Growing with Every Match

Four of our teams from the Youth Academy system are competing at national level this season. In line with the Club’s long-term strategy for developing young players, their progress is continuously monitored across all aspects of the game, with the ultimate goal of developing quality players ready to step into NK Osijek’s senior setup and systematically preparing them for everything that awaits them in professional football.

In the opening round of the HNL for U15s, the White and Blues defeated Cibalia 8-1 at Opus Arena. Eugen Jarić and Tomislav Lazić scored two goals each, while Leon Tot, Matija Arlović, Ezra Žigić and Roko Masnić also found the net. Osijek fielded: Mokrović (62’ Lauc), Arlović (54’ Kocijan), Major, Međugorac, Jurčević, Vukić (62’ Momčilović), Đaković (62’ Žigić), Tot (62’ Perić), Vladika, Basov (54’ Lazić) and Jarić (62’ Masnić).

Our U17s travelled to Pula to face Istra 1961 and recorded a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Josip Cipar in the 19th minute and Krešimir Crnković in stoppage time. It was a Matchday 3 fixture, with Osijek fielding: Tolić, Rošta, I. Ježić, Cipar, Lipovac, Stojanović (57’ Maltar), Krasnić (57’ Sansao), Kolar (88’ Crnković), Š.P. Jaman (73’ Ljubanović), Purgar and Odobašić. Osijek currently sit top of the table in this age category as the only team with a perfect nine points.

The U17 II team is part of the Croatian Football Federation’s pilot project and competes in the National League for players born in 2011. Our players opened the competition with a 5-3 home victory over Cibalia. Rafael Peršić scored a hat-trick, while David Uhlik added two goals. The team consisted of: Čekeliš, Majić (63’ Tadić), Kovačević, Dančević, Bračun, Moržan, Bubalo (63’ Mrkonjić), Peršić, Tomić (89’ Družijanić-Vidačić), Uhlik and Šarčević (83’ Šimić).

The U19s were also in action away in Pula, where they suffered an 8-0 defeat to Istra 1961. The team went into the match significantly weakened. Players who have already been included in the first-team squad – Kolarik, Posavec, Kalem, J. Ježić, Barić, Ljatifi – are currently unavailable to the U19s, while several other regular players were also absent in Pula. The integration of young players into the senior squad is an important part of the development pathway the Club is striving to establish, while matches like these provide valuable experience for the players given an opportunity and represent an important step in their continued football development. The U19s fielded: Adžić, Perković (46’ Tomašević), Sabo, Janjić (51’ Šarić), Vinogradac, Čočaj (63’ Košir), Marković, Vuković, Gagulić, Tadić and Turić.