Saturday is the day for the 157th eternal derby: Maribor will soar on the wings of euphoric fans, while Olimpija will play under the direction of the sports director

Published on 11. May 2024 11. May 2024

Photo: Žan Pak & Vid Ponikvar / Sportida

A year ago, they celebrated the double crown. Now even the fans are saying, “This is a circus!” Ahead of the 157th eternal derby, Olimpija seems to be in a seemingly better position than their archrival, at least in terms of the standings. Everything else, however… Like night and day! Maribor shines, Maribor impresses, Maribor has already sold out Ljudski vrt on Thursday. Olimpija, on the other hand? Like a circus! The Ljubljana side, last season’s champions, fired their coach on Monday, then rested until Wednesday, then entrusted the reins to the fitness coaches and analysts, and finally decided that the seat on the bench would be occupied by – the sports director!

So, on one side, euphoria; on the other, colossal apathy. Well, no one will win a trophy at the 157th eternal derby, make no mistake. Both giants of Slovenian football have been too weak this season for that. But it’s still important how you end a season. And how you start the next one. Second place doesn’t bring a trophy, but it does bring a leap from the first to the second round of European qualifications. It also brings two weeks more vacation. At the same time, the passion should not be neglected: winning against a major rival is always worth a little more. This raises the key question: is Olimpija capable of achieving anything amidst the chaos happening in Ljubljana?

157th eternal derby: Boromisa on technically polished football

“Changing a coach usually brings a positive shock, new energy. As I’ve already told the players, Olimpija must be dominant. We play technically polished football and have enough quality. We will prove that,” Goran Boromisa shot out like a cannon. The Croatian has written a cinematic story in Ljubljana: from the bottom to the top, from a black duck to a white swan. He started as a goalkeeper coach. He was also a scout. And then a sports director. Now he’s also a coach. Cinematic.

If Goran Boromisa put himself on the bench, it would be quite presumptuous. But knowing the way he climbed the ladder of importance among the dragons, it is clear who burdened him with this responsibility this time… In any case, it will be interesting to see how the functionary, who at least on paper assembled this team, will fare in leading the same team. The task is not easy, it will be tough because of the hot Maribor, but whether it will be too tough will only be revealed on the pitch under Kalvarija. “Maribor has shown something different after changing the coach, it looks better. As we saw in the last derby, we played well in the first half. We will continue in this direction. That’s our guideline. The team is healthy, Lasickas is returning after serving his suspension, so he will be ready for the game tomorrow. The guys are motivated, they know they have to take responsibility for the past games. We will play for a win. Although there will be many scouts and sports directors at the match, we must play for the team. For Olimpija’s result. We focus on ourselves, on our game,” added Goran Boromisa.

Meanwhile, in Maribor, they are somewhat calm in their own way, as they have several reasons for it, but also euphoric. The latter is mainly felt by the public, who have quickly sold out tickets for the 157th eternal derby. Ante Šimundža points out that it is necessary to keep your feet on the ground, but it is also true that this time, victory will not only be sought by the fans, but also for a good impression before Maribor’s future business partner. Acun Ilicali will be among the spectators, and numerous scouts from foreign clubs will also be in the VIP stands. It’s just that time of year when such and such deals are made…

157th eternal derby: Milec on the joy in the locker room

“Everyone knows what the energy in the city is like in anticipation of the derby. It is noticeable what this match means to people, as confirmed by the response in presales. The stadium will be full, and in the locker room, we are immensely pleased with such a response from fans, the city, the entire environment, and we will do everything to ensure that everyone goes home satisfied after the match. These are the matches every footballer wants to play. In such games, you show character. Given that the stadium will be full, you squeeze out even more from yourself, which might be possible at a certain moment. And that little something extra is what can decide the game,” said Maribor captain Martin Milec before the 157th eternal derby, who extended his contract this week until 2026.

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In any case, it’s time for the 157th eternal derby. In the sold-out Styrian football temple, it will start at 20:15, with Nejc Kajtazović officiating. Whoever wins will be second in the standings. If Olimpija wins, they will already be definitively second. So, may the best team win.

This text was automatically translated using AI.

Author: editorial Football Planet