Montenegro go into Montenegro Vs Armenia in Gorica with a chance to make it four wins from four in the first Nations League C cycle, but Mirko Vučinić has made it clear that staying grounded matters just as much as staying top.
At 20:45, Montenegro welcomed Armenia in the 4th round of Group C2 with nine points from three wins and first place in their sights. After a run that included three matches in quick succession and two longer trips, the home side were chasing another result that would strengthen their grip on the group.
Vučinić: keep the hunger, keep the balance
The coach has been keen to frame the good start as a reward for work rather than a reason for celebration. He said he accepted the job because he knew the players well, had already spent four years around the coaching staff and believed in the quality already in the squad.
“The most important thing is that we are all rowing in the same direction, and that means that we work hard, that we have the desire, will and hunger to win,” Vučinić said.
That message matters because Montenegro had been filled with euphoria after three straight wins. Vučinić has warned that the same atmosphere that lifts a team can also unsettle it if the players start to believe the job is already done.
“All this that is happening - a full stadium, euphoria, it is all nice and pleasant. But it can also disrupt us. The most important thing is that we do our job, that the results do not change us,” he said.
Why staying first is the hardest part
The numbers are encouraging enough on their own. Montenegro were alone at the top, with the nearest team behind them at minus five, and the chance to move to four victories made the position even stronger. But Vučinić’s warning was that top spot is easier to reach than to protect.
“We are in an ideal position. We are alone at the top of the table, the first team behind us is at minus five. But it is not as simple as it seems,” he said. “When you are at the top and everyone wants to take you down from that position, the hardest thing is to stay there. The most important thing is that the players show character and the desire to stay first every day.”
That is the central challenge for Montenegro now: turn a promising start into a lasting one. Beating Armenia would not only preserve momentum, it would reinforce the idea that this group can handle pressure as well as expectation.
Jankovic's view from inside the squad
Marko Jankovic also reflected the professional mood around the camp, suggesting that the demands of constant football are part of the job rather than a problem to be managed. He said he could not remember the last time he had been rested over the past decade, but accepted that as normal for elite players.
“Over the last ten years, I don't know when I've been rested, but that's a normal state that professional athletes accept,” he said. “You play and train a lot and a high level is always expected. If someone is not ready for all that, then this job is not for them.”
Montenegro had reason to trust that mentality too. Seven days earlier, the team under Vučinić had come through the winning streak that put them on course to control the group, and the coach's message before Armenia was simple: keep doing the same things, keep the same edge, and do not let the atmosphere change the standards.
If they could do that, Montenegro would not just have another win. They would have a strong case for being the team to beat in Group C2.
