Tine Zupan, Sporting Director of NK Brinje Grosuplje, on the plans of the Dolenjska second league: “We are building a team with the future in mind”

Published on 25. September 2024 25. September 2024

Photo: NK Brinje Grosuplje

NK Brinje Grosuplje is competing in the 2.SNL for the third consecutive year. In their first season among the second division teams, their main goal was to secure their place among the sixteen teams, which they accomplished. They finished their first season exactly in the middle of the table with 38 points. The team from Grosuplje felt that they could finish even higher in the next season, and after some squad changes, they concluded the season in a commendable 5th place with 52 points. This summer, significant changes took place at the club, which were discussed by the sporting director of Brinje, Tine Zupan, in an interview for the club’s website.

“The transfer window is always something that can surprise you. After last year’s success, where we finished fifth, we experienced significant changes in the team. The boys performed well and consequently received better financial offers elsewhere. Some returned from loans to their parent clubs, which is completely normal. We need to adapt to this, and we responded with more recruitment than we had anticipated. The second division has a specific nature and is quite transitional. We are used to this as we have built the club from the youth system, where players change every year or two.” said 45-year-old Tine Zupan, who believes in the path they have taken: “We have our own way of selecting players individually, and we have done so this time as well. Some boys were not accustomed to the training process we have in Grosuplje, and some were out of competitive rhythm, but now things are slowly coming together and taking shape.”

It is logical that there were also some departures, as players who performed well last season became interesting to other clubs. “These are boys who gave us a lot, and the club gave them a lot as well. We did not part ways under strange circumstances; we agreed amicably. The situation with Lan Piskule dragged on for too long, and his departure happened just before the start of the championship, which was not the best for us, given that he was our best player and captain. This surprised us negatively, but it is true that he indicated at the beginning of the transfer window that he would likely be leaving, and at that time, a foreign transfer was primarily in play. Consequently, we expected this departure and were prepared for it. We are grateful to all the boys for their contribution to the club and are happy that they left the club in a better state than when they arrived, which is a new testament to our quality work.” Zupan said about the departures, and then touched on the reinforcements, the renovation of the sports park, and how this renovation affects the team, which is currently playing home matches in Ivančna Gorica.

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“Time will tell whether we have adequately replaced players like Piskule and Brkić. It is difficult to say at this moment. We have a lot of potential in young footballers; additionally, we decided this year to bring in two Croatian players who add value. We searched in various ways, as the second division is very demanding, and we need players capable of playing in it. I believe we have a lot of quality and I am confident we can achieve our goal of finishing among the top five teams. This season will be particularly special for us due to the renovation of the sports park, which brings certain inconveniences for the team, especially at the start of the championship, as we are playing matches in Ivančna Gorica. Rather than focusing on the current results, we are looking at the overall state of the club and building the team with a view to the future. The team that achieved such a good result last season was built over three transfer windows, so we are starting the build-up again. I believe we can take another step forward by winter.” said the former director of Olimpija.

The team from Grosuplje is certainly becoming more interesting each year, and we can expect them to fight for the top positions until the last round of this season. After seven rounds of the new season, they currently sit in 8th place with 11 points, but they are only 4 points away from first place.