Zoran Zekic: "Each player of our team will play for more than 100%"
FC Sheriff head coach Zoran Zekic, about the upcoming match of the first qualifying round of the Champions League against FC Saburtalo:
- Good day. There is nothing special to say, just a couple of words. Tomorrow we have a game. I have been here for two months. I think that through the Championship games we raised the level of the game of the team and the football shown by us. We have a plan, and I am sure that tomorrow my team will be ready to use everything that we have prepared. We analyzed the game of the opponent. Tomorrow we will be ready from a tactical point of view.
- Don’t you worry about the fact that tomorrow the players will take to the pitch who have not played together before?
- Of course, this can be a problem. But, thank God, these guys have already played football, in several teams, before transfer to Sheriff. I did not invent anything supernatural. I would also like them to have more time with us, but the situation is like that. I think we should not cry. The guys are set well. Tomorrow there will be a very good field, good weather. God willing, there will be many spectators. The rest will be said by the players.
- What can you say about the opponent?
- I can say a lot about them. My players are already tired, I guess. We watched their matches, did a lot of analysis. Therefore, I can say that we treat the opponent team with all respect. This is the champion of Georgia. I can say that the team is trying to play the pass, playing very compactly in defense. We have done our analysis. This is very interesting to me. When I played football, we had no such opportunity. When we played in European competitions, we almost didn’t know who we were meeting with, we only thought about ourselves. Again, we respect the opponent. For two months that I am here, I understand how we will play in defense, and in attack. The main thing is that we mustn’t make mistakes tomorrow. It will be a completely different game than in the Moldova Championship. At the same time, it is worth rejoicing for this, thinking in a positive way, we have to run and make less mistakes.
- Last time you headed the team, you didn’t succeed in European competitions. Will tomorrow's confrontation be something special?
- Last time I was a black, tall and very beautiful boy. Five years have passed. I think. That I gained an experience. It so happened that Osijek played for three years in European competition. Of course, there is a great desire to do a good job. Then our opponent was stronger than FC Sheriff. Much stronger. We respect our opponent. Tomorrow's game is very important to us. Then, there will be more time, more games played together by our players, who just came to the team. And with each match will be better and better.
- You have the opportunity to address to the supporters, to all the spectators who will come to the stadium tomorrow. What would you like to tell them?
- I’ve said before, and I repeat now: if there will be a lot of spectators tomorrow, it will be wonderful. I want everything that we have worked on in training, everything tomorrow could be seen. I am sure that the audience will know that each player of our team will play for more than 100%. Everyone who takes the field. I'm sure of this.
FC Sheriff Press Office
- Good day. There is nothing special to say, just a couple of words. Tomorrow we have a game. I have been here for two months. I think that through the Championship games we raised the level of the game of the team and the football shown by us. We have a plan, and I am sure that tomorrow my team will be ready to use everything that we have prepared. We analyzed the game of the opponent. Tomorrow we will be ready from a tactical point of view.
- Don’t you worry about the fact that tomorrow the players will take to the pitch who have not played together before?
- Of course, this can be a problem. But, thank God, these guys have already played football, in several teams, before transfer to Sheriff. I did not invent anything supernatural. I would also like them to have more time with us, but the situation is like that. I think we should not cry. The guys are set well. Tomorrow there will be a very good field, good weather. God willing, there will be many spectators. The rest will be said by the players.
- What can you say about the opponent?
- I can say a lot about them. My players are already tired, I guess. We watched their matches, did a lot of analysis. Therefore, I can say that we treat the opponent team with all respect. This is the champion of Georgia. I can say that the team is trying to play the pass, playing very compactly in defense. We have done our analysis. This is very interesting to me. When I played football, we had no such opportunity. When we played in European competitions, we almost didn’t know who we were meeting with, we only thought about ourselves. Again, we respect the opponent. For two months that I am here, I understand how we will play in defense, and in attack. The main thing is that we mustn’t make mistakes tomorrow. It will be a completely different game than in the Moldova Championship. At the same time, it is worth rejoicing for this, thinking in a positive way, we have to run and make less mistakes.
- Last time you headed the team, you didn’t succeed in European competitions. Will tomorrow's confrontation be something special?
- Last time I was a black, tall and very beautiful boy. Five years have passed. I think. That I gained an experience. It so happened that Osijek played for three years in European competition. Of course, there is a great desire to do a good job. Then our opponent was stronger than FC Sheriff. Much stronger. We respect our opponent. Tomorrow's game is very important to us. Then, there will be more time, more games played together by our players, who just came to the team. And with each match will be better and better.
- You have the opportunity to address to the supporters, to all the spectators who will come to the stadium tomorrow. What would you like to tell them?
- I’ve said before, and I repeat now: if there will be a lot of spectators tomorrow, it will be wonderful. I want everything that we have worked on in training, everything tomorrow could be seen. I am sure that the audience will know that each player of our team will play for more than 100%. Everyone who takes the field. I'm sure of this.
FC Sheriff Press Office