Maribor is heading into the 2024/25 season in the Bulgarian inferno: Almost 40 degrees Celsius in the air, with thousands of euphoric fans in the stands

Published on 11. July 2024 11. July 2024

Photo: Žan Pak

Celje passed its baptism of fire with flying colors on Wednesday. Damir Krznar led the Styrian club to a high and convincing victory over Flora on his 52nd birthday, and on Thursday, two other Slovenian clubs will be in action in Europe. Maribor faces a true hell in the first qualifying round of the Europa League: in one way or another. Temperatures will rise today in Plovdiv to almost 40 degrees Celsius, with thousands of euphoric fans expected in the stands of their stadium, hosting its first European match in three decades.

Nevertheless, Maribor is optimistic about its first test in the 2024/25 season. “High temperatures accompanied us during preparations, both in Moravske Toplice and Maribor, so we are accustomed to them. Overall, the weather conditions will be the same for both teams, so this factor will not affect the final outcome,” before the match against Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv, where Alen Korošec, former player of Rogaška, operates as a winger for the purple team Pijus Širvys.

“We are very happy to be here. We had good preparations and can’t wait to start the season. We know we are up against a tough opponent, whom we respect, but we are ready for the initial challenge. Every match is important, especially the first one of the season, at the beginning of European qualifiers, which we always approach with special motivation. We want to present ourselves in the best possible way, here and then in the return leg,” added the Lithuanian player before the match, which will start at 20:00 Slovenian time.

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Sven Šoštarič Karič complemented his teammate with the following words: “When preparing for opponents, the principle is always the same; through thorough analysis, we show respect to them and, at the same time, make our work easier. The preparatory match against CSKA 1948 Sofia was very welcome for us to feel Bulgarian football, which is more physical, with tougher duels. It was useful that our coach has already worked in the opponent’s country. With these experiences from Bulgaria, he could tell us more about their football. We studied Botev’s characteristics, but also analyzed our own performances and corrected mistakes along the way. We can say we are prepared for the first step of the season. Considering our physical preparations, the coaching staff did the best they could, and now it depends on each individual’s personal and mental readiness.”

Maribor doesn’t face major personnel problems. Experienced midfielder Blaž Vrhovec remains at home due to knee pain, and Andraž Žinič did not travel with the team, awaiting registration of newcomer Karol Borys. Everyone else is ready to prove themselves, including veteran Josip Iličić, who joined training sessions under coach Ante Šimundža just this week after his appearance at Euro 2024. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what role the latter will assign to him…