One ball, two feet. And so much you can do with them. Marijan Urtic has been in love with football since he was just a little boy, when he often used to watch the older children and professional footballers playing and was himself never without a ball. Which didn’t always please his mother. After seeing dozens of vases smashed to pieces in their home, his mother signed him up with FC Littau when he was five years old. From then on, he had just one dream: to become a professional footballer.

Promotion with SC Kriens

It quickly became clear: Marijan had talent. He was driven by his ambition. From an early age, he loved the competition with his teammates and with other teams. In 2008, after playing  for various junior teams, Urtic moved to the under-21 squad at FCL in Lucerne. He also played in the professional squad occasionally and had the opportunity to play matches in the axpo Super League, the top league in Switzerland. This was followed by spells at SC Kriens and other clubs. In 2017, he rejoined SC Kriens, and his team was promoted to the Challenge League. 

Full-time polymechanic

Since February 2019, the father of two has been working as a polymechanic at Zentralbahn in Stansstad. He really enjoys his job. He loves the variety of activities and the importance of his role. A well-maintained fleet is one of the cornerstones of Zentralbahn’s success, and Urtic and his team colleagues work hard every day to keep it that way. Although he’ll no longer be making it to a Champions League final, football is still his “second job”. Without flexible working hours and focus, that wouldn’t be possible, says Marijan Urtic.

A few quick questions

How do you organise yourself?

My days start early. I’m usually in the workshop by 7 in the morning so that I can finish work early and be on the pitch in Kriens by 5 in the afternoon. I go training four times a week. Because of the two jobs, I have very little free time during the week and at the weekend. I spend that time with my family. Having an employer that allows me to organise my working day flexibly is essential for me. It just wouldn’t work otherwise.

How flexibly can you structure your working hours?  

I can arrange my working hours very freely at Zentralbahn. The top priority is obviously to ensure that the trains leave the workshop on time and at the highest level of quality. But I can talk to my line manager, and it’s no problem if I sometimes come in later, leave earlier or take a longer lunch break.

Even at short notice?

Yes. When I need to take time off out of the blue on occasion, because we’re planning an unexpected training camp or because a match is postponed, my manager is very accommodating. There’s a great deal of consideration shown, even though it’s actually just my hobby or part-time job. That’s not something you can take for granted, and I’m very grateful to Zentralbahn for it.

What’s the biggest challenge?

Making sure not to neglect my two children and my wife. For me, it’s also very important to achieve a good work-life balance and allow myself enough time for rest and relaxation. In both jobs, it’s essential to be absolutely focused at all times. Otherwise careless mistakes could creep in that at worst could lead to damage and train cancellations, or to injury and defeat on the pitch.

Marijan Urtic

Age

30 years old, 16 January 1991  

Home

Stansstad

Carrer

Apprenticeship in 2011 as a polymechanic at the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company. Employed by Zentralbahn as a polymechanic in maintenance since 1 February 2019. Marijan is also currently completing his training as a shunter.  

Football

Position: Full-back

Junior clubs: FC Littau, SC Kriens und FCL in Lucerne

Clubs:  

  • 2008–13 FC Luzern II
  • 2009–13 FC Luzern
  • 2011–12 SC Kriens (on loan)
  • 2013 SC Kriens
  • 2014–16 FC Wohlen
  • 2016–17 FC Chiasso
  • 2017– SC Kriens

Biggest success: Promotion with SC Kriens to the Challenge League (2018/2019 season).

Physische Ausgabe vom Magazin «hin und weg» – auch zum Abonnieren.

Dies ist ein Beitrag aus dem Magazin «hin und weg». Die gedruckte Version finden Sie an den Bahnhöfen Engelberg, Sarnen, Stans und Meiringen, in allen Reisezentren sowie auf dem Zug. Gerne senden wir Ihnen das Magazin auch nach Hause. Schicken Sie dazu eine Mail an hello@zentralbahn.ch mit dem Betreff «Magazin hin und weg abonnieren» und Ihrer Postadresse als Nachricht.