After six years Rabotnichki will play in the European cups, but the team that earned this will not be there to shine as many of the first team players left this summer. There was also a coaching change.
photo by FK Rabotnichki
Eight first team players left Rabotnichki this month, including captain Egzon Belica (30 matches last season, 2 goals, no assists), top assistant Din Alomerovikj (30/1/9), national team goalkeeper Igor Aleksovski (32 matches, 17 clean sheets) and wunderkind Dimitar Danev (30/1/2).
Most shocking was the recent departure of 19-year-old midfielder Danev, who joined fierce local rivals Vardar for an undisclosed fee.
The club also parted ways with right back Stefan Lazarevikj (16/1/1), Nigerian central defender Sodiq Rasheed (30/1/0), Cameroonian attacker Marcelin Gando Biala (30/6/3) and Serbian forward Anes Rušević (13/3/0) who arrived in January.
Also was released striker Omar Berovikj, who did not make any appearance, but was top goal scorer in the Macedonian top youth league.
It must be noted that during the winter transfer window top goal scorers Adthe Mazari (8 goas, 3 assists) and Ali Reghba (7 goals, 5 assists) also left Rabotnichki.
To compensate the many departures, Rabotnichki brought keeper Vasko Vasilev (Gostivar), forward Dashmir Elezi (Prishtina, Kosovo), Brazilian winger Kalani Almeida (Tolmin, Slovenia), 17-year-old defensive midfielder Lorent Zhaku and 16-year-old forward Ditmir Hodja (both from Voska Sport), experienced central defender Djelil Asani and winger Florijan Kadriu (both from Shkupi), as well as Bosnian center back Amir Velić (Igman, Bosnia-Herzegovina). Jamaican winger Revaldo Mitchell is back from Brera Strumica where was sent on loan, but he is expected to leave again.
Coach Goran Stanikj left the bench as he was appointed national team coach of the Macedonian U21 national team, with his foist assistant Bojan Markoski stepping to lead Rabotnichki.
As the Conference League opening match against Belarussian side Torpedo BelAZ is on July 7, Rabotnichki played four friendly matches and failed to record a win. First away and home draws with Sileks, and later in Ohrid lost 3:0 to Albanian side Partizani followed by a 2:0 defeat by Ballkani from Kosovo.