Serbian defender Milan Mijatovic from Dynamo spoke about preparing for the season, his chances of competing for a place in the starting lineup and progress in learning Russian.
— Did you enjoy the BetBoom Brotherly Cup in Moscow most of all? Who did you manage to talk to? What were your impressions of the tournament?
— It was a great pleasure to play at the Brotherly Cup, where I met many Serbian friends. We had a particularly warm chat with Nemanja Nikolić from Partizan and Alex Vukicevic from OFK Belgrade. The tournament was organized at the highest level, and the atmosphere was just great. I would like to praise and thank the fans separately.
— Another fitness coach, Armiche, joined the team during the off-season, plus Sergey Parshivlyuk joined the coaching staff. Did pre-season become even harder than before?
— Any pre-season is difficult in itself, as you are laying the foundation for the next season. After my injury and recovery, I trained especially hard, so I am well prepared for upcoming games.
— The game against Fakel in the first round was not easy — we played for more than half a match with one less player. How did you cope with the opponents’ attack, considering that it was the first time you played with this combination of defenders?
— I think we all did a good job, gave our best on the field and thus achieved a well-deserved victory. I’m glad that we managed to play well defensively, and Vanya Lepskiy also scored a goal. I’m proud of him.
— I remember the episode when you made a crazy dash in the end and knocked the ball out from under the striker’s feet in a slide tackle in the penalty area. Who in the team can compare with you in terms of speed over long distances?
— It’s hard to say, there are a lot of fast players at Dynamo, so I wouldn’t like to single anyone out.
— In the coming weeks, Fabian Balbuena, Nicolás Marichal, Roberto Fernández will return to the squad, and competition in the center of defense will intensify. Do you feel ready to play in the starting lineup on a permanent basis?
— I’m glad they’re returning to the team. The season is long, and there will be a lot of games. I have to keep training hard and try to take every opportunity, and the head coach will decide who will go on the field. I believe that I will have opportunities to prove myself.
— At Dynamo, you have already played both in the center and on both flanks of defense. Where do you feel most comfortable?
— I feel best in the center of defense, but I can play on both left and right flank without any problems.
— We saw how well you answered the journalist’s questions in Russian after the match against Fakel. What is your current level of language proficiency?
— I can say that I already speak Russian quite well, but still, I still have a lot to learn. I communicate with everyone in the team, and this helps me constantly progress in this regard.
— Who would you call your best friend in the team?
— I guess I’m closest with Sasha Kutitsky and Andrey Kudravets.
— Did you follow the European Championship? Did you learn something new from this tournament?
— Yes, of course, I watched the Euro matches, saw a lot of great performers who can teach me a lot, and noticed some moments for myself.
— On Saturday we will have the first derby of the season against Lokomotiv. What can you say about our nearest rival?
— Lokomotiv has a good team, so it will be a tough game for us. I hope that the fans will see a great match and our victory.