Our next opponents: Champions still searching for consistency

Position

Slovenian champions NK Celje have had a mixed start to the current season. Last weekend, the Yellow and Blues lost 2-1 away to Bravo Ljubljana in the national Prva Liga Telemach – it was the second defeat in a row and the third in the past two weeks for manager Vitor Campelos’s side. And this despite the fact that the ‘Grofje’ (The Counts) – the club’s nickname dates back to the Counts of Cilli, one of the most prominent noble dynasties in the late medieval Slovenian region – were leading 1–0 in the capital until the 85th minute.

In the league, which has ten clubs, the defending champions from the town of 40,000 slipped down to seventh place on matchday 9, although they have played one game fewer than leaders NK Maribor, who have already pulled eight points clear. Celje currently have three wins, three defeats (including a 4-1 loss to newly promoted NK Brinje Grosuplje) and two draws to their name. The champions from north-eastern Slovenia have also already played six matches in the Champions League qualifiers. Celje entered the competition in the second round, where they prevailed against the Albanian side Egnatia Rrogozhine (3–3, 4–1 on penalties). In the third round, they knocked out FC Ararat-Armenia Yerevan (1–2, 2–0), before Celje were defeated by the Slovakian club Slovan Bratislava in the play-offs. Following a 1–1 draw in Bratislava, the Slovenians lost the return leg in front of their home crowd 2-1 after extra time, and thus narrowly missed out on a place in the UEFA Champions League.

NK Celje have already been making a name for itself in recent years on the European stage. The three-time champions are, alongside NK Maribor, one of only two clubs to have played continuously in the country’s top flight since Slovenia’s independence in 1991. But it is only since the 2020s that the club has really taken off. As well as winning three league titles and one domestic cup, the Yellow and Blues also made a name for themselves in the UEFA Conference League. In 2024/25, coach Albert Riera led the Slovenians to the quarter-finals, where the team were only stopped by Fiorentina (1–2; 2–2). Riera moved on to Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2026, but his three-and-a-half-month spell there proved unsuccessful. Vitor Campelos, Riera’s successor at Celje, has been in charge since mid-March this year. The Portuguese coach took charge of the team when they were top of the table and he celebrated winning the league title with his new club two months later. In the Conference League, Campelos’s side were knocked out in the Round of 16 by AEK Athens. The Slovenian side are now taking part in a European competition for the fourth time.

Personnel

One of the most experienced new signings is returnee Benjamin Verbic. The striker was born in Celje and wore the Grofje shirt for several years before going on to score goals for top European clubs such as FC Copenhagen, Dynamo Kyiv and Panathinaikos, amongst others. Most recently, Verbic was under contract with Greek top-flight side Levadiakos. The 32-year-old Slovenia international has scored 111 goals and provided 59 assists in a total of 462 appearances. Striker Blaz Kramer is also a native of Celje and returned to his homeland at the start of this month after nine years abroad. The 1.91-metre-tall Kramer played for VfL Wolfsburg’s second team in the Regionalliga Nord for two years. The 30-year-old enjoyed his most successful spell in Switzerland between 2019 and 2022. Kramer scored 21 goals in 89 matches for FC Zurich.

One of the team’s key players is Mario Kvesic. The 34-year-old Bosnian played in Germany between 2015 and 2020, featuring for FC Erzgebirge Aue (90 appearances, 12 goals, 9 assists) in Bundesliga 2 and and Liga 3, as well as for FC Magdeburg in Liga 3 (21 games, 1 goal, 5 assists). The attacking midfielder has already found the back of the net four times in this season’s Champions League qualifiers and, during the team’s title-winning campaign last season, was not only the team’s creative spark but also one of their most prolific scorers and providers, with 15 goals and assists. However, Kvesic had to be substituted due to injury last weekend – it is unclear whether he will be available to play against the Werkself. Svit Seslar came on in his place during the match in Ljubljana. The 24-year-old is also a regular in attacking midfield and, like Kvesic, is one of the team’s top goalscorers and providers. Australian new signing Yaya Dukuly also adds to the attack.

Other key players at NK Celje include Lithuania internationals Artemijus Tutyskinas (centre-back), Pijus Sirvys (right-back) and Armandas Kucys (centre-forward). The team’s captain is Mark Zabukovnik. The defensive midfielder was sidelined for many months last season due to a knee injury, but is once again one of the team’s indispensable starters this season. Midfielder Andrej Kotnik also falls into that category. However, the 31-year-old will miss the match in Leverkusen due to suspension picked up in the Champions League qualifying match against Slovan Bratislava.

Problems

Celje are still lacking balance and consistency. The team rarely manages to fulfil its potential over the full 90 minutes. Sometimes they start strongly but squander too many chances and end up losing, as they did last weekend. Other times, after a poor first half, they only find their rhythm in the second half – as was the case in the 2–2 draw against Mura in their first league match. They have rarely managed to maintain control of the game and stay focused for the full 90 minutes. Eleven goals conceded in eight league matches and ten in the six UEFA Champions League qualifying fixtures do not exactly suggest a solid defence.

Performers

In midfield, Celje have two technically gifted attacking players in Kvesic and Seslar, while the captain Zabukovnik covers their backs as a defensive midfielder. Up front, returnee Verbic brings pace, one-on-one ability and experience from the Champions League and Europa League. Campelos favours a dominant, possession-based style of play in the league. However, in European fixtures – such as their recent match against Champions League participants Slovan Bratislava – Celje have also impressed with their tactical discipline, team unity and high level of commitment in defence.