Only once in history Slovenian handball leaguei.e. the 1st SRL, the Zlatorog hall was officially full, that was in the 2015/16 season during the derby between Celje and Gorenje, when the local handball players won their 20th title in front of 5,200 spectators in the last match of the season.
Before that, the record was 4,000 spectators from 2014, and even before that, 3,800 spectators from 2012. It was always a match between Savina and Šaleška. It is already clear that there will be a second final match of the NLB league, in which the two teams will meet on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Celje Pivovarna Laško and Slavranked (at least) in second place on the eternal attendance list.
Tim Cokan is returning to Celje. PHOTO: Slavko Kolar
They are due on Wednesday surprisingly won at Kodeljevoif they are once again better than the champions, they will look forward to their 27th championship star, if Slovan is better, the decision will be made next Saturday in Ljubljana. Spectacle is guaranteed. According to the director of Celje, it was yesterday, two days before the match Nejc Ajdnik more than 4,000 tickets have already been sold for the match between Celje and Ljubljana, which left no one indifferent on Wednesday.
In the hell of Kodeljev – more because of the unbearable heat than the atmosphere, which was correct – the people from Celje were fresher, faster, more determined and deservedly won with 42:38, with 10 goals the hero of the match was an 18-year-old Aljuš Anžičwhich will also be tomorrow at Andraž Makuč the coach’s main asset Klemna Luzar.
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Celje and Slovan have 1 of the championship titles.
Klemen Luzar hopes for a double crown. PHOTO: Voranc Vogel
He expects to have a right-wing ace at his disposal as well Luka Perićwho was absent at Kodeljevo due to angina. Celjani, who were last champions in 2023 under management Alem Toskićwill thus be waiting in full force for the angry residents of Ljubljana, who are they also lost the cup title against the brewers and they are threatened with a season without laurels, which would make the main “patron” quite upset Zoran Janković and reduced the chances of participating in the expanded EHF Champions League.
The final is played to the end and I believe that we have enough experience and quality to return to the series.
Tim Cokan, Celjan in Slovan jersey
Uroš Zorman and his Slovan plan a rematch. PHOTO: Voranc Vogel
Slovan still favorite
But Slovan remains the favorite, it was the best in the regular season and the playoffs, it has a more expensive and much more experienced team. Coach Uroš Zorman but he has also already shown that he knows how to get the most out of boys when it matters most. As many as seven of his players wore the Celje jersey, among them a child from the Celje club Team Cokanwho will have to suppress local patriotic feelings.
Klemen Luzar, coach of RK Celje Pivovarna Laško: “On Sunday we have another big fight. The fifth face-to-face meeting of the season is ahead of us, and all previous matches have been very even, as the winner was usually not decided until the last minutes. In Ljubljana, we were a bit more collected in the playoffs, which brought us victory. There is a lot of pressure before the second game. On our side, because we can already win the title of national champions on Sunday, and on Slovan’s side, because he wants to stay in the game for the title. I think that the daily form, desire and motivation, which are at a very high level in both teams, will be decisive this time as well. I want loud support from the stands, because it gives us extra energy. We have a plan to win, now we just have to implement it on the field.”
Staš Skube is the leader of the Ljubljana attack. PHOTO: Voranc Vogel
It’s not entirely clear to him either, how Slovan could fall like that after leading 6:3 and 9:6 in the first game. “It was not an understatement. The final is specific and Celje showed a lot of energy. In the first game, we simply weren’t at the level we expect from ourselves,” admitted the young representative, who is not giving up. “Of course, the situation is more demanding because we no longer have room for mistakes, but on the other hand, the motivation is even greater. The final is played to the end and I believe that we have enough experience and quality to return to the series.”
At Kodeljevo, the local handball players, who have many more seasons behind them, burned out in the steam. The people of Celje will not be playing games and already turned on the air conditioning on Friday, so the temperature will be more bearable for the guests. Likewise, director Ajdnik merely waved his hand at the question, since they had already ordered the printing of commemorative T-shirts for the 27th address in Celje.
Lucijan Korošec is making rapid progress in Celje. PHOTO: Slavko Kolar
