Žan Vipotnik (foto: Global Game Media)
Slovenian footballers Žan Vipotnik and Žan Celar had challenging starts in the English Championship, both suffering defeats and struggling to make an impact in their debut matches.
The new season in England is heating up, with the Community Shield match between Manchester City and Manchester United serving as a spectacular curtain-raiser. Meanwhile, the Championship season also kicked off this weekend, drawing significant attention from Slovenian fans due to the presence of two national team players, Žan Vipotnik and Žan Celar.
Both Vipotnik and Celar made their debuts for their new clubs today, but neither will have fond memories of their first encounters with Championship football.
Žan Vipotnik, playing for Swansea, lost 3-0 away to Middlesbrough. The former Maribor striker entered the game in the 64th minute but, according to local reports, managed just one touch of the ball during his time on the pitch.
Things didn't go much better for Žan Celar, whose QPR side suffered a 3-1 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion. The Gorenjec started the match and played 71 minutes, but reports indicate that he was largely isolated from the rest of the team for much of the game.