From another place, but from another perspective - is anyone counting on Mornar?

Is Sutjeska regaining its primacy in Montenegro with the autumn plus four, as much as it can? Grofova The future, will Dečić continue his series of trophies after winning the championship and the Cup in the previous two seasons...?

Such or similar questions can most often be heard on the eve of the continuation of the Meridianbet 1st Montenegrin Football League. They are asked by those who follow domestic football, who are still interested in the domestic leagues...

Few people are interested in Mornar ahead of the sequel. And the team that leads Vesko Stešević is probably the most successful team of the autumn season, when looking at both competitions: they are second in the championship with four points less than Sutjeska, they have advanced to the semi-finals of the Cup in which there is no Sutjeska, nor seventh-placed Buducnost, but there is third-placed Dečić.

From second place, but also completely out of the blue, Barani are going for the feat. They are not given much of a chance, and if one has to choose a team that has a chance to win the double crown, then it is them.

Does the role of being in the thick shadows suit them?

- Realistically, I think we're a little underestimated, at least based on what we showed in the first half. And if someone underestimates us on the field, they're going to get burned badly - he says Marko Đurišić, a left-footed midfielder from Novi Sad, who has been wearing the Mornar jersey for two and a half seasons.

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in the table Mornar was in the 2023/24 season, which is the club's greatest success in independent Montenegro. A season later, Barani played in the Cup final. Are they ready to take the next step - winning a trophy?

- If we win the title, and I'm convinced it can happen, I wouldn't see it as too big a surprise - the seasoned player continues. Stefan Denkovic, Mornar's second best scorer in the first half with five goals in the championship and two in the Cup.

Of course, the Aries don't want to float in the clouds either.

- I have a good feeling, but we need to wait for the games. The favorites are still different. Our primary goal is to reach Europe, through the championship or the Cup - it doesn't matter. If we get a chance for something more, we will try to take advantage of it - adds Denković, champion with Sutjeska 2108, former striker of Bokelj and Decić, but also of numerous foreign clubs.

Đurišić, a former international in Latvia (Riga) and Malta (Birkirkara), arrived in Bar in the summer of 2024 and completely found himself: he was also part of Mornar's magnificent European successes.

He is also an optimist:

- If I say title, they will say - these guys have taken off. A lot depends on the first two or three rounds. If we start well, if we are healthy, I think few people will be able to stop us. We played against Sutjeska in a friendly match a few days ago, I can honestly say that they are not better than us. We will see how it will look when the championship starts, honestly I am a little afraid of Grofova "The future, because if he puts it together the way he knows how, they will be very dangerous, even though we have seven points more than them," Đurišić points out.

- The fact that few people are counting on us might be good for the younger players, so they can play without pressure. As for us more experienced players, or at least me - it doesn't matter to me at all - adds Denković.

Barani flourished in the fall after the arrival of Vesko Stešević, who sat on the bench in round 6. A fantastic streak of 10 games without defeat followed, and the question is whether it would have happened if Mornar pod Goricam had not played with a player less from the 3rd minute against Buducnost.

The series awaits continuation...

- The whole team stayed, except Malešević who left. It means a lot when you keep the team - emphasizes Denković.

Nikola Vujnovic, a former national team player, could be a great addition to the attack.

- I really like him as a player, I think he could make a difference in attack - Đurišić points out.

Barani awaits Arsenal on Saturday, then plays host to Dečić, welcomes Mladost DG, then hosts Jedinstvo and Bokelj... Who knows what the table will look like when Budućnost plays host to the Bar derby on March 15th.

- There are still 15 rounds left - both a little and a lot. Honestly, I think Mornar has a chance that will hardly be repeated soon. Some of us have contracts expiring in the summer, it should not be hidden that everyone's goal is abroad. That's why this is a real chance - to win the title, to play in Europe, and to move on - concludes Đurišić.

First club, real people

Stefan Denković has been through a lot in his career, he has been to Serbia, Israel, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina...

When he decided to come to Montenegro for the third time this summer and wear the jersey of the fourth club in Montenegro (Bokelj, then Sutjeska, and then Dečić), he did not expect to find everything he needed in Mornar at the age of 34.

- Honestly, I've really found myself in Bar, beyond all expectations. I enjoy it both on and off the field - says Denković, a native of Belgrade.

Marko Đurišić, a Novi Sad resident six years younger, thinks similarly.

- We are a real group, with an excellent coaching staff and people in the administration. For conditions at the Balkan level, Mornar is a very nice club.