Borac is not giving up! Although Santa Coloma holds a strong advantage from the first match in Banja Luka (4–1), the Banja Luka team is focused on learning from their mistakes and preparing as best as possible for the second leg, hoping to achieve a much better result.
Coach Mladen Žižović admitted the situation is far from ideal, but insists the team must find a way to lift itself and perform better.
“I think we’re still under the impression of that defeat. It was simply one of those nights where everything went downhill. We weren’t as bad as the score suggests. In the first half-hour, we had some good chances, but everything collapsed within ten minutes after we conceded, and it was mentally difficult to recover. I hope things like that won’t happen again,” said Žižović.
The head coach acknowledged that he now has a clearer picture of the opponent’s capabilities.
“They did surprise us in some aspects. We also lacked sufficient information because they played behind closed doors, which gave them an advantage. In the end, it was a valuable lesson from which we must learn a lot. If we didn’t get carried away last season when things were going well, we won’t fall apart now either. The truth is somewhere in the middle—we’ll try to analyze the situation thoroughly and prepare for the second leg. We need to leave a better impression and bring back what defines us—unity and a refusal to give up despite all the difficulties,” he added.
Borac emphasizes the importance of support.
“We won’t surrender in the return leg. The situation is very difficult, but we’ve faced tougher ones and still managed to push through and get what we wanted. We need support—Borac isn’t only loved when it wins, but also when it loses. Despite the heavy defeat, there was no harsh criticism. We have to regroup and, with a solid plan, try to achieve a better result. I don’t know if we’ll manage to overturn the result, but I know we’ll leave our hearts on the pitch. We must lift ourselves mentally and aim for the best possible outcome,” Žižović concluded.
Source: Glas Srpske
