This name is causing a stir in the national football league: With the return of Kenan Smajlovic, SBC Traunstein has achieved a real transfer hammer during the winter break.
Traunstein – Sometimes a few emojis and a short sentence are enough to stir things up in the regional football scene. When on Sunday evening (January 11th) an Instagram post from… SB Chiemgau Traunstein When it went online, it was clear: This is more than a normal winter transfer. “New arrival,” it said – and the name underneath made many fans sit up and take notice. Kenan Smajlovic is back on the Traun.
The 25 year old offensive player moves from the Austrian regional league team FC Kufstein back to the club where he already left his mark between 2019 and 2023. 67 competitive games, 30 goals – numbers that no one in Traunstein has forgotten. Now Smajlovic returns with additional experience and takes over again Back number 33 and should help “to show a different face in the second half of the season“, as the club puts it. A sentence that reveals a lot about the current situation.
Traunstein: SBC ensures state league hammer with Smajlovic transfer
Because SB Chiemgau Traunstein is in the middle of a relegation battle in the Southeast Regional League. 14th place, 20 points after 21 games, the line is only very thin over the head. Athletic director Kilian Lehrberger brings it in the Monday edition (January 12th) of the “OVB Heimatzeitungen” soberly to the point: “Every game will be a final for us.” It is precisely in this phase that the return of a player who knows the club – and who knows what pressure means.
Smajlovic comes not as a talent, but as a personality. Most recently he was under contract with FC Kufstein in the Austrian regional league, where he gained match practice and experience in a physically intensive environment. Previously he had two years for the TSV 1860 Rosenheim played and scored in the Southeast Regional League 24 goals in 46 games. A record that made him known across the league. However, his time in Rosenheim ended ingloriously: After a deposited change request, the then captain became suspendedthen an injury slowed him down for months.
An exclusive interview with beinschuss.de from the summer showed that Smajlovic is still perceived as a leading player. At that time he spoke openly about the league, the clubs – and also about Traunstein. He praised the new player-coach Gentian Vokrri as a “great guy and incredible footballer” and was convinced that the SBC could play a good role. “I think Traunstein will also be at the top“, he said at the time. A sentence that seems almost strange today when looking at the table – but also shows the trust Smajlovic has in the club and its surroundings.
Kenan Smajlovic from Rosenheim via Kufstein to Traunstein
The reality is now different. Traunstein is fighting for survival in the state league. The first competitive match date of the new year is really tough: it’s waiting on February 21st Catch-up game against TSV Eintracht Karlsfeld – a direct competitor, just three points away. It’s a classic basement banger, a game that could set the tone for the entire spring. Smajlovic was brought in precisely for moments like this. The preparation is already underway. Five test matches are scheduled, almost all on the home artificial turf. Opponents from the district, district and Bavaria leagues are waiting, including the SV Erlbachwho recently lost his only national player, the TSV Siegsdorf, SV Saaldorf and SC Anger from the region.
Coach Vokrri and his team want stability, structure, resilience. And someone up front who can decide games. Smajlovic has exactly the profile: finishing strength, physicality, experience – and an emotional connection to the club. “Nice to have you back with us, Keno!” writes the SBC Instagram. It sounds warm, almost family-like. But behind the romance there is a clear expectation. The return is not a nostalgia project, but a sporting signal. It’s no secret that the attacker in Traunstein has to work immediately.
The departure of the goalkeeper Dean Sipura Another construction site has opened for TSV 1860 Rosenheim, the squad is narrow, the air is thin. This makes it all the more important to have a player who takes responsibility – on and off the pitch. Kenan Smajlovic knows both sides of amateur football: promotions and relegations, celebrations and suspensions, injuries and comebacks. Now he is returning to a place that is familiar to him – in a situation that leaves no room for start-up time. For Traunstein, this return is hope, risk and opportunity at the same time. Or to put it another way: An Instagram post that is more than a transfer. It’s a promise – and a possible turning point in the relegation battle. (mck)
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