The Sutjeska players face a long journey to the Kazakh city of Almaty in the first round of the Champions League qualifiers. Their rivals are the country's champions, Kairat, who played in the Champions League group stage last season against Arsenal, Real Madrid, Inter... The favorite is clear, Milorad Peković's team got the toughest rival in the draw, and at the same time, they face the furthest possible journey.
Kairat has won the title in Kazakhstan five times in its history, and once with a Montenegrin player on the team. This is Nebojša Kosović, who wore the jersey of the Almaty club from 2019 to 2022 and was part of the generation that ended Astana's six-year dominance in 2020 and returned the trophy to the club's showcase after 16 years. Kosović also won the Cup a year later, and then his football career took him to China, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, where he played the previous season.
In an interview with "Vijesti", Kosović analyzed Sutjeska's rival, spoke about the period in Kazakhstan, but also about his career and the national team.
"The Kazakh league has progressed a lot. Kairat has been developing in a very good direction in recent years. This is the greatest credit to the president of Kairat Boranbaev, who has been at the helm of the club for more than 10 years. Unreal conditions have been created for football players, two bases with about a dozen pitches - one base is intended exclusively for the first team, and the other is for the academy. The training camp and the base of the first team are certainly some of the best in the world, with the most advanced medical equipment, player recovery, apartments, kitchen... Simply put, the working conditions are incredible. Also, a lot is invested in the club's academy, as evidenced by the fact that more than 50 percent of the players in the Kazakhstan national team originated in Kairat. The club is fantastic, very well organized," said Kosović at the start of the interview for "Vijesti".
Kairat won two more titles after Kosović left - in 2024 and 2025. This season, they are currently in second place, one point behind and two games ahead of the leaders, Ordabasy.
"I follow them all the time, they've been champions for two years in a row. This year they've started a little worse, but they can definitely be unpleasant, especially on their home field. Their best player was recently signed by Chelsea - Dastan Satpajev. The Kazakh is 17 years old, he's a very talented player and very mature for his age. They're a young team, but very aggressive. Sutjeska has good, experienced players like Aleksandar Šćekić, Boris Kopitović... who know how to play those games."
Kosović has fond memories of Kairat.
"A great three years for me. After 16 years, we brought back the title in Almaty and for the first time in history, we qualified for the group stage of a European competition (Conference League ed.). I am glad to be a part of history and to be part of that process and progress of the Kairat Football Club."
Kosović spent the previous season in Thailand with Bangkok. The team finished fifth in the domestic championship, while in the Champions League 2 they reached the semi-finals in which they were eliminated by Gamba Osaka, despite winning the first leg in Japan (1:0). Gamba celebrated 3:0 in the second leg in Thailand, and then reached the title in the final, because they were better than Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nasr.
"I've been somehow tied to that part of Asia for six or seven years, so it was arranged for me to go to Bangkok. Interesting country and club. Nice experience, we had a successful season in the Champions League 2, we broke some records, reached the semi-finals and beat Gamba in the first away match. It's a pity, because we could have reached the final with Al-Nasr. But we had a few bad luck with injuries. The season is over, my contract expires on June 30th and we'll see what happens - said Kosović, who scored four goals and provided two assists in 26 matches in all competitions last season."
A return to Europe is not ruled out.
"Maybe it's time for me to come back. I'm at a good age, with some experience. I'm ready for whatever the future brings," said the 31-year-old Kosović.
Partizan made the right move by bringing in Ilić
Kosović follows the developments at Partizan with particular attention, for which he played from 2015 to 2019. He is part of the generation that won the double crown in 2017, and with the "black and whites" he reached the Cup trophy twice more. He is especially pleased with the arrival of Partizan legend, Saša Ilić, as coach.
"A good move by the Partizan management. Ilić is a legend, someone who loves the club and also has knowledge. It won't be easy, but the important thing in this situation is to see some progress. Partizan is always in my heart, I would like to finally get the 'Steamroller' going," Kosović points out.
The man from Nikšić does not forget Vojvodina, where he arrived as a boy from his hometown.
"Vojvodina has been consistently at the top of the table for the last few years and is always fighting for trophies. I see that they have started this summer with a couple of excellent incoming transfers. They are preparing to attack even more seriously, but they certainly have a tough task ahead of them."
National team in first place
Kosović played his last match for the Montenegrin national football team two years ago. It was in a friendly match against Belgium. Now he hopes to return to the national team, and he also expects good performances from the “brave falcons” in the League of Nations. Montenegro is in Group C2, and its rivals are Cyprus, Armenia and Latvia.
"The national team always comes first. If I return to Europe and play well, then maybe I will return. The national team has had good preparations for the upcoming challenges. I expect Montenegro to be first in the Nations League group," concluded Nebojša Kosović.
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