Youth is the future, and in Maribor, they are pleased with the development of the academy: Many have a future in the club, but they must be patient
Photo: NK Maribor
Maribor has often been the target of loud criticism in the past due to alleged poor work with young players. However, in recent times, the purples have significantly stepped up their game, as evidenced by the results of their youth teams. Maribor has clinched both the youth title and the trophy among the older boys this year. But the question arises: will the good results of the younger selections be enough to open the doors to senior football for the most promising individuals?
“In Maribor, the gap between youth and senior football is quite large, the biggest in Slovenia. However, a Maribor player always has all doors open. I believe that we have taken a step forward in the academy and have further connected it with the first team, directing the young players more towards it. The goal is to have as many of our young players join the first team as possible. However, the demands in Maribor are extremely high, and as it has been proven good, players usually demonstrate their skills in their first senior year while on loan. The risk of immediately pushing them into the spotlight is too great. Take for example Žan Vipotnik, who immediately felt the pressure of the Maribor first team, then had to take a step back through Triglav and Gorica to prove himself. Even Tine Čuk quickly got a chance among the seniors, but it’s difficult to meet these demands day by day,” explained Marko Šuler, the sports director of the Styrian giant, to Sportklub.
The former Slovenian international also urged young players to be patient while waiting for their chance: “There are quite a few boys here whom I count on. Certainly those you mentioned (Tine Čuk, Luka Poredoš, Niko Grlić, Niko Osterc, note). Success depends on many factors, but I demand only one thing from the boys. Patience and trust. A plan is made for them; now they need minutes and games at the senior level. However, all these boys have a future in Maribor if they are patient. This is the biggest problem today, that they want to rush things. Premature moves abroad often lead to lost careers. The competition there is ruthless.“
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
News
#markošuler
#u19
1. SNL
Maribor
Share