Once Branko Oblak, now Max Bilac: Young Slovenian celebrates in the stadium where a legend scored at the World Cup
Max Bilać at the match in Gelsenkirchen (top row, third from left). Photo source: Atalanta Calcio
Parkstadion is a legendary stadium that is no longer used for major sporting events in Gelsenkirchen, which is logical since they have had the magnificent Arena AufSchalke available since 2001. Today, Parkstadion is only used by young footballers and the reserve team of Schalke, but that does not change the fact that the venue holds countless various football memories.
Opened in 1973, Parkstadion was home for two years to the legendary Branko Oblak, who interestingly also scored at the World Cup there, during a victory that still stands as the largest in the tournament’s history. In 1974, Yugoslavia crushed Zaire (now DR Congo) with a score of 9:0, and in the 61st minute, one of the best Slovenian footballers of all time scored the eighth goal of the match.
Regardless, Parkstadion has long lost the shine it once had, but on Wednesday, a Slovenian player took to the field again. In the UEFA Youth League, Shakhtar faced Atalanta, with the club from Donetsk hosting the match in Gelsenkirchen due to the war in Ukraine. The Italians were significantly stronger than Shakhtar, with the black-and-blue team from Bergamo winning 3:0.
Atalanta’s victory was also aided by Max Bilać, a mere 17-year-old defender from Slovenia, who signed with Atalanta during this transfer window after moving from Maribor. Max Bilać occupied a position in the heart of Atalanta’s defense and performed well, as his team did not concede a goal. This was the promising defender’s first appearance in the UEFA Youth League. To make the symbolism even greater, he accomplished this in Germany, the country from which his mother hails…
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet