FK Željezničar Opens New Season Tonight in Tallinn, All Confident of Victory

TALLINN, (Patria) - FK Željezničar will begin the new competitive season with a match in the first qualifying round for the Europa League.

The opponent of the Sarajevo team will be the Estonian club Narva Trans. In the draw, the players of Željo had seeded status, so they got a team from a league with a lower rating than ours as their opponent.

However, one of the factors that brings interest and uncertainty to these early stages of European cups is the mutual unfamiliarity of the teams. This always implies the necessity of a certain caution and respect on the part of the team that has the role of favorite on paper.

Bosnian and Herzegovinian clubs have not had the opportunity to play with representatives of Estonia in the past, but our league has a slightly better status compared to the championship of this Baltic country. Therefore, the expectations of the public and fans are in line with this. Based on everything known and expected, FK Željezničar is given the advantage in the upcoming two-legged tie. However, they must justify that role on the field.

The teams are quite unknown to each other, but it must also be said that even the fans of FK Željezničar do not currently know their team. There have been certain changes during the short summer break, both in the playing squad and in the coaching staff, so it will certainly take time for the team to start showing its characteristics. Three preparatory matches did not leave a positive impression. Now it remains to be seen how things will unfold in the first competitive match.

Unlike FK Željezničar, Narva Trans plays in a league organized on a spring-autumn system. There is a one-month break currently underway. Therefore, Željo's opponent is not in full competitive form either. After eighteen rounds played, they are in fourth place, nine points behind the league leaders, with a record of ten wins, five draws, and three losses.

They qualified for the Europa League as the fifth-placed team in the 2017 championship, thanks to an unusual set of circumstances. Namely, the second-placed team, Levadia, won the cup competition. This opened the way to Europe for the fourth-placed team, but since that was FCI Tallinn, which merged with Levadia between the two seasons, Narva Trans filled the vacant spot for European cups.

The club was founded in 1979 in the city of Narva under the name Avtomobilist, by a local bus carrier. During the USSR, it played in lower leagues, and the club's greatest achievement was participation in the republican championship of Estonia. When that Soviet republic declared independence in 1991, the club changed its name and joined the championship of independent Estonia. To this day, it has been a continuous member of the top tier of league football in that country. It has never managed to win the championship title, despite generally finishing in the upper half of the table.

High placings have almost regularly brought them participation in European cups. A worse period followed in the last few years, and this is a return to Europe after a five-season break. This will be their eighth participation in the Europa League. It should be noted that they have been eliminated at the first hurdle every time. In addition, Narva Trans has played in the former Intertoto Cup eight times, but also without particular success. The biggest achievement was a draw with Gaziantepspor in the already somewhat distant year of 1996.

On the domestic front, it is worth highlighting the Estonian Cup won in 2001. They play their domestic matches at their own stadium, named Kreenholmi, but since it does not meet the criteria for international matches, they will host Željo in the capital, Tallinn, at the modern A. Le Coq Arena. The home city of Narva is located a little over 200 km to the east, on the border with Russia.

The team is managed by Russian coach Adyam Kuzyayev, whose son Daler was a member of the Russian national team at this World Cup. Narva Trans' goalkeeper is the regular Artur Kotenko, by far the oldest member of the team at 36 years old. The other players are either in their mid-twenties or even younger. Besides goalkeeper Kotenko, only Proshin is over thirty years old. Judging by past practice, Kuzyayev clearly has a habit of changing formations. What is certain is that Tanel Tamberg, Dante Leverock, and Igor Ovsjannikov are regulars in defense, and it is likely that Matheus Troche, a recent U21 national team player of Paraguay and a player who joined this club at the beginning of the month, will also have a place in the team. Leverock, a periodic Bermudan international, is also a foreigner. Among the "real" foreigners, there is also Bi Sehi Elysé, who has one appearance for the Ivory Coast national team.

Russian players can almost be considered "domestic" players due to the proximity of the border. In midfield, Russian internationals Aleksandr Zakarlyuka and Denis Polyakov stand out. On the right wing is Vadim Mihhailov, with the recently arrived Albanian Arbër Basha, who is listed as a right winger. On the opposite wing is mostly Dmitriy Proshin, also a Russian international. The most advanced players are Eduard Golovljov and Dmitriy Barkov, another Russian in the team, while Viktor Plotnikov also plays very often. Logically, these three players are also the team's top scorers. Interestingly, Leverock, who is 195 cm tall and very dangerous on set pieces, stands out in terms of goals scored.

FK Željezničar will be without some important players from last season. The new head coach, Slobodan Krčmarević, has certain problems in assembling the team, and as time goes by, it is possible that there will be further changes. What can be anticipated at this stage is that Vedran Kjosevski will be in goal, the central defensive pair should consist of Kemal Osmanković and newcomer Miloš Bakrač, while the full-back positions should be covered by the recovered Siniša Stevanović and another new player, Antonio Pavić.

There is the greatest competition in midfield, so it remains to be seen which players Krčmarević will choose. Among the new names, Mladen Veselinović, Filip Arežina, and Ivan Ćurjurić are available. Goran Zakarić, who is suspended, is not in contention. The most advanced player will be Sulejman Krpić.

The match will be played today starting at 6 PM Central European Time.