Maribor coach Ante Šimundža critical after Celje defeat: missed chances and the way the team defends are glaring
Photo: Blaž Weindorfer / Sportida
Ante Šimundža experienced his second league defeat in the 2024/25 season, both inflicted by the current champions from Celje on his Maribor. The purple team’s coach was critical of his squad after the match in the Ljudski vrt, which was followed by a heated third half featuring fans in the main role, putting Maribor at risk of punishment from the Football Association of Slovenia (NZS).
“A very specific match. With our excellent start, in the first fifteen, twenty minutes we took the ball away from the opponents where we wanted. What we agreed upon was fulfilled and happened on the field. Then an incomprehensible thing happened… Due to missed opportunities, we didn’t achieve a larger lead. We weren’t good, especially in our defensive manner; we left the opponent too much possession and were too little concrete. In the meantime, we suffered, had substitutions ready to increase the rhythm and add experience, then a foolish move in the 60th minute changed the game in their favor. When we look at the whole event, we directed the match in that direction ourselves,” Ante Šimundža told the club’s website after the Styrian derby.
The coach of the club from Ljudski vrt also addressed why his team showed two completely different faces against the squad of Spanish expert Albert Riera, who has been a real nightmare for the Maribor club.
“The way to attack was agreed upon. If you come to such a number of balls taken away, but then individually change the way of attacking, you find yourself in trouble. It’s something that happens because of the match, the atmosphere. In the previous match against Celje, we had to make corrections during the break, and it was the same this time. We managed to respond; the Celje team was harmless in the meantime, but then something happened in the 60th minute that wasn’t in our favor. On the other hand, it’s worth highlighting the large number of cards received without reason. Here we need to take a step forward in order not to give the referee the opportunity to show us a yellow card,” elaborated 53-year-old Ante Šimundža.
Ante Šimundža: “Foolish, inexperienced”
Ante Šimundža also touched on playing with one player less; the match had to be abruptly concluded for the newly appointed Slovenian national team player Jan Repas after just over an hour of play.
“It’s hard to press for 90 minutes; I don’t know of a team that can do it. You need to recognize the situation. In the opening part, we did it excellently, then it’s understandable to step back a bit. However, the way we wanted, directing the opponent, was not right in the first half. With our response and substitutions, from experience to different types of attackers, we wanted to achieve things to raise our pressing level again, but after the dismissal, the match turned in another direction. If you have one player less, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be organized. We started with 4-4-1 in the defensive phase but were open in areas we didn’t want to be. There was a poorly cleared ball, a quick response from the opponent, and we conceded a goal. In the 5-3-1 setup, Celje didn’t have real opportunities; the second goal came from an action when we previously had the ball under our control, made a mistake, followed by a long ball and a goal. Having one player less shouldn’t mean such a deficit; in such a situation, you have to be bolder, especially in ball retention and with the ideas we needed in the game,” explained Ante Šimundža, who was also critical of the former member of Domžale and Caen.
“Foolish, inexperienced. Jan has become player of the month, received a call-up to the national team, and with all his experiences, he shouldn’t allow himself to be sent off in such a manner. He is aware of this, which is a positive aspect in this case,” concluded Ante Šimundža after the defeat in the 11th round of the Prva liga Telemach.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet