The season starts for DVSC with an away cup match against Armenian Alashkert. We asked our head coach, Srdjan Blagojevic, about the preparation, new players, and the Conference League.

Have you managed to complete the work that was planned for the training camp?

Yes, we managed to complete all the training sessions and matches that were planned for the training camp, nothing was postponed or cancelled. All players completed all training sessions and all of them had approximately the same number of minutes during the games. However, as coaches, we always miss at least one more practice, one more training or at least one more quality player.

How satisfied are you with the players’ attitude?

As I have already mentioned, I am very satisfied with the work and commitment of each player. Maybe, at some point, someone grumbles, complains but everyone does their job. Each player is aware of the fact that there is no success without dedication in work and without leaving the comfort zone. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts and praise them. This must be the standard, regardless of the circumstances of the next season. The only thing that I’m not satisfied with is how we looked like in most of the first half of the last game against Al-Shabab. Regardless of the fatigue, regardless of the fact that we played against one of the best teams in Saudi Arabia… Perhaps, some people think that individual and collective success will come without much effort. However, we are not a special team, I’m not a special coach, only hard work and a serious approach, along with passion and ambition can lead us to similar results. If we lose that, we have nothing to hope for.

At which stage of the progress is the team now? Are they ready for the start of the season?

My impression is that we have progressed compared to the winter camp in Turkey. All of this is a consequence of the continuous work of the team and the professional staff. We are ready physically and we must maintain this level during the competition. From a tactical and technical point of view, there is still a lot of room for work and progress. The next season must be viewed not as a 100-meter race but more like a marathon. There will be ups and downs, victories but also defeats. The most important thing is that we stick together in all cases. It refers to the players, coaches, management and fans as well. All of us will need patience, trust, support and respect. Let’s remain what we were: modest, respectful, quiet, focused exclusively on work, without big announcements and unrealistic expectations.

What is your opinion about the new players?

In my opinion, we also made progress in this aspect. We tried to find the best solution and I hope that we managed to do that. It was not easy to find players who fit into this team and club, and who are within the limits of our possibilities. I believe that we made a good choice and we got more competition in the team. We give them daily attention in order to help them adapt to the team as soon as possible.

The Armenian Alashkert will be our opponent in the Conference League.

The result of the return match says a lot… Winning away from home so convincingly and being absolutely dominant in both matches, regardless of the draw in the first match, should be of great respect. It is clear that we have a big challenge and a demanding opponent in front of us. I especially liked their offensive potential. Regardless of all that, we have a huge desire to show that we deserve to play in the European competition. This is what we have been fighting for during the last season and we want to enjoy it. Let’s go step by step, respecting our opponents but believing in ourselves.