Valeriy Kolotilo (foto: Uradni facebook profil kluba)
Celje president Valeriy Kolotilo explained why the club could not keep Albert Riera, revealing multiple rejected offers before Eintracht Frankfurt’s decisive move.
The day after Albert Riera officially left Celje, club president Valeriy Kolotilo offered a candid explanation of why this time the Slovenian champions had no way out.
Celje have already installed Riera’s former assistant Ivan Mayevski as head coach, but the events leading to Riera’s departure were the main topic in Kolotilo’s appearance on the television show Pod prečko.
“With Albert, you can never relax”
Kolotilo revealed that Celje had been under constant pressure for months due to interest in Riera, but the decisive moment came suddenly.
“With Albert, you can never be calm. We spent a lot of time together and went through many situations. Eintracht’s offer happened overnight. We were returning from our training camp in Mallorca when the official bid arrived. It quickly became clear that this was a situation where we simply could not keep him in Celje,” Kolotilo said.
A long list of rejected offers
According to the Celje president, the club had successfully resisted several high-profile approaches before the Bundesliga move.
“It had been difficult since November. We fought off offers from Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Zagreb and Ludogorets. There was also a very serious offer from Spartak Moscow — a deal with enormous money involved,” Kolotilo explained.
Riera ultimately rejected the Spartak offer because Russian clubs are currently excluded from European competitions, despite the financial appeal. Celje, Kolotilo said, managed to convince him to stay — until Eintracht called.
“From Celje’s point of view, Eintracht is something special,” he added.
Bonuses tied to Riera’s success
Kolotilo also disclosed that Celje’s agreement with Eintracht includes performance-related bonuses linked to Riera’s results in Germany.
“I wish him all the best. Albert lives for football, he has enormous knowledge, although he is a difficult character. But so was Maradona,” Kolotilo said with a smile.
“We will be supporting Eintracht, because there are certain bonuses involved. If Albert wins, Celje will benefit as well.”
Riera’s success at Eintracht Frankfurt could therefore have a direct impact back in Slovenia — a final reminder of how closely the two clubs remain connected even after his departure.