June 4, 2021
These diaries last reviewed the 2020/21 season in Montenegro after round 9 in October, having previously discussed the Montenegro First League history, structure and background towards the end of the 2019/20 season. Links to these articles are attached. The regular season commenced on August 14th, and ended on May 25, 2021.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2020/10/montenegro-first-league-round-9-round-up.html
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2020/06/montenegro-first-league-round-up-round.html
The main talking point after round 9 was the sensational walk-off by FK Zeta after being reduced to 7 men at Buducnost following 4 red cards being shown, plus another to a non-playing substitute. Losing 0-1 at the time with just over 10 minutes to play, the match was awarded as a 3-0 victory to Buducnost, and Zeta were docked 2 points for their actions. The penalty was subsequently reduced to one point on appeal, which was just as well for Zeta as without that they would have left them in a relegation play-off position at the end of the season.
Champions FK Buducnost had started the season surprisingly poorly by their standards, having been well beaten at Decic and Podgorica in their first two away matches, but after being awarded the victory over Zeta they were joint top of the table, with a delayed fixture still to be played. After the calamitous 0-4 defeat at Podgorica, they went on a run of 15 wins out of 16 up to the winter break, with only Decic avoiding defeat, with a 2-2 draw in the capital, coming back from 0-2 at half-time.
When the season resumed in February, Buducnost played another 7 matches with a defeat, until with the title in their grasp they surprisingly lost 0-1 at home in the rematch with Zeta. However, the title was secured in the following game, and with 7 games to spare, with a 2-0 home win over Decic. With their title retained, their 5th overall, Buducnost’s form perhaps unsurprisingly dipped, with two more home defeats plus a first leg away Cup Semi-Final defeat at Zeta. However, two more red cards for Zeta in the home second leg ensured a comfortable passage to the final, where Decic were overcome 3-1, for Buducnost to secure the league and cup double.
Veteran forward Drasko Bozovic was the second highest scorer in the league for the second season running, finishing with 15 goals for the season. Midfielder Igor Ivanovic contributed 9 goals and continued to be a member of the national squad. Keeper Milos Dragojevic, defender Marko Vucic and midfielder Milos Raickovic were also in Montenegro’s most recent squad. Apart from the reserve goalkeeper, who never featured during the season, all of Buducnost’s squad were Montenegrin.
FK Podgorica were the unexpected early season league leaders, and after round 9 had lost only one match. Forward Saleta Kordic scored 8 times in the first 9 matches, but a two month absence after the winter break restricted him to just 10 goals for the season, with none after Christmas. Podgorica’s form dipped alarmingly from the end of October, with just two wins out of 11 before the winter break.
Influential Japanese midfielder Kohei Kato was signed from Iskra during the winter break, and 6 wins out of the last 10 matches were enough to secure fourth place and qualification for the Europa Conference League. Midfielder Marko Vukcevic started in Montenegro’s most recent fixture, against Bosnia, and now has 5 caps for his country. 35 year old Japanese midfielder Alihiro Sentoku also contributed 5 goals.
Newly promoted FK Decic Tuzi were another early season surprise package, remaining unbeaten after the first nine matches of the season to lie in third place. An opening day 2-0 victory over Buducnost had sent a strong message over their potential.
Round 10 saw a tenacious fight back from 0-2 to draw 2-2 at Buducnost to preserve their unbeaten record, and they remained unbeaten until their 16th game, when then fell to a disappointing 0-3 home defeat to FK Podgorica, and the last game before the winter break was a comprehensive 0-4 home loss to Buducnost. Their form post-Christmas was patchy, but despite 6 more defeats, it was good enough to secure third place and a first ever qualification for Europa. Midfielder Kristijan Vulic scored 11 goals and won his first cap against Gibraltar in March. Ilar Camaj also contributed 10 goals from midfield.
2019/20 runners-up FK Sutjeska started the season poorly, and after 15 matches stood in a mediocre mid-table position with a 5-5-5 record, but a run of just one defeat in 13 matches helped to propel them up the table, and although they suffered three defeats in their last 8 matches, they managed to take second place, three points ahead of Decic, but a distant 28 points behind the champions.
31 year old striker Bozo Markovic finished as the league’s leading goalscorer with 16 goals, after being joint second highest scorer in the league in 2019/20. Midfielder Marko Cetkovic was the leading scorer in 2019/20 but couldn’t replicate that form, and managed only 3 goals this time around. However, 21 year old midfielder Milutin Osmajic found the net 13 times, and was called up to make his debut for the national team.
OFK Petrovac were bottom after Round 9, and looked favourites for the one automatic relegation place for most of the season, but a run of 13 points from 15 from early April put them 6 points clear of 10th place with three matches to play. Defeats to Jezero and Zeta meant they went into their final game knowing that a defeat at Decic and a win for OFK Titograd at Sutjeska would result in automatic relegation. As it happened, Basic’s 50th minute equaliser was another to secure a relegation play-off despite Titograd’s surprise victory at Sutjeska.
OFK Titograd, winners of the Montenegrin First League in 2015/16, only secured survival for the 2020/21 season with a penalty shoot-out victory in the 2019/20 relegation play-off tie against Bokalj, and for much of the season it looked like they would have to face another play-off to survive. However, Petrovac’s late season revival condemned them to the automatic relegation place despite wins over high flying Decic and Sutjeska in their last two matches. A previous run of 13 games without a win ultimately provided to be decisive.
FK Iskra Danilovgrad were unlikely candidates for a relegation play-off place, having finished fourth and qualified for the Europa League in 2019/20. Indeed after 21 matches they sat in 4th place but a run of no wins and 9 draws in 12 games put them into the relegation zone, and 5 points from their last three matches was not enough to secure automatic safety. Needing to win their last match of the season at Jezero, a 0-0 draw was not sufficient as FK Rudar’s 1-0 home win was enough to see them leap-frog Iskra to safety. Iskra had lost only 2 home matches all season, but 17 draws in total, and only 9 wins was enough to send Iskra to the lottery of the play-offs.
FK Rudar Pljevlja had looked to be safely in mid-table for most of the season, but a run of two points in 7 matches, and scoring only twice in the process, left them needing to win their last match, at home to Podgorica to move out of the relegation play-off places, above either Jezero or Iskra who were due to play each other. After a number of glorious misses, Ghanaian Zakaria Sukara’s 62th minute header proved decisive. 18 year old forward Vuk Strikovic was their top scorer with 12 goals whilst midfielder Milos Zecevic scored 5 times and was called up to the national squad, but is yet to make his debut. Between them they ensured that the loss of last season’s top scorer Velizar Janketic was not too sorely missed.
Newly promoted FK Jezero had proven to be difficult to score against all season, conceding just 34 goals in their 36 matches. They only scored 28 times themselves though, and were looking over their shoulder towards the bottom places for most of the season. A defeat at home to Iskra on the last day would have seen them slip into the bottom three. However, a 0-0 draw was sufficient to not only avoid the play-offs but to take 5th place in the table as 5th to 8th were separated by only one point.
After qualifying for Europa in the previous season, FK Zeta Golubovci had a disappointing campaign, finishing in 6th place, one point clear of the relegation play-offs. Zeta are probably most noted for having two Africans in their squad, sith Cameroonian Alphonse Seppo and Ghanaian Alex Yemoah regularly featuring in their line-ups.
FK Mornar, based in the coastal town of Bar, were comfortable winners of the Montenegrin Second Division by 8 points, and return to the top division after being relegated in 2018/19. The two sides entering the promotion play-offs are also from the coastal region.
Runners-Up FK Arsenal are located in the popular tourist destination of Tivat, which has the busiest airport in the country. Despite the name, the side normally play in blue and white.
Third-placed FK Igalo finished 10 points adrift of Arsenal and play in the small town of the same name, which is close to the border with Croatia and on the main road to Dubrovnik.
Unlike in some countries, the sides from the higher division play at home in the first leg of the Montenegrin promotion/relegation play-offs, and after a season of matches behind closed doors, a limited number of spectators were allowed to attend.
June 1, 2021 – Promotion/Relegation Play-offs - Ist Legs
FK Petrovac 2-1 FK Arsenal
FK Iskra 2-1 FK Igalo
In front of a crowd of 320, Petrovac needed an 88th minute winner from Medigovic to win 2-1 against Arsenal and take a slender advantage to Tivat. Medigovic scored both of Petrovac’s goals, with Manojilovic scoring from the penalty spot for Arsenal.
Iskra also held a 2-1 lead after their home leg against Igalo, but Lee gave Igalo hope by pulling a goal back in the 93rd minute. Milic and Racic had established a good position for Iskra with goals in the first 13 minutes of the second half, but Korean Joon Soo Lee’s late strike would have left most of the 200 crowd anxious for the return leg.
June 6, 2021 – Promotion/Relegation Play-offs – Second Legs
FK Arsenal 2-1 OFK Petrovac ( agg : 3-3, Petrovac won penalty shoot-out 6-5 )
FK Igalo 0-1 FK Iskra ( agg 1:3 )
Roared on by a passionate home, crowd, with the tiny stand along the far side of the pitch occupied by fans regularly letting off flares, and the stand behind one goal to the corner packed with supporters quick to get on their feet and gesticulate at the visitors and/or the officials, Arsenal were soon on level terms overall when the appropriately named Julian Montenegro, albeit an Argentinian, showed deft skill to control a chip over the defence with his right foot and then volley left footed home from around 8 yards.
Arsenal took a grip on the tie with a penalty in the 58th minute after a counter attack was ended by a sliding foul just inside the area. Manojlovic sent the Petrovac keeper the wrong way from the spot.
Petrovac were just over 10 minutes away from relegation when Basac ran behind the Arsenal defence to reach a left footed cross. His header from just outside the 6 yard area wasn’t the strongest, but the Arsenal keeper was unable to prevent it from crossing the line.
With the tie level 3-3 on aggregate at full-time, the sides moved straight to a penalty shoot-out. Petrovac took an early advantage after Arsenal missed their second penalty, and with a penalty to secure their survival, Mikjelj sent his spot-kick over the bar. The next 4 penalties were all sucessful, and needing to score to keep the contest alive, Arsenal’s Hadzibegovic’s kick hit the under side of the bar and rebounded out to safety. For the second season running, Petrovac secured their place in the First League after a play-off penalty shoot-out.
In the other tie, a first half penalty put Iskra in command, and they ensured their survival 3-1 on aggregate.
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