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Mordvanian Premier League: Anja Gjurinek becomes first ever female coach
By Milan Barancek
Published: Fein, 1601


Anja Gjurinek could not avoid the 15th loss of NK Mestarka in 27 matches this season


Mestarka, Republic of Mordvania - Anja Gjurinek became the first female manager of the Mordvanian Premier League, the top men's professional football division.

She took charge after northwestern Mordvanian club NK Mestarka announced the departure of Miroslav Lorenc, who had been managing the club since the last season. A humiliating 2-8 defeat at home against Borge Hedegaard's NK Slovograd ended the patience of the owners of the club. NK Mestarka, with only 22 points in 27 matches, was left in a critical situation, as after the win of their rival NK Slawowo away against the other Slovograd club, ND Slovograd, NK Mestarka fell to the 16th place, which would force the club to play a playoff round to avoid relegation to Mordvanian second division. The 2-8 defeat was also the largest win away in the history of the Mordvanian Premier League, along the last season Slovograd 1566 win over NK Krasnevje by same result.

NK Mestarka is considered a rather modest club, the second club in the city after the more successful FK Mestarka, but one regular club in Mordvanian football, as the club only missed four seasons in the Mordvanian Premier League since it was formed in 1568.

In her first match as coach, Anja Gjurinek's NK Mestarka improved the image of the team but couldn't avoid to lose another match -the seventh in a row- against FK Mazenskai. Both teams have several chances to score, but the match was not decided until FK Mazensaki's Matej Bodman scored the final 1-0 in the 67 minute.

Anja Gjurinek introduced several changes from last match, although there was not much a change in tactics compared to Miroslav Lorenc's recent matches.

Anja Gjurinek is not new in the club, however, as she was hired as assistant coach under Miroslav Lorenc this season. Before that, she was managing the Mordvanian women's football team from 1596 to 1599. She started her manager career as coach for Olimpija Prindz women's club, winning first league title for Olimpija Prindz in ten years in the 1595-1596 season.

Anja Gjurinek is expected to continue as coach in the next match this weekend, in which NK Mestarka will face GKS Wojek at home. However, she is expected to be replace afterwards, while NK Mestarka negotiates with more experience managers for the last six matches of the seasons, in which NK Mestarka will try to avoid a relegation to Mordvania's First Division. Mordvanian managers Bostjan Fuisz, Cvetko Jansa, and Jacek Kasparek have been rumoured as new NK Mestarka managers.

Gjurinek, however, says that she is not concerned about replaced next week, or about who will replace her. "That's not in my mind right now", she declared. "We are preparing this weekend match, and that's all what's in our minds. We need to take the match against [GKS] Wojek as a final, that's all. I'm convinced that they only need a win to start changing the current situation. I'm focused that this change starts this weekend, independently who's in charge the rest of the season", she added.