Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Through all the ups and downs, former MacEwan men's soccer goalkeeper Marko Ilich is soaking in his first pro experience, playing in his ancestral homeland of Serbia.
The Calgarian joined Serbian third division team FK 1. Maj Ruma in February.
"It's crazy," said Ilich in a FaceTime interview last month. "It's my first time back here in 10 years. I'd say a lot has changed, but in terms of the people and the environment here, that hasn't changed.
"It feels like I'm back here when I was a kid. That's kind of cool."
Ilich used to travel regularly to Serbia to visit family but hadn't been back since age 14. Now he lives in his grandmother's apartment, which is about an hour's drive away from Ruma – a commute he does back and forth almost every day.
Congratulations to our netminder Marko Ilich for signing a pro contract with Serbian side FK 1. Maj Ruma! ����
— MacEwan Soccer (@GriffinsSoccer) February 11, 2024
Finishing top 10 in Canada West for saves this season, Ilich becomes the latest to join a handful of former Griffins turned pro! All the best in your new journey, Marko! pic.twitter.com/XAEPGtHOM0
The whole experience has its share of good and bad.
"It's an exciting time of my life," said Ilich, who had 47 saves in nine games for the Griffins in 2023. "I'm 24, turning 25. My 20s are the time to have this experience. We'll see how it goes.
"You always dream about it and then when it happens, it's a different environment out here. It's a lot more extreme than it is in Canada. The fans here are crazy. They're shouting racist (taunts) to me. It's a different environment, it takes getting used to.
"For me, if I can play here, I feel like I can play anywhere. It's a great experience, but at the same time, it's very mentally tough."
Stuff said to him would get fans banned from stadiums in North America, but it's just everyday life over there.
"People look at me here and think 'he looks like a gypsy,' " he said. "Most people don't assume I am, and I speak Serbian perfectly. But in the games when you're away in a smaller town or village, anything goes. They'll yell anything to try and throw you off your game.
"Here you can threaten the referee and you won't get a card," he added. "In Canada, you say one swear and you get a card. That's just how it is here.
"When you hear it at first, you think it's me, but you realize it's just normal here. You just play on."
Marko Ilich reports he's had to endure racist taunts this season in Serbia (Photo courtesy of Marko Ilich).
Among the other challenges is trying to help keep FK 1. Maj Ruma in the third division ("We're in the relegation battle," said Ilich). They are into the stretch drive of a season that's become a dogfight, currently sitting second-lowest on the table with six wins, seven draws and 12 losses.
Whatever happens, Ilich is always going to give his best to the mission. And despite the aforementioned downs, he's having the time of his life.
"Ever since I was a kid, that's every kid's dream who plays soccer," he said of turning pro. "For it to happen so suddenly, it was 'oh wow, I've got this opportunity to go play.' Obviously, it feels incredible, and it feels like 'finally.'
"I've done what I set out to do, but once it happens, it's 'OK, what's the next level?' You're always aiming higher for yourself. You've achieved one milestone and you're trying to make the next, so it's all about what the next step is.
That could be any number of places in Europe or possibly even the Canadian Premier League, should a team come calling.
Goalkeeper Marko Ilich started nine games for the Griffins in 2023 (Rebecca Chelmick photo).
Wherever he ends up next, Griffins head coach Adam Loga feels Ilich will continue to thrive in his pro career.
"I think he will do very well there," he said. "He speaks quite a few languages and is familiar with the country. I think it's a sense of relief for him, as well. It's a goal he's had for a lifetime and the risks and sacrifices he's taken, it's a sense of relief. Now, to have some educational backing, you're going to be a bit freer in your approach to training. It's hopefully not as pressure-filled as it may have been if he dropped out of school. It's up to him. He's got great feet; he can play out the back well.
"Obviously, he's smaller in stature in that goalkeeping profile, but it doesn't mean he can't rise above that, if you will. He's made it this far not being 6-4, so clearly there's something there."
Ilich credits the MacEwan soccer program with helping prepare him for the next level.
"I think getting thrown into the starting position and the environment Adam has for the program (prepared me well)," he said. "You wake up early, go train. You've got everything there for you, including a strength and conditioning coach. It was a very professional environment and definitely that helped nail down a routine for me, which translated here.
"Here it's the same thing. Practices aren't as early, which is nice, but the routine part of it is. I'm living on my own and I was living on my own in Edmonton and getting used to that. That experience helped me transition here easier, as well."
