Thoughts of our team’s head coach Mirko Jelicic after the match with Olimpik.
– We knew in advance that this match would be difficult. All teams in the Pro League are preparing well now, and the mood is good. That’s why any match is difficult, and that’s what happened today. There were a few situations where we had to score. Olimpik also tried and tried to play football.
– You worked for Olimpik before. About the match against your former team.
– Yes, on the one hand it’s difficult, on the other hand it’s funny to talk about it. Because I’ve only recently been working here. I liked their game today. The team has good coaches. It’s hard to pay attention to another team when you’re from another team. But I liked the fact that the players in the team supported each other and tried to play football. We really needed three points. I couldn’t sit back and watch it as my former team. But half of my heart was in Olimpik, half in Lokomotiv. Because my son also plays in Olimpik.
– What do you think about the new players in the team? Six players joined the team before the second half of the season.
– Time will tell. The guys are starting to understand each other. It’s not bad so far. If the adaptation is not completed, it won’t be easy to fight for the starting lineup. But we need to continue to develop, because the championship is ongoing and we are working on development and research. The new players can help us with their strengths. The new players played in this league, in this team, and therefore they can still grow as a team.
– Question to Sadriddin Abdullayev: When the management offered you to work in the first team, did you immediately agree?
Sadriddin Abdullayev: – I immediately agreed because I knew that Mirko Jelicic was coming to the team. Because I still have to grow and learn. We are learning little by little, we still have a lot to learn. We will continue to learn and try to return Lokomotiv to its place.
– The playing style of the Lokomotiv U19 team is similar to the playing style of the first team. What is your opinion on this?
– I learned a lot from Mirko Jelicic during my football career, as a coach. Then I also tried to adapt the U19 team to Mirko’s playing style. I know what Jelicic demands and wants. Maybe that’s why the playing style is similar. But I still have a lot to learn. We’ve been working together for a month, and there’s still a lot I don’t know.