Mitja Ilenič is heading to Poland as a report from Tomasz Włodarczyk of Meczyki says that the fullback will join Raków Częstochowa on loan from New York City FC, with an option in place for the Polish club to buy the 21-year-old fullback if they so choose. (Update 1/17: New York City FC confirmed Ilenič’s departure on a loan through December 2026)
He’s reportedly flying to Turkey today to join up with Raków, where the club is preparing for the second half of its season. The move, if completed and publicly announced, would end a mini-transfer saga around the young defender.
Ilenič was excluded from New York City FC’s traveling roster for preseason announced when the club left to start their preseason in Florida, with the official announcement transparently saying NYCFC was negotiating a transfer away for the Slovenian right-back.
Andrew Leigh
Ilenič will end his New York City career (for now, since it’s just a loan) with three goals and five assists across 75 appearances in all competitions since arriving in 2023.
Across three seasons, Ilenič never was able to surpass Tayvon Gray as New York City’s preferred option on the right of the defense, and his time ended somewhat unceremoniously, as he appeared to fall out of favor with Head Coach Pascal Jansen and got somewhat buried on the bench to close out the 2025 season.
He’ll now head to the Polish top flight, the Ekstraklasa, where his new Raków club sits in 4th Place in the 18-team table. Raków Częstochowa is currently ranked by Transfermarkt as the second-most-valuable squad in the Ekstraklasa, so Ilenič heads back to Europe – he joined NYCFC from NK Domzale in his native Slovenia – and to a team with aspirations to finish near the top of its league while competing against clubs like Lech Poznan and Legia Warszawa.
Good luck to him. Always liked him, but I guess he got in Pascal’s doghouse and never really got out.
Yeah, something happened in there. Pascal was pretty cryptic about it, but “Mitja has other things on his mind” was a clear signal Ilenič was on his way out. Too bad, he clearly has skills. But he can’t defend at anything even close to Tayvon’s level, and Tay has brought his attacking skills up to Mitja’s, or very close to it. Now we’ll see what Drew Baiera can bring to the big club, I guess. I liked him well enough at the Deuce. And he’ll get the chance to play. Pascal proved with the way he handled Jonny Shore, he’s not afraid to go to the young guys.