Next week will see TNS kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign at home to FK Decic of Montenegro.
The first leg will take place at Park Hall on Tuesday, July 9th, before the Saints travel out to Podgorica for the second leg a week later on July 16th. Ahead of the all-important fixtures, here is everything you need to know about TNS’ opponents.
History
Nicknamed the Blues, FK Dečić were founded in 1926 and named after Dečić hill in the city of Tuzi, which is where the club play.
For the vast majority of their history, Dečić have played in the lower leagues of, firstly, the Yugoslavian leagues, and then in the Montenegrin leagues after that. Throughout their history, they never graced the top tier of any league, but that changed when Montenegro gained independence from Serbia in 2006.
After becoming a sovereign state, Montenegro were able to create their own league, and Dečić were invited to participate in the top league.
Even during their time in the Montenegrin First League, they weren’t able to establish themselves fully and often found themselves in the second tier.
It wasn’t until the start of 2020s where Dečić finally found themselves in the upper echelons of the table. They would record their best ever finish in 2021 (third place), but this past season was a truly historic one, as they won the First League for the first time ever, beating Mornar Bar to the crown by six points.
Embed from Getty ImagesStadium
The game will take place at the Podgorica City Stadium.
The Blues normally play their home games at the Stadion Tuško Polje, but the game has been moved to Montenegro’s national stadium, which lies 12km from Dečić’s normal home.
The ground holds 11,050 fans and is the home of the Montenegrin national team. It is where Wales will play Montenegro in the Nations League later this year.
Manager
FK Dečić are managed by former Montenegro international Milorad Peković.
A midfielder with 34 caps for his country, Peković spent the bulk of his playing career in Germany. He played for Mainz, Hansa Rostock, and Greuther Fürth, gaining promotion to the Bundesliga with the latter.
His managerial career has been brief, and he’s been an assistant manager for much of his career. However, Peković took over the managerial hot seat at the start of last season and managed to guide Dečić to their first ever league title.
Players to Watch
FK Dečić have a good blend of youth and experience in their squad. They look strong in the full back positions in particular. At right back is captain Jonathan Drešaj. He has been at the club since 2019 and is a Montenegro international.
On the left side is his international counterpart, Robert Gjelaj. He is certainly a highly-rated prospect and has played in every age group team for Montenegro.
Looking further up the field, you will find the experienced Nenad Gravić on the left wing. While he may be over the age of 30, Gravić has played across the Balkans for some big clubs, including Red Star Belgrade, as well as playing in Greece and Kazakhstan.
European pedigree
While TNS have graced the European stage on a number of occasions, this will only be Dečić’s third time in European competitions.
In their previous two campaigns, they were involved in the UEFA Conference League, and on both occasions, were knocked out in the first qualifying round. The first time was by Kosovan side Drita, and the second by Dinamo Minsk of Belarus.
Being part of the Champions League will be the biggest moment in FK Dečić’s history, and they will be hoping to go the furthest they ever have done in Europe this season.
(Featured Image: Bleiersatz (Diskussion)
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