Kekova Rijeka Sweeps Everything Before It
Slovenian expert secures four wins in first four matches, team no longer depends on Fruk, and reinforcements are key to continued success
Slovenian expert secures four wins in first four matches, team no longer depends on Fruk, and reinforcements are key to continued success
Matjaž Kek returned to the Rijeka bench and recorded four wins in his first four matches. The latest came on Wednesday evening at Rujevica against Finnish side Ilves in the Europa qualifiers. Although the performance wasn't dazzling, results are what count, and Kek's imprint on the team's play is increasingly evident.
What particularly stands out is that Rijeka no longer depends on Toni Fruk. The young midfielder, without injury and without minutes under his belt last weekend, was substituted at halftime in the match against Ilves. A telling message about the new hierarchy Kek is establishing.
A journalist from Jutarnji list writes that the Slovenian has returned to building, far from the championship-winning team he left behind. "Yes, some will say, but all this came against inferior opponents. That's true," the text states, but it also highlights how difficult it is to find a coach of any Croatian club who, in their first four matches on the bench, under the weight of European qualifiers, has recorded four wins.
Kek is currently operating with 13-14 players, which is his recognizable signature. Of the three winter signings made by former coach Sanchez, he has already written off two, while Barca has been moved from midfield to defense. At the same time, he has rehabilitated Niko Janković, whose European goal decided the match against the Finns.
His method of managing talent Samuel Vignato is also interesting. During one match, he spent almost the entire 90 minutes warming up but never got on the pitch. Against Ilves, he did play, and the lesson seems to have been learned.
Special attention has been drawn to 19-year-old Branko Pavić, brought in from Dinamo without a transfer fee, with 20 percent of a future transfer or the option to buy back within two years for 1.6 million euros. Along with several more experienced players like Ante Majstorović, Amer Gojak, and Tiago Dantas, he is expected to form the foundation of the new Rijeka.
With Fruk's departure looking increasingly certain, a squad still balancing between potential and ambition, a grueling schedule, and injuries, it's clear Kek needs help. That help must come from the sporting sector, but also from the management led by Damir Mišković.
"Kek didn't come to be a decoration-he came to be competitive," states the analysis in Jutarnji list. In Europe and in the SHNL. Time is the key currency, and Rijeka is currently buying it pragmatically, carving a path through a demanding schedule. Whether Mišković will secure the necessary reinforcements will be answered as the transfer window continues.
