Club legend Robert Špehar analyzed Osijek's convincing start to the new HNL season for Index. He particularly praised the new coach, Armando Leon, and Nail Omerović, and expressed hope for European qualification.
Osijek's footballers opened the new SuperSport HNL season in impressive fashion. After a 2:0 victory in the first round, they dismantled hosts Rudeš 6:1 on Friday. The question of the winner was settled by halftime, with the score at 4:0, with Armando Leon scoring twice and Nail Omerović netting a hat-trick.
After two seasons that fell short of expectations, this start has sparked optimism among fans. Club legend and head coach of the women's team ŽNK Osijek, Robert Špehar, commented on the first two matches for Index. He doesn't hide his delight at what he's seen.
"After a long time, the play resembles something, it looks like something. The play is fluid, aggressive, with high pressing. We're seeing beautiful moves and beautiful goals. It's nice to be able to genuinely congratulate both the new coach and the players after such a long time," Špehar told Index.
According to him, the biggest change is visible in the players' attitude on the pitch. The impression is that they are no longer burdened by the negative legacy of previous seasons. "They look as if some shackles have been removed after everything that happened in past seasons," Špehar added.
He is aware of potential skeptical tones that may arise due to the quality of the opponents at the start of the championship, but believes the victories should not be doubted. "Skeptics will, of course, say: 'But what will happen when stronger opponents like Dinamo come?' But we'll deal with that later. What we're seeing now is good, and we should accept it and congratulate them. We should give them support to continue like this," he said.
He also reminded that Osijek has had major problems against even such opponents in the past. "We know that in previous seasons, Osijek struggled even against such opponents. This now looks good, it has a head and a tail, and that's commendable."
Špehar considers the arrival of the new coach, who has brought a clear and attractive vision of the game, as the key factor in the turnaround. "This new coach clearly has his own vision. He wants attacking football, which is what the fans want, all of us here in Osijek. It was hard to watch that defensive play in recent seasons," he emphasized.
Although the club operates with a budget of nine million euros, Špehar agrees with president Alexandra Vegh that this doesn't have to be an obstacle to success. "The new president is right there. Rijeka doesn't have a much bigger budget either. You just need to hit it off with the coach, the sporting director, and the players. This start shows that it could be good," he said.
He also commented on the individuals who stood out in the match. New striker Armando Leon particularly impressed him, drawing comparisons to a former fan favorite. "The young Leon, who has arrived, really resembles Mierez a lot. He works hard, has pace, but unlike Mierez, whose forte was heading, he is stronger with the ball at his feet. He's a truly pleasant discovery."
Regarding hat-trick hero Nail Omerović, he says he is a proven player who just needed his confidence restored. He also praised Arnel Jakupović, who scored after coming off the bench, and Luka Vrbančić, whom he claims is an extremely important player in midfield.
The good start to the season is an opportunity to build momentum. Špehar believes that a win in the next round against Lokomotiva could spark euphoria and bring the crowd back to Opus Arena. "I believe there will be many more spectators against Lokomotiva. Then the coach's role is most important, to keep the boys grounded. Let them take it game by game and play brave, beautiful football. Then no one will hold it against them even if they lose occasionally."
He optimistically concluded that the team has the quality to compete for the top. "I think with this team, based on what we've seen in the first two rounds, we can hope for European qualification this season."
Finally, as the coach of ŽNK Osijek, he commented on president Vegh's initiative to merge the men's and women's clubs. "Everyone at the women's club hopes that the initiative of our men's club president, Alexandra Vegh, to merge the men's and women's clubs will be successful. That would be a great thing for everyone at the club."
