The historic season of Arsenal, which finished in third place in its debut participation in the domestic elite, and also played in the final of the Montenegrin Cup, cannot be archived by the very end of the championship. All the more, because the people of Tivat deserved to participate in the qualifications for the League of Conferences, also with their first appearance in Europe.
The European debut is close, the first match in Armenia against Alashkert is scheduled for July 12, Arsenal will play the second leg on July 20, at the DG Arena. That's why the people of Tivat "started their engines" early, they arrived at Zaltibor to play a preparatory game in a victory over Sutjeska - 2:0.
There have been changes in the team compared to the historical result, the new coach is Zoran Tripković, who promoted Internacional to the second division in the previous season.
- There are many changes, the skeleton of the team whose result is difficult, almost impossible to repeat, has left. Bulatović, Došljak, Bakić, Rudović and goalkeeper Nikić are no longer there. Now we need to work on the formation of the team, but there were also arrivals, so Kašćelan and Macanović came to the club from Bokelje, Šahman from Rudar and goalkeeper Puletić from Leotar. The day before leaving for Zlatibor, Damjan Mugoša joined us, who, on loan from Budućnost, placed Gabela in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And against Sutjeska in the second half, we gave a chance to many of our young players, because the coaching staff still has Miloš Nikezić and Božidar Tujković, who manages the youth department. Of course, the goalkeeper coach Aleksandar Brajić - said Tripković.
Arsenal will stay in Zlatibor until June 30, after Sutjeska tomorrow, their team's rival will be Sarajevo's Željezničar.
- We are planning to play another game on June 28, but we are looking for a rival for that date. The team responded very well against Sutjeska, even though we arrived in Zlatibor a day earlier. There will be a lot of work on all fronts, the management and sports director in consultation with us must also work on reinforcements, so that in those two weeks after Zlatibor, they would have a team that would oppose Alashkert. We know that they are a good team, they have already played in the group stage of the Conference League, we got some footage and soon we expect additional information about them - explained Tripković.
The club has achieved great success since the barrage to enter the elite for the year, what are the goals for the new season?
- The goal is, of course, survival, but also to affirm as many of our players as possible. Well, in the last season, with great work, the club achieved that Arsenal players were in demand on the football market. We will try to achieve the best possible result, but in the near future it is difficult to repeat last season. Nevertheless, the club has an agile management, an established work system, and I have no doubts about the bright future and further progress of Arsenal. Now it is important to form a team capable of showing itself as well as possible against Alaškert - concluded Tripković.
After his football career, he stepped into coaching as an assistant in Zeta, Petrovac..., and Arsenal is his second first-league independent job, after being the first coach of Grblj in 2011.
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