed for Olimpija. The latter will now watch his former club with even more interest, as it is managed by two professionals with whom he is very familiar.
“Zoran Zeljković and Džengis Čavušević were my teammates at Domžale. We have known each other well for a long time and are in regular contact. We are all Ljubljanaers, and of course I wish them success. When a person who grew up with the club comes to the club, the view of everything is completely different. This is then reflected in the performances on and off the pitch. I am confident that Olimpija under Zoran’s leadership will be successful both on the domestic and international scene. The team has quality and can definitely compete with the best,” said for club website Branko Ilić, who won the double crown as captain of the Zeleno-beli in 2018.
Branko Ilić has also experienced playing in the Faroe Islands during his extensive career. “A trip to the Faroe Islands is a very special experience. The climate there is completely different from what we are used to in Slovenia. I have personally been there twice. Once with the national team and once with the club. We played close to the sea, it was very windy, it rained practically the whole time, the cold was also a big problem. The stories about planes not landing normally after a long journey are also true. The track is very short and narrow. It is set among mountains. However, it worked out well in the end, because we won. Such visits have a special charm,” says the retired Slovenian national team player.
Branko Ilić: “The days of the fishermen are over”
And Klaksvik? Can Olimpija bring him to his knees? The Ferengi have been a very solid nut for many this season… “In the European Qualifiers, Klaksvik proved that he can surprise anyone. They knocked out the two overwhelming favourites, Hungarian Ferencvaros and Swedish champions Hacken, right from the start, and they didn’t let up in their first two games of the conference group stage against Slovan and Lille. They chipped a point off the French. It will be difficult for Olimpija, but with the right approach, fight, energy and desire, we can hope for a positive result. The general public thinks that teams from such countries are uncompetitive, some even call the Faroese fishermen, but those days are over. It doesn’t happen in football on its own. Especially on artificial turf, as other European clubs are not used to these conditions,” added Branko Ilić , 40.
This text was automatically translated using AI.