Modriča's patience reaping rewards

FK Modriča's willingness to give their coaches time has paid dividends as the Bosnia-Herzegovnian title winners prepare to make their bow in UEFA Champions League qualifying.

Title triumph
While many of their domestic rivals in the Premijer Liga have sought a change for the better – last season only six of the 16 clubs kept their trainer from start to finish – Modriča have erred away from such decisions, changing coaches just three times in the last five campaigns. Last season, the club from the small northern town with a population of just 10,000, seemingly gained their reward when they confounded expectations to claim their maiden domestic title, topping the pile ahead of a host of bigger teams. "Even when the club lost a few matches, the management did not make dismissals – every coach has been given the chance to prove his methods over time," said Mitar Lukić, who recently replaced title-winning coach Slaviša Božičić, who left for Serbian outfit FK Bežanija.

Breeding ground
Modriča’s rise has been remarkable. Having reached the top flight in 2002/03, they won their first Bosnia-Herzegovnian Cup a year later by defeating FK Borac Banja Luka on penalties and made their debut in UEFA club competition the following season. The club has also nurtured some of Bosnia-Herzegovina's brightest young talent, bringing through their ranks internationals Dario Damjanović, Petar Jelić, Dario Purić, Nikola Vasiljević, Stevo Nikolić, and Bojan Tripić. "A lot of attention is paid to young players from the surrounding region as they are the future of the game," added Lukić.

Departures
However, Modriča will start their quest to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League against Albania's KS Dinamo Tirana on Tuesday minus a host of players who were part of the title-winning squad last season. Tripić, Nemanja Sjepanović, Slaviša Dugić, Željko Kljaljević and Marko Živković may have all left for pastures new, but Lukić remains defiant. "We will play against Dinamo with a significantly reduced squad," he said. "Our opponents have class but my players will give everything they can to reach the second qualification round and play against Danish side Aalborg BK."