Despite Olimpija’s away win in Celje, Zoran Zeljković firmly stressed: ‘We can improve, we still have a lot of work to do’

Published on 6. November 2023 6. November 2023

Photo: Vid Ponikvar / Sportida

Last match 15. round of the Slovenian championship was played on Sunday at the Z’land Stadium. Olimpija was away to Celje, who are first in the Telemach First League and won 1:0. The only goal of the match was scored by the league’s top scorer Rui Pedro, after a controversial penalty awarded by referee David Šmajc after a foul on Nemanja Motika. The victory of the squad led by Zoran Zeljković was also due to the good saves of the visiting goalkeeper Denis Pintol.

“Three very important points. We were well aware of where we were going. I expected a bit more energy from the boys, and we got it. We are aware of the ways in which we have won and that we can and must do better. I always hear that we are not fit. If we still manage to win, it’s even easier when you get fit. I am aware that if we were to lose, our path would be much more difficult. But I said before the game that it wouldn’t change our goal, but it would make us work even harder to catch the jack. We are now a little closer. In life, it is very important to know how you win. I believe that we are aware of this and that we will get better with every game. Celje took more and more risks towards the end of the game, as they had nothing to lose. But we defended in an organised way. It’s always the case in football that when you win, you defend in an organised way, but if you lose, they say you played a bunker. We have won the important three points and captured the jackpot, but now we have to start thinking about the next game.” said Olimpija coach Zoran Zeljković after the game.

Zeljkovic: “I saw a player fall…”

Olimpija hasn’t scored a goal in three matches, but the Dragons have won 4 points in the championship and advanced in the Pivovarna Union Cup. “This is a certain basis. We are solid in defence. But at the same time, it’s true that in one match (Klaksvik, op. a.) also scored a lot of hits… You can feel that the players’ confidence is not at the highest level, but that’s normal. When you can’t do it, you have to give more energy, run harder and that’s what we did against Celje. I am very satisfied from this point of view,” said Zoran Zeljković, who recently arrived in Ljubljana from Koper.

Zoran Zeljković — Source of photo: NK Olimpija Ljubljana

Zoran Zeljkovic also addressed the improvements that are needed to make Olimpija more concrete in attacking actions after the game in Knez: “We can improve, but we still have a lot of work to do. Starting with the goalkeeper, where the attack starts. Denis Pintola, you know, doesn’t have any first league experience and hasn’t defended for a long time, but he still looks good. I know what the players want and what kind of football Olimpija needs to play, but we need time. There are a lot of new players who have not played a prominent role in their clubs. You have to juggle all that, which is not easy, and on top of that you have to keep winning. I don’t want to play football like we did this time, but it’s all a process. Nevertheless, I believe that we will get to a point where we will play more attacking and win, and that the spectators will be satisfied.”

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Zoran Zeljković commented on the controversial situation and the 11th-minute penalty in the match with Celje by saying: “I saw the player fall. I don’t know if he was touched by a competitor. We have VAR for that, so I believe the referees had a good look at the incident and reacted as they should have.”

Klaksvik and Timi Max Elšnik

On Thursday, Olimpija will face a new test in the conference league. Zmaji will take on Klaksvik in Stožice, who they recently lost to away. The game will be played on Thursday and Olimpija will have very little time to prepare. “I hear a lot of comments that the defeat against Klaksvik was a disaster. We were all disappointed to lose in the Faroe Islands, but there were also much better teams losing points. It is a very specific environment. We could have won that game. If we had scored, the game could have been completely different. The fact is that the opponent is of good quality, well organised, but beatable. I believe we are capable of overcoming it,” said Zoran Zeljkovic, referring to captain Timi Max Elšnik, who played only the last 20 minutes of the game against Celje. “I think he will be ready for the Klaksvik game. After the game against Celjani, I asked him if he felt any pain, but he told me he could play. I’m very happy about that, because in such a tight schedule, breadth is very important.”