(April 5,
2014 – Podgorica)
FK Mladost
is not a team from Bosnia, but from Montenegro. However, I believe that those
who are interested in Bosnian football culture would also enjoy reading
something about football in Montenegro. Apparently, both countries have common
political, historical and cultural traits, and having a common Yugoslav past is
one of the important junctions where both countries share similar patterns in
football culture.
…
 |
| Çemovsko Polje and the surrounding Dinaric Alps. |
When
compared with the scale of the country, Montenegro has a relatively successful
national football team. They ranked at 3rd place behind England and Ukraine in
FIFA 2014 qualifying group chalking up a total 15 points. The other teams in
the group were Poland, Moldova and San Marino. On the other side Montenegrin
football league is considered as one of the low quality one according to UEFA ranking
where they stand at 42nd place above Liechtenstein and below Iceland. But they
are a bit better this season, since they were at 43rd place last year.
…
Years ago,
Botaşspor from Adana (Southern Turkey) the sports club of the Iraq-Turkey crude
petrol pipeline company, which was quite famous with Women Basketball Team,
where I also was a licensed swimmer for a while, decided to establish a
football club. As was the case for the female basketball team, the first
players of the football team were the children of the employees of the company.
Although we moved from Adana to Ankara in 1987, I used to keep on spending overall
one month of a year as part of my winter and summer holidays in Adana, in Botaş.
Like any other teenager, I was playing football with my friends just before the
sunset, when the Mediterranean sun was just to lose its sharpness. From time to
time, we used to watch the training matches of Botaşspor.
There was a
player in the team. Let’s keep his name anonymous and use a nick name: Orhan.
Orhan was a good player; he was playing with his heart. But his passion was
causing him to leave his territory from time to time which was making the
trainer a bit mad about it. Trainer calls him: “Orhan!” Orhan does not hear.
Trainer increases his voice: “Orhaaan!” No reply from Orhan. Trainer calls him
with his voice at optimum level: “ORHAAAAAN, to whom I am calling hah?!” Finally,
Orhan turns his face to trainer: “What the f.ck!” Surely, an unexpected reply
from the player which makes the spectators to laugh a lot, and trainer is
unsurprisingly calm: “You will see the f.ck”.
After many years, a similar scene in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro takes me to the memories…
After many years, a similar scene in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro takes me to the memories…
FK Mogren
Budva is playing against the team of the capital city; FK Mladost Podgorica.
The defender right wing player of Mogren is a handsome young man. He does not
play bad. His timing in interference, his sense of keeping ground is quite well
but he just looks a little bit unserious. His hand is always on his shorts,
pulling it down in search for following low-hip fashion trend. His levity makes
the trainer mad. Trainer calls him: “Jovane”. Jovan does not hear. Trainer
increases his voice: “Jovaneeee!” No reply from Jovan. Trainer calls him with
his voice at optimum level: “JOVANEEEEEEE?!” Finally, Jovan turns his face to
trainer: “Jebote Jovane.” (F.ck your Jovan) We laugh in the rows and the
trainer silently goes back to benches.
Mogren was
leading the match 1-0 away when this anecdote appeared, which took me to
memories. However, at the end Mogren lost 3-2 and I do not have an idea what
kind of communication occurred between Jovan and trainer in the dressing room.
…
 |
| Geographical location of Montenegro and the mountains topography of the country. (Spurce: freeworldmaps.net) |
Montenegro
is a small country. Just about 13 thousand square kilometers. But distances are
far. Deserving the name, Montenegro is surrounded by high and sharp rocky
mountains.
When I left
Sarajevo ahead to Podgorica, to attend the conference organized by Montenegrin
Academy of Sports, (http://www.sportmont.ucg.ac.me/conference2014/)
I already had a pre-vision that it would be a journey that would stem some
nostalgic memories. One night before, when I checked the web site of the bus
company I was quite surprised that O303 Mercedes buses, which were produced in
early 1990’s in Turkey were still in charge in intercity roads, even in
inter-national routes.
When I was
in the bus station in the morning, another surprise was waiting for me. I would
not be travelling to Podgorica from Sarajevo by a bus, but by a midibus for
seven hours! The midibus was one of the first exemplars of Iveco which were
produced by Otoyol in Turkey in 1990’s.
Since for a
long time I do not calculate the distances in Balkans in terms of kilometers.
If so, then it is very likely that you may face some small surprises. You have
to take notice on duration of the travel rather than the distance. Then, for
example, the 250 kilometers of travel which will take seven hours will not make
you to be psychologically tired of travelling. It is not only the vehicle which
makes the duration longer, but also the topography. Montenegro really deserves
her name and curvy road through the sharp mountains is not an exception. But
what a panoramic view!
On the
contrary to general topography of Montenegro, Podgorica was established on a
plain. The name Podgorica means “Down the Mount Gorica”. Podgorica is located a
flat plain, but surrounded by mountains.
 |
| Road to Podgorica from Sarajevo by the bench of River Piva. |
 |
| One of the numerous tunnels on the road. |
The
population of Podgorica is almost 170 thousands. But it is a capital city! According
to tourist guides, it is a waste of time to visit Podgorica. Indeed, the city
was not of importance before Tito Era, with a population of 10-15 thousands.
The city’s population had dramatically increased in Tito era, while the city’s
name was replaced to Titograd; City of Tito.
Podgorica stays
under the shadow of Montenegro’s tourist attracted historical cities on the
coast like Budva, Kotor, and Herceg Novi. Podgorica does not have a coast, the
night life is stagnant and the life is without any spirit after 23:00 and for
sure, only one from Ankara, which shares the same attributions, may enjoy
Podgorica.
Podgorica
should be loved. If one wants to claim that he/she has been in Montenegro, he/she
has to visit Podgorica. Moreover, he/she should make a journey through those
mountains to Serbia or to Bosnia, preferably with those outdated buses. Only
than he/she can claim that he/she has been in Podgorica.
…
The University
of Montenegro arranged a tour in the last day of the symposium to a historical
monastery about 15 kilometers to the city center. Some colleagues did not want
to miss the opportunity to visit the historical temple. What a coincidence
that, at that time there was a football match in Podgorica as well. Certainly,
the temple of a football fan is not a monastery! To be honest, I have to confess
that I had a dilemma between going to the football match, and going to that
historical monastery. The other day, I have realized that experiencing a city
in my case began to be limited only to experience the gastronomic and footballist
affluences. I am slightly considering making a change. Probably it would be
easier for me to retreat from different tastes but footbalism is a difficult to
be treated sickness. That, frankly speaking, even before leaving from Sarajevo
I took the notes about matches to be played in Montenegro, and I have to
confess that it was not coincidence.
While my colleagues
were on the way to the historical monastery, I was already in Çemovsko Polje
(Çemovsko plain), which also known as the Stari Aerodrom (old airport).
Montenegrin First League involves 12 teams. FK Mladost Podgorica is the 10th on
the table with 23 points, and will play against FK Mogren Budva 11th on the
table with 22 points. The other team of the capital city; FK Buduçnost will
have an away match against Rudar Pljevlija, a team from Sandjak region on the
North of Montenegro. Rudar means “miner” which already evokes sympathy.
Pljevlija is also like the homeland of my wife’s father’s side.
Buduçnost is
the leading team of Podgorica. They do not play their matches in plain or on
meadow, but in the biggest stadium of the city; “Podgorica Stadium”. In fact,
Buduçnost have always been supported by the city elites. I do not know if they
have got a story of being promoted to a higher league by military regime but
they always had more fans than Mladost. (1) The colors of the team are navy blue
and white. If it would be yellow instead of white, it would be more ironical. The
“other” team has the red color. (2) The more striking fact is the name of the
team with the red color: Mladost Podgorica means Youth of Podgorica, also
resembles that of Gençlerbirliği, which literally means Union of Juvenile or
Union of Youth. Is it possible that a man from Ankara, a fan of Gençlerbirliği
will not have some passion towards that team?
Next to the
1500 capacity stadium of Mladost in Çemovsko Polje, there is the management
building and training field of Buduçnost.
The rows
are not full just before the match. There are around 150 fans that came to
watch the match in a rainy day.
 |
| Mladost playing against Mogren. Behin the pitch the administrative building of Buducnost on the left, and their training fild behind, and Mladost's administrative building on the right. |
FK Mladost
was established in 1950 with the name FK Mladost Titograd. The name was changed
into OFK Titograd (Olympic Football Club) in 1960. In 1990, the name was turned
into Mladost again. But this time the name Titograd was replaced with Podgorica
due to change in city’s name. The biggest success of Mladost in Yugoslav
Football League was a fourth rank in the second division in 1956-57. Mladost’s
history is the story of relegations to third division, and promotion to second
division. During Miloşeviç’s Yugoslavia, when only the teams from Serbia and
Montenegro participated in the Yugoslav league, they succeeded to be fourth in
the second division twice during the last two seasons.
Since
Montenegro became independent in 2006, their biggest success was to be the
fifth rank in 2010-11, but it has to be noticed that in even the miniature
Montenegrin football league, they have played in second division for two years.
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This season
have historical contributions to the club’s history: For the first time in
history, Mladost participated in European cups. They have passed Hungarian
Videoton after the first qualification matches, and Slovakian FK Senica after
the second qualification matches of the UEFA Europa League. But in the third
qualification, they have crashed into Spain’s famous Sevilla after 6-1 home and
3-0 away defeats. This season, FK Mladost Podgorica struggles not to be relegated
to the second division of Montenegro.
In this
context, the match Mogren and Mladost is a match for “6 points”. If they will lose,
Mogren will be two points above Mladost. If not, than the difference between
two teams will increase to five points which will be a great advantage for
Mladost.
Wandering
around the club’s building, I meet with a veteran player of Mladost. I had a
short football chat with him. I asked him about the hero of my teenager years;
Dejan Saviçeviç. The legendary player of legendary Red Star who won the UEFA
Cup in 1991, who has been the chairman of the Montenegrin Football Association
since the independency of Montenegro. I was trembled when I heard that Dejan
Saviçeviç would come to watch the match the match since his son is playing for
Mladost. How is it possible not to tremble! Is it possible to forget a
legendary player who was first playing in Red Star and then in Milan, and the
reason behind my choice to be manager of Milan in the earliest versions of the “Championship
Manager”? How delightful would it be to meet with him after years!
The famous driblings of the legendary Savicevic:
The unforgettable part of the interview with Savicevic in Zagreb:
As soon as
I had the information, I went to VIP section. I will do my best to meet with
Savicevic. It was not that much difficult to enter in the VIP section. A club
officer on duty asked me:”Where are you going?” Relying on the sympathy of
speaking his language as a foreigner, I asked him if I could watch the match in
VIP since it is raining and it is the only covered part of the stadium. He asks
where I was from, and I replied: “I am Turkish but I live in Sarajevo”.
Probably it is not very common to see some Turks coming to visit to watch a
match of Mladost. He turns to VIP tribune and asks the oldies in the tribune if
there is a place for a Turk. The VIP tribune, almost full of elder fans is a
bit surprised but yet hospitable. They even gave me a piece of newspaper to put
over the seat. What a VIP tribune! I feel almost like among the “ihtiyarlar”
(oldies) in Gençlerbirliği tribunes. I seat in between footballcholic oldies
which are like our Hamdi Reis, Necdet Abi and Ozan Abi.
 |
| The "oldies" in Mladost tribune. |
 |
| ...and our oldies. |
Before coming to the match I have had a basic research about Mladost in web and learned that the fans of Mladost call themselves “Romanticari” (Romantics). I asked to one of the oldies if he is “romantic”. The reply is simple and clear: “I do not know, ask it to my wife”.
Oldies are
a bit curious about me. It can be considered as a normal act to visit Podgorica
for a symposium, but it was quite difficult for me to convince them that the
one and only aim of mine to come to Çemovsko Polje in a rainy day is to watch a
match. They are quite stubborn to assume that I am a scout. I somehow managed
to tell the truth in difficulty. In the meantime, rain quites down and the rows
on the left and right side of the VIP section begin to welcome fans. It seems
the 150-200 fans overall do not enjoy disturbing the football players. They are
so calm during the match.
Maybe they do not like to cheer for the team, but they
watched the game with an optimum attention during the whole match. Different
than what I usually do, instead of watching the fans, I decide to watch the
game on the pitch.
During the
first quarter of the match, Mogren seemed to be more effective. The Yugoslav school
of football could heavily be felt. Both of the teams prefer to make short
passes in their own side of the pitch and try to aim goal with long, side balls
and whenever they lose the ball in those attacks, they do not hesitate to make
Yugoslav fault. Despite the position in the European ranking, both teams
perform a very tough game, but still in a virtuous style. The young players
from both of the teams play not only with their muscles, but also with their
brains and with their hearts. However, Mogren players seem to be a bit more
willing. I get the information that Mogren club could not pay the salaries of
football players for a long time, since the club passes through serious financial
problems
Mogren
players were able to use the ball with vertical and cross passes in their own
half of the pitch. Since they realized that Mladost players were not as willing
as they are, they began to organize the game closer to the midfield, going
forward as a block. The left wing defender Luka Pejovic, with the dress number
16 was a key player for the fast attacks. In fact he is one of the most
experienced players in the team: 29 years old and has a national squad experience
in his career.
Although
Mogren was more effective in the first half of the game, the player of Mladost
with the dress number 9 began to take my attention as well. During rare attacks
of Mladost, this young man creates serious problems alone for Mogren defense. I
got some information from the fans about him that his name is Stefan Mugoşa and
he is recognized as the best player in the squad. The 22 years old Mugoşa have
5 appearances in U-21 squad of the Montenegrin national football team, scoring
3 goals. (3) He took part in the squad of Montenegrin national football team as
a substitute when Montenegro lost 2-5 against Moldova at home on October 15,
2013. Mugoşa plays as an attacking midfielder and takes attention with his self-confident,
modest posture. I have learned that Red Star is keeping an eye on him, but it
is also know that the Belgrade team also has serious financial problems.
Stefan Mugosa:
Another
player who takes my attention in Mladost is Radule Zivkovic whose dress number
is 2 and reminds me legendary right wing defender of Beşiktaş; Recep Çetin aka
Takoz (chock) Recep who was the best right wing defender in his time and he was
recognized by his tough tackles which would not allow left wing attackers to
pass him. Like Takoz Recep, Zivkovic does not hesitate to send the ball as far
as possible by kicking the bottom part of the ball and his strong posture with relatively
short height and wide chest with a similar appearance to those Irish boxers reminds
him more like Takoz Recep.
Vladimir
Savicevic, the son of legendary player Dejan Savicevic, with dress number 10 is
at the focus of Mladost fans. I am curious if he is playing in the team because
he has talent, or is it thanks to his father. Fans claim that he is really
good, but I could not witness it during the match.
Mogren had
a rapid start in the second half of the game. By 56th minute they
were just to score the first goal of the match. Just two minutes after that
they found it by Milan Durisic. They even missed a very close goal. After the
goal, Mogren players show signs to be exhausted or not any more willing.
Until then,
the right wing defender of Mogren with dress number 15 was also taking
attention with his performance. He has a very good timing and he is very good
in sweeping the ball from his zone. His name is Jovan Baoşiç, whom I have
quoted above his reply to the trainer of the team. Although he was playing
well, minutes passing by, he loses his seriousness in the game. He is just 19
years old, at the beginning of his career, but since he loses his seriousness,
his performance in the game declines. And during the last half an hour of the
game, the left wing for Mladost attackers turns to be a free-to-pass corridor.
The trainer of the team asks him: “Jovane, hoçeş li kafu?” means “Jovan, do you
want a coffee?”
Sun shows its face in the second half and had a vitalizing effect on the players, but it seems that it has only affected Mladost players. Finally by the 72nd minute Mugoşa, the star of Mladost denests the ball among two Mogren defenders and scores with a nice short drop shot into the net. Just 6 minutes after that goal, he scores one more with a head kick to a cross coming from the right wing and shows that 189 centimeter tall Mugoşa is also not bad with high balls. It is now 2-1.
Sun shows its face in the second half and had a vitalizing effect on the players, but it seems that it has only affected Mladost players. Finally by the 72nd minute Mugoşa, the star of Mladost denests the ball among two Mogren defenders and scores with a nice short drop shot into the net. Just 6 minutes after that goal, he scores one more with a head kick to a cross coming from the right wing and shows that 189 centimeter tall Mugoşa is also not bad with high balls. It is now 2-1.
Mogren is
under shock, but it is not enough. Just one minute after this goal, Mugoşa
scores one more and reaches hat-trick within 7 minutes and carries his team to 3-1
from 0-1. The man of the game Mugoşa scored three goals, but it seems he does
not lose anything from his posture, goes on playing serious and keeps his
modesty. On the other side, it is visible that his stamina is not that good.
In 90+2, Durisic,
the scorer player of Mogren scores for his team but it is too much late to turn
the game, which results with a 3-2 victory for the home team Mladost.
My biggest
expectation from the match was not realized. Probably, because of the rainy
weather, Dejan Savicevic did not come to watch the game, but my heart begins to
beat for another team from Balkans. Moreover, in this small country, I had the
joy to watch the match with a handful of nice and kind people who are in love
with a modest team.
PS 1) This ironic paragraph refers to
rivalry between Gençlerbirliği and Ankaragücü in Turkey’s capital city.
Gençlerbirliği had always been a smaller club with less fan support and
Ankaragücü has always been more popular club of the city. Military regime’s efforts
to promote Ankaragücü to the top league in Turkey have also to be noticed to perceive
the irony behind those sentences.
PS 2) Refers to the colors of Ankaragücü which
are yellow and navy blue, and Gençlerbirliği has black-red.
PS 3) During the days when I was writing
this article, Tanıl Bora, a significant intellectual in Turkey, who writes
every Tuesday to Turkish daily newspaper Radikal about football, wrote an
article titled: “Establish a team, with less Scorpio, and more Cancer” about
the relationship between astrology and football. A quotation from the article:
“The squad of Gençlerbirliği is full of Pisces (Ahmet, Gosso, Nizamettin,
Petroviç, Yusuf Emre). Diagnosis for those Pisces who play in their position: A
type of a player who can do any job which is needed, can be a multidirectional
player, or can get lost if he will not able to find his position”
Maguşa’s birthdate is February 26, 1992. A Pisces. I do not believe in
astrology, but would be good for those who believe in astrology to know that.
PS 4) When I was writing this article,
Mladost and Mogren played again in Podgorica on April 9, 2014 for the first leg
of the semi-final of the Montenegrin Cup and Mladost was victorious again with 2-0.
One of the goals was from Mugoşa.