No let-up in Domžale efforts

With the Slovenian season resuming on 1 March, champions NK Domžale are keeping busy despite a healthy lead in the 1. Liga.

Work ethic
An unusually mild winter has allowed Slaviša Stojanović's team to stay at home for their mid-term break, with the coach insisting there is work to be done on the training ground. Eight points clear of NK Gorica in the table, they are avoiding complacency. "We have to work hard if we want to stay top," said Stojanović. "There is no time for talk, just work."

'We wish him luck'
Domžale may need to make adjustments too, following the departure of Zlatan Ljubijankič – who scored seven goals in the autumn campaign – for Belgium's KAA Gent. "We wish him luck, but life goes on without him," added Stojanović. "We still have good players." Andraž Kirm and Janez Aljančič remain on side, despite good offers from other clubs.

Indoor tournament
Along with the nine other Slovenian top-flight teams, plus NK Mura and NK Olimpija Ljubljana, Domžale competed in a recent two-day indoor tournament in Maribor, which FC Koper won. Third in the championship, Koper are yet to make any transfer moves this winter, nor indeed have second-placed Gorica, whom they trail by a point.

Nafta change
Fourth-placed NK Nafta Lendava have at least made a coaching change, with Nebojša Vučićević being ousted after failing to gain a proper coaching licence. Nenad Gračan is likely to replace him to become their third coach of the season. The coaching merry-go-round has not stopped with eight ins and outs this term.

Maribor sales
In sixth position, NK Maribor have been unable to mount the challenge they had hoped for, but have made a healthy profit by selling F.Y.R. Macedonia striker Dragan Cadikovski to FK Partizan and Bulgarian forward Dimitar Makriev to Israel's FC Ashdod. Those sales have funded the acquisitions of former Slovenia star Zoran Pavlovič, Koper talent Dalibor Volaš and Portuguese midfielder Nilton Rogério.

Bunderla persuaded
Maribor sporting director Zlatko Zahovič has also persuaded league top scorer, 20-year-old David Bunderla, to sign for them, though he may stay at NK Primorje for the remainder of the campaign. Elsewhere, rock-bottom NK Livar Ivančna Gorica have lost eight players and have everything to do if they are to bridge a nine-point gap between them and ninth-placed NK Drava.