Made in Žilina: L’ubomír Belko, the Local Star Leading a Title Chase

The academy graduate is a big reason why Žilina sit top of the Niké liga after thirteen games and are dreaming of more.

You won’t see MŠK Žilina buying their way to the top.

It’s not as if anyone in Slovakia can, really. Record-champions Slovan Bratislava are by far the most willing to splash cash, but no club, even Bratislava, has ever spent more than €1 million on a single player. The Niké liga is dwarfed financially by its rivals across the borders in Austria, Czechia, and Hungary.

But even for Slovakia’s standards, MŠK Žilina don’t spend much on transfers. Instead, they produce their own talent.

Even if you don’t know MŠK Žilina, you know some of their players. Milan Škriniar, one of the best defenders in Serie A for at least a half-decade, came through their academy, as did Atlético star Dávid Hancko. So did Martin Dúbravka, who has been number one for Newcastle United and Burnley.

So yes, MŠK Žilina don’t buy success, but they have managed to produce and develop it. Now, they sit first in the Niké liga as they attempt to take back the title from Slovan Bratislava, who have won seven titles in a row. Leading the way is their number one, L’ubomír Belko — a 23-year-old made the Žilina way.

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L’ubomír Belko has spent his entire professional career with Žilina. Never a loan away for experience, not a stint in another Niké liga club’s academy — nothing. Belko joined the Žilina academy over a decade ago, and that’s where he’s stayed and grown as a player.

“My father trained me from a young age. He worked closely with me until I moved to Žilina, where I continue to develop and focus on the small details that make a big difference,” said Belko in an interview with The Soccer Goal. “I’ve created strong conditions for my growth here.”

After some impressive performances at youth level, he finally got his chance with the first team in August 2021. The 19-year-old was the second-youngest player on the field, but had a strong performance and made two saves as the Šošoni ran out 3-1 winners over FK Pohronie.

(Side note: if you are wondering, the club’s nickname, Šošoni, does, in fact, refer to the Native American Shoshone people. Per media manager Martin Kollár:

“Opinions among historians and archivists differ, and we don’t have one definitive version. One theory says that the colors – yellow and green – were similar to those used by the Shoshones. Others claim that the team used to paint themselves in a similar way to this Native tribe.”

“Another explanation is that the name Shoshoni simply rhymed with the popular chant ‘Už sme tu na koni, my žilinskí Šošoni’ (We’re already on the horse, we are the Žilina Shoshoni!) – which has become the most famous one among the fans.”)

Anyway, back to Belko.

The young goalkeeper clearly made a lasting impression, as he quickly took on a bigger role for the club. Belko made 22 appearances in all competitions by the end of the season, including his first taste of Europe in a Conference League qualifier.

“It’s well-known that Žilina gives young players the opportunity to show their potential and move forward,” said Belko. “It’s important to work hard, believe in your abilities, and show what you can do in matches.”

In summer 2022, the club’s other goalkeeper, Samuel Petras, was loaned out, handing Belko the undisputed starting spot. He has certainly made the most of his opportunity, establishing himself as the club’s starter and one of the best goalkeepers in the Niké liga over the past three seasons.

“When one young player moves on, another is ready to step up and take that spot, that’s the strength of this club’s philosophy,” said Belko. “The club is focused on developing players and preparing them for top-level football.”

Belko’s form hasn’t gone unnoticed outside of Žilina. The young goalkeeper has become a regular for Slovakia’s youth teams and was captain this summer during the U21 Euros.

“Wearing the national team jersey is an honor. I always give my all for the team. To help us win and make the fans proud,” said Belko.

Belko has also been recognized by the senior team, appearing at a training camp in December 2022. However, with the likes of Dominik Greif, Marek Rodák, and Martin Dúbravka performing at a high level abroad, Belko has yet to cement his role in the squad or make his debut.

“Being selected for the Slovak national team is a dream, but I know I need to keep working hard, improving the areas where I still need to grow, and earn that nomination through strong performances on the pitch.”

There was also interest from abroad this summer, with reports linking the 23-year-old to a potential move to Serie A. It was a huge relief for Žilina, then, that Belko decided to extend his stay with the club.

This summer, he inked a new deal that keeps him at the club until June 2028. It wasn’t a difficult decision.

“We reached an agreement quickly, said Belko. “I’m still a young goalkeeper who wants to learn, work on myself, and grow through my own mistakes.”

For both Belko and Žilina, this has proved to be a great move. As of writing, the Šošoni currently sit first in the Niké liga with one of the best defenses in the league, largely thanks to their young goalkeeper. Belko leads the league in saves, with 52, and has the second-most clean sheets in the league with four.

For reference, Belko has more than twice as many saves as Spartak Trnava goalkeeper Žiga Frelih, the only goalkeeper with more clean sheets. Frelih has just one more shutout.

Consider Žilina’s recent victory over MFK Skalica. On paper, it was a pretty straightforward result: Žilina took the lead three times against relegation candidates Skalica and eventually walked away with a 3-2 win and all three points.

However, without Belko’s four saves — including a big one vs one and an acrobatic save to preserve Žilina’s lead going into the half — the final result could have been much different. It’s these kinds of results that make the difference between teams that are title candidates and teams that are not. This season, Žilina are.

“At Žilina, the standards are always set high. We play against the best teams in the league and aim to beat them,” said Belko.

Winning the league is not a guarantee. Far from it, in fact. The season is very young, and the Niké liga is a uniquely difficult league to win. There are still nine games left in the first stage of the season, and then the league splits into two rounds — the Championship round, featuring the six best teams, and the Relegation round, featuring the six worst.

Žilina have essentially already booked their spot in the Championship round. There, they will play the other five best times twice each, home and away. In standard leagues, a team plays other title candidates twice a season. In Slovakia, it happens four times.

At the moment, Žilina are flying high. The Šošoni have lost only one league game this season and are currently on a twelve-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. They were mere minutes away from beating Slovan Bratislava, ultimately settling for a 3-3 draw with the defending league champions.

There’s still plenty of room for growth for both Žilina and Belko, but things are going well.

“My personal goals are always ambitious: to help the team in key moments, to improve every day in training under different situations, to become the best goalkeeper in the league, and to reach team goals by keeping clean sheets,” said Belko.

It’s safe to say he’s close to achieving some of those goals, if he hasn’t already. Žilina are off to a great start, and with Belko between the sticks, fans might be dreaming of even more this season.

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Images via https://www.mskzilina.sk/.