Podbrezová: African Player’s Success Story | Slovan Football

BRATISLAVA. They have a functioning model – development Player Plan.

“For the period I have sold here, we sold twenty players, which is an excellent business card of our work,” said Štefan Markulík, coach of the football club from Podbrezová a year ago.

Nowadays, there are almost thirty players. The last one is Alasana Yirajang, a twenty -year -old Gambian striker who subscribed to Slavs.

In Podbrezova believes not the last

Both clubs praised the way of negotiations.

“We have found a common language with Podbrezová, thanking her for correct approach to the negotiations, which we greatly appreciate,” admitted the head of Slovana Ivan Kmotrík Jr..

“I am glad that the internal market between Podbrezová and Slavs has opened up,” says Štefan Markulík, iron coach, for Sportnet.

“It is certainly an interesting transfer. I believe it will not be the last case, and that we will see more such transfers. It is important that the best league players go to the best clubs,” thinks the coach.

Yirajang is an offensive universal, similar to Idjssi Metsok. He can play on the tip, but also on the left region. Last season he scored nine times in the Niké League. He passed the next four goals.

In Slovan he would be one of the best dribrons

He came to Slovakia in January 2024 from the highest Gambian competition. It was one of the best shooters.

“It was for him for the first time he left his continent. He came to another climate. He needed time to get used to,” describes his arrival to Podbrez’s coach Markulík.

Yirajang excelled in his previous year with his dribbler skills. On average on the duel he had 1.4 successful dribling, most in the team.

By comparison, in Slovan, he would be third in this statistic to Rahim Ibrahim and Tigran Barseghjan.

Cannot hang his head, the coach refers to

“From the beginning, he has shown excellent technical quality and talent for space. He has movement conditions. He just needed to intensify, acquire tactical things to play in Europe,” Markulík added.

“After eight months he has worked his way up to the basic line -up. He was one of our drivers. He has space in his potential,” said the coach.

He is heading for a team where he will not be a member of the basic line -up since the first match. It has great potential, he is a player to the next. However, he has to win his place.

“It must be prepared that it will not be easy. The competition in Slovan is huge. It is important that the first failure does not hang his head and work to be a benefit for the club,” says Markulík.

Lives of players change for the better

Over the past decade, it has been dominated by the sale of players in Slovakia Žilina. She earned tens of millions. However, it has great competition in recent years.

Podbrezová sold players for three to four million euros for the past two seasons.

For last year’s calendar year, the club from Horehronia reported a profit of 97,000 euros. This is the first year in the green numbers since coming to the Niké League in the summer of 2022.

“We have also helped thanks to sales, but we also change the lives of those boys for the better,” says Podbrezová’s general manager Miroslav Poliaček.

However, working with players from the African continent is specific. An example of this was the behavior of the Žilina players during last year.

Yirajang cannot be satisfied with the Slavs

“In the four years I have been in Podbrezová, communicating with players from the African continent, whether it was Moses Cobnan, Ridwan Sanusi, Mahmudu Bajo or Alasana Yirajang, more or less without problems,” admitted coach Markulík.

In his words, it is necessary to be fair to the players. To confirm what they promised them, that is, a shift to a better competition or club and subsequent financial security of their family and friends.

“They themselves confirmed that things were working and the club could help them. He started their careers in a reasonable way,” says coach Podbrezová.

He sees even greater potential in Yirajang. Slovan does not have to be a top stop in his career.

“In the club we have always led them to the fact that even if the transfer would come to not satisfy that they have passed and now it will go alone. We want them to keep hungry,” Markulik concluded.