We are finishing the 2022/23 competitive season

The 2022/23 competitive season is finised. Olimpija won two titles during this season and confirmed its dominance in Slovenian football. But even after the end of the season, many open questions remain about the coming training camps for European leagues and about the future on-pitch leadership of Olimpija.

Igor Barišić, the club’s director, had the following to say to the media after the season ended: “First I would like to thank everyone for the successful season behind us. I truly don’t understand the constant negativity around our club. We needed a lot of time and patience to bring the club to its current level. We won the national championship as well as the cup trophy, both titles are now under our roof. The academy almost won the title and finished in second place. We work fairly and focus on the interests of the club and not our personal interests. Even our debts were paid during the last season. Olimpija was almost bankrupt, but we managed to lift it up and invest in it. I believe in the path ahead of us. A year ago you made fun of us, and today we have managed to win both national titles. We have achieved a lot in a single year. First, there was a big buzz about our trip to Luxembourg. We paid for everything in advance, the hotel and the airplane tickets. Unfortunately, we couldn’t affect the situation that had arisen on our journey home. This was followed by new issues, debt, and the potential UEFA fine. In the end, we managed to pay off all the debts of the previous management, received our license for the following year, and won both national titles in the end. I believe this warrants respect rather than a smear campaign in the media. I can also tell you we won’t be having a summer sale on our players. We will not give our players to other clubs. We will pay the players what they deserve.”

Goran Boromisa, the sporting director, disclosed the plans for the upcoming season: “We couldn’t make a deal with Albert Riera because with don’t share the same views. We met in April and we soon realized we couldn’t afford his financial aspirations. This is why João Henriques will be coaching our club from the beginning of June. His philosophy and his way of thinking were major influences on his hiring. He is aware of our expectations and has a strong desire to fight for the title. The training camp for the next season starts on 12 June. The European competitions are definitely our main goal. As announced, we will play a friendly match with Hajduk at Stožice on 2 July. We are currently negotiating with players. I can tell you now that Djordje Crnomarković will leave the club when his contract expires. He wanted to return closer to home where he has certain offers lined up. We are well prepared to find replacements for all the footballers that leave our club. There is a lot of interest in our players, but nothing is official so far. I believe something will definitely happen, but we must wait a while. We already started new negotiations and signed contracts with two young prospects, which is our goal moving forward. We wish to build our team with mostly young footballers.”