Football Talk @FootballTalk_
Fulham sent a scout to watch Slovenian champions Maribor on Saturday amid speculation they made a £1m bid for Etien Velikonja.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etien_Velikonja (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etien_Velikonja)
http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/fulham-scout-watches-young-striker-1429555.html (http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/fulham-scout-watches-young-striker-1429555.html)
Fulham scout watches young striker
Fulham, 13:28, May 15, 2012
Fulham sent a scout to watch Slovenian champions Maribor on Saturday amid speculation they made a £1m bid for Etien Velikonja.
Reports in Slovenia claim Fulham had a representative at the top of the table clash between Maribor and Olimpia at the weekend, which Maribor won 3-2 courtesy of two goals from Velikonja.
The 23-year-old forward, who has only been capped once by Slovenia, was the subject of a £1m offer from an unnamed club recently.
Velikonja has scored 15 goals in 20 league starts for Maribor this season, including 11 in his last 12 league appearances - plus four in his last two games in the cup.
He played in both of Maribor's UEFA Europa League ties against Birmingham City this season which may be how he came to Fulham's attention.
Velikonja, naturally left-footed, has been viewed as one of the best talents to emerge from the country for a while and was top scorer in Slovenia's top flight when he was at Gorica, aged 20.
Love these kind of rumours.
Will be interesting to see if this has legs
I think Jol's determined to build a team of players with almost unpronounable names. Just to p**s of the commentators.
Quote from: The Moose on May 15, 2012, 03:17:41 PM
I think Jol's determined to build a team of players with almost unpronounable names. Just to p**s of the commentators.
:005: Don't call my name, don't call my name, Velikonja !!! yee-haw!
Saying "You can call me anything you like, but my name is Velikonja" - with apologies to Elvis Costello !
It's not that hard... you just say Velikonja. Like Jääskeläinen. You know? You people need to learn Finnish.
Quote from: The King on May 15, 2012, 06:12:21 PM
It's not that hard... you just say Velikonja. Like Jääskeläinen. You know? You people need to learn Finnish.
and our striker corps need to learn TO finish.
Quote from: HatterDon on May 15, 2012, 06:22:43 PM
Quote from: The King on May 15, 2012, 06:12:21 PM
It's not that hard... you just say Velikonja. Like Jääskeläinen. You know? You people need to learn Finnish.
and our striker corps need to learn TO finish.
:drums:
That thudding sound was Gentleman Jim falling off his chair! :005:
I even had a post about it, he would fit in right with Progrebnyak, we just need to get harder to pronounce defenders!
Quote from: HatterDon on May 15, 2012, 06:22:43 PM
Quote from: The King on May 15, 2012, 06:12:21 PM
It's not that hard... you just say Velikonja. Like Jääskeläinen. You know? You people need to learn Finnish.
and our striker corps need to learn TO finish.
Here's a good finish, from Velinkonja himself...
Velikonja amazing goal with heel in 92 min. - Maribor vs. Rangers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4luTTyr-Bio#ws)
And some more...
goals etien velikonja (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARJ0EjXLOhM#)
It looks like we've been scouting this guy for some time and thanks to Twang's eagle eyes, it looks like he may be coming. Twang's message below from another thread:-
Slovenian club NK Maribor is having a press conference at 15:00 (14:00 for those of you in Blighty) to announce the sale of star striker Etien Velikonja, 23. It's rumoured that Fulham, who have been interested in him in the past, is his new destination.
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnogomania.com%2FSlovenski-Nogomet%2FEkipa%2FMaribor%2FNovica%2FVelikonja-zapusca-Maribor.aspx (http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnogomania.com%2FSlovenski-Nogomet%2FEkipa%2FMaribor%2FNovica%2FVelikonja-zapusca-Maribor.aspx)
He seems like he's at that slightly awkward Gecov-esque stage where, at 23, he can't quite be called a youngster and he still hasn't proven himself in a top league. We seem to have scouted him for some time though, and I trust Jol's judgement.
Quote from: NorthernWhite on July 12, 2012, 10:19:16 AM
It looks like we've been scouting this guy for some time and thanks to Twang's eagle eyes, it looks like he may be coming. Twang's message below from another thread:-
Slovenian club NK Maribor is having a press conference at 15:00 (14:00 for those of you in Blighty) to announce the sale of star striker Etien Velikonja, 23. It's rumoured that Fulham, who have been interested in him in the past, is his new destination.
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnogomania.com%2FSlovenski-Nogomet%2FEkipa%2FMaribor%2FNovica%2FVelikonja-zapusca-Maribor.aspx (http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnogomania.com%2FSlovenski-Nogomet%2FEkipa%2FMaribor%2FNovica%2FVelikonja-zapusca-Maribor.aspx)
This would also match up with our other business - Not a word in the English press, broken by foreign news agencies 24hrs before he joins.
According to a Slovenian blogger, The local news are denying it is Fulham he is moving to but another Prem club
I'm actually counting down the minutes for this.
Bring on the start of the season.
not really bothered about this if im honest with you guys. If he signs great if not then its not like hes going to set the world alight judging by his stats.
Ha, he signs for Cardiff...
http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10335~2846794,00.html (http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10335~2846794,00.html)
CITY CAPTURE SLOVENIAN ACE VELIKONJA
Posted on: Thu 12 Jul 2012
Cardiff City can today announce that a deal has been done to see Slovenian International striker Etien Velikonja join the club for the 2012/13 season on a four year deal.
A player Malky Mackay has admired for a number of years, Etien, 23, will undergo a medical and join the Bluebirds from NK Maribor on July 25 after his final game for the 1 SNL based club in a Champions League qualifier.
From his forty six appearances for NK Maribor, Etien scored twenty goals. Last season the Slovenian club qualified for the UEFA Europa League group stages after beating Rangers, while they were crowned domestic cup winners and 1 SNL champions, their tenth title win with a record eighty five points.
Speaking of Etien's arrival, Malky Mackay said, "We're really excited to be bringing in an international striker to complement our squad.
"Etien is a player who I tried to sign once before and have keenly followed his progress with Maribor. We felt that the time was right to bring him to the UK and I'm looking forward to seeing his career continue to develop with Cardiff City."
Hear more on Etien from Malky later this afternoon on Cardiff City Player
