Maribor coach Milanič declines to discuss refereeing after derby draw with Celje

Source reporting: 19 October 2026. Added to ScoreTransfer on the publication date shown above.

NK Maribor played to a 0-0 draw against NK Celje in a derby match held at Ljudski vrt. The result left Maribor undefeated and at the top of the Prva liga Telemach table.

Head coach Darko Milanič declined to comment on refereeing decisions that had been raised by the Celje camp. He stated that it was inappropriate to look for negativity from officials when there was so much good to be seen in the match.

Milanič pointed to visible progress in his team compared to their first meeting with Celje earlier in the season. He identified the finishing of counter-attacks as an area that still requires improvement for Maribor.

The high-profile derby attracted several notable figures to the VIP box. Acun Ilicali, Aleksander Čeferin, Radenko Mijatović and Zlatko Zahović were among those who watched the match.

Maribor player Claude Goncalves expressed dissatisfaction with the draw. However, he acknowledged that the result was better than suffering a defeat.