Bulatović stays as Senta look ahead (2011/2012)

FK Senta's first team achieved its best result of the last ten years: the side finished the season in third place and, with 56 goals in 30 matches, was the league's highest-scoring team. Senta were in the race for first place right to the end, but a 2:2 home draw with Radnički from Nova Pazova ended their title hopes. Many at the time believed Senta had not even wanted to win, so as not to have to play a level higher.

"Anyone who saw that game knows it was one of our best performances of the season. We could have won by four or five goals, but we missed a lot of clear-cut chances, and in the 93rd minute the ball hit the post. Even the visitors admitted we were much better, and they were delighted to take a point. The truth is we wanted to win, but we do not have the financial backing needed to compete at a higher level, so we were not sorry that Donji Srem fully deservedly took first place," said Jozsef Ozvegy, the club secretary.

Asked what was behind the strong season, Ozvegy pointed out that in previous years there had always been major changes to the squad after the autumn, whereas this time the spine of the team was kept together for the spring. Senta collected a solid 25 points in the autumn and five more in the spring.

The transfer window runs until 31 August. Defender Daniel Farkas and striker Miljan Milivojev are joining Spartak ZV of Subotica. The two clubs agreed that Farkas will stay with Senta next season too: he will do his pre-season training in Subotica, but will keep playing for Senta for one more year, until he finishes secondary school. Milivojev will play for Spartak provided he and the Subotica club agree on everything. "We did not stand in the way of any player who wanted to leave. Stojanov may leave as well, so we will definitely have to sign a striker. Habenšus is continuing his career elsewhere, which means we need a centre-back too. So far we have registered one player, midfielder Mihajlo Raičević, who played in the French second division."

Branislav Bulatović remains in charge. "Of course - after such a successful season, in which the team played beautiful football, it would not make sense to bring in a new coach."

The club also pays close attention to its youth teams. At the end of July the under-15 side and the first team will play in Pécs at an international tournament supported by the European Union, where teams from Austria, Kuwait, Romania and Croatia will join the Hungarian sides. The under-15s started their preparations earlier, the first team has just held its first training session, and the cadets and younger age groups never stopped training. The youngest players recently took part in a football festival in Senec, Slovakia, finishing fourth, while the beginners came seventh.

"The young players still need to get stronger and gain experience. In recent years the 16-18 age group has always been a problem, because there is no youth league and many players drifted away. Eight 16-year-olds will play for Čoka next season. In a year or two we will see how they are doing, and we hope to gradually bring some of them into the first team."

Senta play their first pre-season friendly at home against Banat of Zrenjanin on Thursday, and on Sunday, 17 July, they visit Kozara in Banatsko Veliko Selo.