Josip Iličić visibly pleased after Maribor’s victory in Ljubljana: “If I can make a sliding tackle in the 90th minute, something is ‘wrong'”

Published on 18. April 2024 18. April 2024

Photo: Nik Moder / Sportida

Lately, he hasn’t appeared in front of the media very often, but this time Josip Iličić did just that. The star of Maribor came to the press conference after the victory against Olimpija and explained at the outset why he had been avoiding media obligations lately.

“I come before journalists when it’s time for it. I simply isolated myself a bit, not because I have anything against you, but because I’m focused on myself. You know how much trouble I had with physical fitness. My main goal was to enjoy myself on the field, and I managed to achieve that. If I can make a sliding tackle in the 90th minute, something is ‘wrong’ (laughter). I’m happy for my teammates and myself. We’re on the right track; we haven’t lost on the field this spring. We don’t look at the standings at all; we just want to win every game,” said Josip Iličić after the 2-1 victory in Stožice.

The Gorenjec is convinced that the Purple’s victory was more than deserved: “If we exclude the first 15 minutes, which we should forget as soon as possible, we played a great game. We were very dangerous. Olimpija maximally capitalized on the initial momentum, then we regrouped and reacted like a real team. We showed our quality and deservedly won. Already in the second half of the first half, we were better, and in the second, we dominated. I think even without Olimpija’s sending-off, it would have ended with our success. The score could have been even higher; in the second half, we practically didn’t let Olimpija do anything. Maybe they deserved another goal in the first half, but we dominated for about 70 minutes.”

Josip Iličić: “It’s best to play at home”

Josip Iličić also admitted that he enjoyed the game, which, let’s face it, means a bit more in Slovenia: “Such games are the best to play. In my career, I’ve experienced many beautiful moments, but when you play a derby at home in front of your family and your fans, it’s something special. Even when I played European games with Maribor in 2010, those feelings were hard to compare with anything else. It’s best to play at home in front of a packed stadium. There should be more games like this because of the atmosphere and the large audience. We know that in Maribor, we’re now playing without spectators, which doesn’t make sense. The atmosphere gives players adrenaline and strength. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I played with Atalanta against Real and Liverpool in front of empty stands; it’s not the same feeling.”

He couldn’t avoid the question about the national team and a possible appearance at Euro 2024. The 36-year-old footballer evaded a specific answer. “The coach saw that we won. Surely he’s pleased because he comes from Maribor. I have nothing else to add. I’m glad he came, after all that has happened to him. He saw the right game, many good players, and good moves. This can only be positive for him and for Slovenian football,” Josip Iličić avoided a concrete answer.