The new season of the Macedonian Super League starts on Friday with the matches of the first round, in specific conditions and the new system. The teams were divided into two groups for the first time, and as before, the participants of the SEHA Gazprom League will join only in the playoffs, in which the three best teams from both sets will be placed.
On paper, the favorite for the first place in Group 1 is GRK Ohrid, whose coach Radoslav Stojanović presented his expectations from the next competition year.
– I can say that the guys did the preparations with maximum commitment, without exception. We started a week earlier because of the long break that preceded, but also because of the tournament in Struga, where we finished right behind the first three Macedonian teams. We played great against Vardar and Metalurg, although the consequences of the break with my players were clearly visible.
Ohrid is one of the clubs that changed the lineup the least during the summer, the only newcomer is Serbian pivotman Igor Čagalj…
– We didn’t want to change the team a lot. The pivotman and left back Georgian are gone, and I think Chagalj is a complete scorer, he is a great player and a great guy. That’s exactly the pivotman we needed. Although we have a shorter rotation this year, we made an agreement with the club’s management to give many more minutes to the players from Ohrid. This year’s competition system gives us such an opportunity. We have talented young guys, they will get the right opportunity this season, and it is up to them to show themselves.
What are the ambitions for the next season, what kind of placement would the club be satisfied with?
-Our first and basic goal is to qualify for the playoffs, and as one of the favorites in the group, we want to learn that as the first-placed team. That ambition is justified if we take into account the quality we possess and the results so far. Since the younger players will get a chance, I believe that we will also get at least one more reliable player in the rotation, whom we can count on most seriously at the end of the season.
Ohrid figures as the fourth strongest team in Macedonia, how realistic is it to endanger the place of someone from the top three?
– We will wait for the second part for the final placement, at this moment it is really too early to talk about it. Although, the fact that we had a better mutual score in the duels with Metalurg last year inspires optimism. On the other hand, the fact is that they now have a much stronger team than last year. Also, there are Butel and Prolet who have quality lineups and who are at the top every year. What is certain, we will fight with all our might for one of the places in the European Cups – announced Stojanović, and added:
-When Vardar and Eurofarm Pelister join the playoffs, I think that the Macedonian Super League will be the strongest national championship in ex-Yugoslavia. We must be grateful and satisfied that the Macedonian Federation has enabled us to compete despite all the problems caused by the coronavirus. I am of the opinion that the new competition system will prove to be the right solution – the coach of Ohrid states at the end of the conversation.
