For the first time in the history of Montenegrin football, the prestigious trophy - the Dragan Mance Cup - came to Podgorica - the 2015 generation of football players from FC Zlatna lopta won in a competition of 47 teams.
In the final, Zlatna lobta beat Sloga from Doboj, 4:3 on penalties, after the match ended with a score of 1:1.
"We finished an extremely tough competition and nine games in three days in the best possible way. In the tournament that Partizan perfectly organizes, in honor of its legend, at the Teleoptik stadiums, a total of 270 teams were registered, and the competition is the European Youth Championship. Well, Benfica won the tournament for 2014 and Partizan for 2016. It can be said that we found ourselves in select company. We should not forget that some teams bring to the Cup all that is best in the country - the national team, literally. Sloga from Doboj is, for example, such a team," coach Nemanja Kljajević proudly emphasized.
The teams of the Podgorica club, led by coaches Kljajević, Luka Tiodorović, Zlatko Kostić, Blažo Perutović, and as they like to joke in the club, "older and younger", two experts with the identical name - Miloš Vukčević, left an excellent impression. The club's selection of 2014 also managed to advance to the knockout phase.
"Fantastic organization, and a favorable circumstance that it was played on grass because it was extremely hot. The matches were uncertain because it is not easy to be a participant at all. There were 15 clubs waiting in each generation, and our favorable circumstance was regional acquaintances and they knew that we had good teams. We work in four different parts of the city, and we carefully selected teams from all the fields where we train. Now we are overjoyed with the success because in a decade of participation, no team from Montenegro has managed to lift the Dragan Mance Cup," explained Kljajević.
Five games in the group and then four in the knockout phase, and the teams played in a system with six field players and a goalkeeper.
"I am especially proud of the 2:0 victory over Maribor, which directly decided whether we would advance from the group. In the knockout phase, apart from the final, the semi-final and the 2:1 victory over Rapid Bucharest were particularly difficult. This trophy means a lot to us, it is the crowning glory of the season, and yet we start working at the beginning of August," concluded Kljajević.
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