Marcel Ratnik

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Marcel Ratnik

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2003|12|23}}

| birth_place = Slovenia

| height = 1.86 m{{cite web |title=Marcel Ratnik |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/marcel-ratnik/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=1 August 2023 |language=en}}

| currentclub = Olimpija Ljubljana

| clubnumber = 14

| position = Centre-back, full-back

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2013

| youthclubs1 = Mura 05

| youthyears2 = 2013–2017

| youthclubs2 = Mura

| youthyears3 = 2017–2018

| youthclubs3 = Maribor

| youthyears4 = 2018–2021

| youthclubs4 = Olimpija Ljubljana

| years1 = 2021–

| clubs1 = Olimpija Ljubljana

| caps1 = 104

| goals1 = 6

| nationalyears1 = 2017–2018

| nationalteam1 = Slovenia U15

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2018–2019

| nationalteam2 = Slovenia U16

| nationalcaps2 = 9

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| nationalyears3 = 2019

| nationalteam3 = Slovenia U17

| nationalcaps3 = 8

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2021

| nationalteam4 = Slovenia U18

| nationalcaps4 = 2

| nationalgoals4 = 2

| nationalyears5 = 2021

| nationalteam5 = Slovenia U19

| nationalcaps5 = 6

| nationalgoals5 = 0

| nationalyears6 = 2022–

| nationalteam6 = Slovenia U21

| nationalcaps6 = 15

| nationalgoals6 = 0

| nationalyears7 = 2024–

| nationalteam7 = Slovenia

| nationalcaps7 = 1

| nationalgoals7 = 0

| club-update = 9 March 2025

| nationalteam-update = 25 March 2025

}}

Marcel Ratnik (born 23 December 2003) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Olimpija Ljubljana and the Slovenia national team.

Club career

=Olimpija Ljubljana=

Ratnik started his senior career with Olimpija Ljubljana, playing in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top tier of Slovenian football. He signed his first contract with Olimpija in March 2021, valid until 2023.{{Cite web|publisher=Nogomania|url=https://www.nogomania.com/Novica/Sedemnajstletni-Ratnik-podpisal-pogodbo-z-Olimpijo|title=Sedemnajstletni Ratnik podpisal pogodbo z Olimpijo|language=sl|access-date=1 August 2023|date=29 March 2021}} He had to wait until July of that year to make his debut for the club, starting in a 1–1 draw against Radomlje.{{Cite web|publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2021/07/25/slovenia/1-snl/nk-radomlje/nk-olimpija-ljubljana/3533228/|title=Radomlje vs. Olimpija|date=25 July 2021|access-date=1 August 2023}} Ratnik would go on to make eleven more starts that season for a total of 17 league appearances alongside one appearance in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round against Portuguese club Santa Clara. During the season, he signed another new contract with Olimpija, this time until June 2025.{{Cite web|publisher=Siol|url=https://siol.net/sportal/prva-liga/mladi-ratnik-podaljsal-sodelovanje-z-olimpijo-572733 |title=Mladi Ratnik podaljšal sodelovanje z Olimpijo|language=sl|access-date=1 August 2023|date=11 February 2022}}

The next season, at the age of 18, Ratnik established himself as a starter and crucial player for Olimpija.{{cite web |title=Riera jasno in glasno: To je leto Olimpije |url=https://siol.net/sportal/prva-liga/olimpija-koper-riera-ratnik-591192 |publisher=Siol |access-date=1 August 2023 |language=sl |date=31 October 2022}} He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 home win against Bravo in July 2022.{{cite web |title=Ratnikov prvenec za tretjo zaporedno zmago Olimpije, Maribor poražen v Kopru |url=https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/prva-liga/ratnikov-prvenec-za-tretjo-zaporedno-zmago-olimpije-maribor-porazen-v-kopru/635816 |publisher=RTV Slovenija |access-date=1 August 2023 |language=sl |date=31 July 2022}} Over the course of the season, Ratnik played a crucial role in his side lifting the league trophy in convincing fashion, making 31 appearances in the league campaign, as well as winning the Slovenian Cup to complete the double.

Ratnik played 49 times the following season, scoring 5 times, a career best. He made 34 appearances in the PrvaLiga and 14 appearances in European competitions, helping Olimpija to their first ever European group stage appearance.{{cite web |title=Ljubljana hosts the first ever group stage match of a European Cup: Olimpija takes on Slovan with high expectations |url=https://footballplanet.si/news/ljubljana-hosts-the-first-ever-group-stage-match-of-a-european-cup-olimpija-takes-on-slovan-with-high-expectations/ |website=Planet Nogomet |access-date=3 August 2024 |date=5 October 2023}} In December 2024, Ratnik became the youngest ever player in Olimpija's history to reach 100 appearances in the Slovenian top division, at the age of 20 years and 350 days.{{cite web |title=Marcel Ratnik pri Olimpiji premika rekordne mejnike: Branilec kot najmlajši v zgodovini kluba do 100 ligaških nastopov |url=https://planetnogomet.si/novice/marcel-ratnik-olimpija-najmlajsi-100/ |website=Planet Nogomet |access-date=8 December 2024 |language=sl-SI |date=8 December 2024}}

International career

Ratnik has represented Slovenia at all youth international levels from under-15 to under-21.{{cite web |title=Marcel Ratnik – U21 reprezentanca |url=https://www.nzs.si/Reprezentanca/?id_igralca=85418&id_selekcije=10 |website=nzs.si |publisher=Football Association of Slovenia |access-date=1 August 2023 |language=sl}}

He made his debut for the senior Slovenia national team on 20 January 2024 in a friendly against the United States.{{cite web |title=Marcel Ratnik, international football player |url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=32619 |website=eu-football.info |access-date=21 January 2024}}

Style of play

Ratnik can play as a full-back, but is predominantly a centre-back. He is known for his confidence with the ball at his feet, with Slovenian football portal Nogomania describing him as calm, sovereign, always alert and versatile.{{Cite web|publisher=Nogomania|url=https://www.nogomania.com/Novica/Riera-je-sprozil-mocan-impulz-v-karieri-Marcela-Ratnika-Slovenija-dobiva-unikatnega-nogometasa|title=Riera je sprožil močan impulz v karieri Marcela Ratnika, Slovenija dobiva unikatnega nogometaša|language=sl|access-date=1 August 2023|date=8 May 2023}} Due to the belief of Albert Riera, his coach during the 2022–23 season, that a player must be able to play in three different positions, Ratnik even played on the wing for a game towards the end of the season against Maribor.

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National cup{{efn\|Includes Slovenian Cup}} !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="5"\|Olimpija Ljubljana \|2021–22 \|rowspan="4"\|Slovenian PrvaLiga \|17	0	0	0	1{{efn\|name=conf\|Appearances in UEFA Conference League}}	0	18	0
2022–23 \|31	1	5	0	2{{efn\|name=conf}}	0	38	1
2023–24 \|34	5	1	0	14{{efn\|Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League, six appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}}	0	49	5
2024–25 \|22	0	1	0	13{{efn\|name=conf}}	0	36	0
colspan="2"\|Total !104	6	7	0	30	0	141	6
colspan="3"\|Career total !104	6	7	0	30	0	141	6

= International =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Slovenia \|2024	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total	1	0

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team

Year

Apps

Goals

Slovenia

|2024

colspan="2"|Total