Mura is proud of its youth system, in Murska Sobota they emphasized obvious progress: “The situation is better than it was two years ago”

Published on 7. May 2024 7. May 2024

Photo: NŠ Mura

Season 2023/24 will be one to forget for Mura. The black and whites are considerably distant from the top in the championship, and they also experienced bitter disappointment in the semifinals of the cup. Nevertheless, Mura has found a reason for good spirits and, above all, optimism. In Murska Sobota, they don’t hide their satisfaction with their youth system, with the Prekmurje region emphasizing that it is at a much higher level than it was two years ago.

“The Mura Football School has made a big step forward in the last two years. From fighting to avoid relegation to fighting for the title,” Mura wrote on the club’s website, continuing: “If we rewind time back about two years, to the end of the 2021/22 season, we can happily note that the situation this season is quite different and better than it was two years ago. Back then, the youth team of the black and whites fought just to stay in the league and ended up with 22 points in 26 matches, which was enough for 12th place. The honor of Mura was saved back then by the members of the cadet selection, who finished 4th and collected 46 points in 26 matches.”

The club, based in Fazanerija, continued regarding the events in the youth system:

“The beginning of the 2022/23 season wasn’t the most promising, as both the youth and cadet teams of Mura were in the lower part of the league table. Then followed moves that have, at least for now, proven to be spot on. Matjaž Kek Jr. took over the reins of the youth team, assisted by Roman Gostan. In January 2023, the leadership of the football school was taken over by Robert Koren, who, together with his colleagues, redesigned the training process at the school, and quite a few promising young footballers moved to Murska Sobota, seeing Mura as the best opportunity for their development. Dejan Veršovnik took over the role of goalkeeper coach at the football school, while Jakob Ules, the physiotherapist, ensures that the young Mura players are in the best possible condition.

The first signs of improvement were already visible at the end of the 2022/23 competitive season when both the youth and cadet teams comfortably avoided relegation, which was the primary goal after the winter part of the season, which seemed to be a fierce battle for survival. The black and whites continued to be attractive to young footballers, also because there was a new breeze blowing in the football school. The final confirmation of good work came this season when the youth team won the title of autumn champions, and two rounds before the end, they are in second place in the table, still theoretically in the title race.

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The U15 selection, led by Vladimir Kokol and assistant Mitja Flisar at the beginning of the season, is also performing well. After Kokol’s departure, Nejc Jan Matis took over, and currently, they are in fourth place with 50 points from 25 matches. The cadet selection, led by Jernej Repina and assistant Aleksander Nediževac, is also in the upper half of the table, occupying seventh place, with 31 points from 25 matches.

The 2023/24 season has also brought the establishment of some young footballers who were and still are members of younger selections. More and more opportunities in senior football have been given to Timotej Brkić, Niko Kasalo, Jaka Domjan, and Luka Turudija, while players like Vid Šumenjak, Tian Rantaša, Nal Lan Koren, Sašo Lovrec, Žan Črnko, Niko Graj, Anej Jelovica, and Nenad Ignjič have been included in the squad for league matches.“

This text was automatically translated using AI.

Author: editorial Football Planet