NK Maribor wrapped up their tenth Slovene league title in emphatic fashion with an 8-0 win against ND Triglav that left them 17 points clear at the top with five games to go.
Agim Ibraimi (left) scored twice against Triglav
NK Maribor took hold of their tenth Slovene league title in emphatic fashion on Sunday as the defending champions dispatched bottom side ND Triglav 8-0 to leave themselves 17 points clear with five games to go.
Darko Milanič's side were dominant throughout the season and raced into a 15-point lead before the turn of the year. Beaten just three times all term, they wrapped things up with the biggest win of the campaign as Etien Velikonja plundered a hat-trick and Agim Ibraimi struck twice, their goals helping extinguish any lingering hope for second-placed NK Olimpija Ljubljana.
While the championship crown is the club's tenth – Olimpija and ND Gorica are their closest challengers with four apiece – it was the third for a jubilant Milanič. "This was a great match today: we dominated from the beginning, we got many chances and we scored eight times," he told supporters after the match.
"You cannot wish for any more from a match which decided the title. Of course, I'm very pleased – and proud of the players, staff and fans. The guys on the pitch deserve congratulations for their record victory today, for their fight and team spirit and for their behaviour and determination during the whole season."
With five games to go Maribor are 22-6-3 with 77 goals scored and 30 goals against.
