Gacinovic: “Jovanovic played a role in my decision for Panathinaikos”

The plan presented by Ivan Jovanovic and what he learned about this year’s presence of Panathinaikos was the reason why Mijat Gacinovic decided to continue his career in Greece, despite having proposals from German and Italian clubs.

What he said about the coach of the “clover”, his first days in Athens and his adaptation to the “greens”.

Detailed what the Serbian midfielder stated in the match program of the match against Lamia

You have only completed a few days in Greece and Panathinaikos. How is your adjustment?

“I have been in Greece and in the team for a very short time, but all the children helped me to adapt quickly. I feel happy and calm. “I started taking time off after a while and that is positive to regain the rhythm of the games and feel better on the field.”

Have you found what you expected at Panathinaikos?

“I knew the size of the club and now I can see it up close. A great team with a lot of fans. But at the same time a lot of pressure and responsibility for me. But the truth is that that is why I chose to come to Panathinaikos. “I wanted such a big club, with demands and pressure in order to push myself for the best.”

What was it that pushed you to leave the Bundesliga to come to the Greek championship?

“To be honest, there were many people in Germany who were surprised by my decision to leave there and come to Greece, mainly because I had proposals from the Bundesliga and Italy, and even from the USA. What I wanted, however, was a great club, even in a lower level league than the German or Italian, that would give me the opportunity to play and claim titles. “The big matches are an extra motivation for me because I want to show that I can still be at the highest level with a team that stars.”

Your first impressions of the Greek championship?

“The big teams are not many but all the games are difficult and ambiguous. It’s interesting, I like it… »

Why did you choose Panathinaikos?

“The coach played the most important role for me to come. He explained to me the plan and the role he wants to have in the team and in general his vision for Panathinaikos. And it was something I liked. I knew about Panathinaikos, anyway, that it is a great team, as well as that Athens is an excellent city that I would not have the slightest problem. This is exactly what I wanted. “I talked to my family, my managers and my team Hoffenheim and we came to the conclusion that Panathinaikos is the best choice.”

Is returning to the Serbian national team an additional motivation for you?

“Yes definitely. I was a member of the National team for a long time. Of course when you are not competing you can not expect to be called again. That’s also a reason I came. To play, to get games, to help the team have good results in order to arouse interest in me again. And if I deserve it, to be called up to the National team again. ”

What do you think when you hear the name Panathinaikos?

“Panathinaikos is a very big team. I have known this since I was a child. Great players like Jibril Cisse, Gilberto Silva, George Karagounis, Pranic, Petritsch, Zeka, many great players have passed. I remember Panathinaikos playing in the European Cups and the Champions League, winning titles and of course I saw the stadiums full of “crazy” fans. I have these pictures… »

The moment when you will play on the Avenue is approaching. You have heard about passion and you have seen images. Are you looking forward to it? Of course, the stadiums are still almost empty due to coronavirus restrictions;

“I really look forward to playing on the Avenue in front of our world next time. This is another reason I chose to come. I look forward to the big games that will follow. ”

Does the pressure of the derby fascinate you more?

“It simply came to our notice then. It is something special. For this kind of toys you live and breathe. Obviously as a big team you have to win all the matches but the derby is football. The pressure, the atmosphere, the passion, make you want victory more than anything else. ”

Where do you delimit the goals of Panathinaikos this year?

“We are going through a season that Panathinaikos is giving, and will give a battle, for the conquest of the Cup. This is a key goal, to help the team win a title after a while. At the same time, we will fight for the playoffs and the return of the club to the European Cups. ”

What do you think about the team’s style of play?

“It’s my style. We have shown that we can dominate the field and play attacking football regardless of the opponent. We have great potential… »

What atmosphere have you encountered in the locker room?

“I honestly felt from the first day how everyone rushed to welcome me, help me and offer me everything I need to adapt faster and better. I found an amazing atmosphere. It was very important for me to be in a new country and in a new team and yet I immediately felt so familiar and friendly. And that happened to everything, not just football. For the apartment, for the car, even for the haircut (laughs). “Everyone helps and that shows a lot about the atmosphere inside the team.”

In other words, was the adaptation in Greece and Panathinaikos easier than in Germany?

“Yes, there is no doubt. I was younger then. In Germany everything went slower, and everything was completely new to me. The culture, the people, even the procedures to stay in a house, get a car or furniture are more time consuming. But in countries like Greece and Serbia, everything moves faster, more intensely. Here, already, within a few days, I left the hotel and moved to a new house, while in Germany the corresponding process took time. First find the apartment, then the furniture, then the wifi. And here everything has already progressed! ”

Did you know anyone at Panathinaikos or is everything new to you?

“Everyone on the team is new to me. I had no acquaintance. “I only knew some people just as footballers, as names who have played in some big clubs but I have never met anyone.”

Apart from the coach, did you talk to anyone else before making the decision? “Google” to get information?

“I had to talk to some players who play in Greece. But not from Panathinaikos because, as I said, they did not have personal contact with anyone in the team. But everyone I talked to told me the same thing: that Panathinaikos plays good football, that it dominates the field and that I will not lose if I come. I searched the internet to see the status of the team, which is in the standings. “I talked to people to get information and of course the coach explained the whole situation to me.”

However, you came to a difficult period for the team with three consecutive defeats but also at a key point as everything will be judged from now until the end of the season…

“Yes indeed. But I expected that we would also have difficult moments. The positive thing is that the team, despite the negative results and the pressure, remains united. Only in this way we can overcome the difficulties, recover and win the next games starting from the match with Lamia. We want to start building a winning streak from now on. And for my part, I hope to be at 100% soon to help too. ”

Your favorite place on the field?

“At number 10 as an attacking midfielder or on the left side…”

How do you see Athens? What are your first impressions?

“Obviously I have not seen many things but I like it. I have walked to some places, I have visited some restaurants, I generally like it. “I was told from the beginning that it was unlikely that I would not like the city.”

Did you come alone or with your family?

“I came alone but I hope they will be with me in about a month. My wife is pregnant and will give birth right away, which is why we could not be together from the beginning. We are expecting a baby boy again… »

This is good news. Good luck! How old is your son?

“He is a little over two years old… At the age he is, you can now play, talk. There is communication, response, interaction. I really enjoy it… »

I realize that family plays a very important role in your life…

“To be honest, the family part is very important to me. I think it is important now to have a life beyond football. Football used to be everything to me. All day there was only football, whether I was playing or watching a ball. This has changed since I met my wife. “And I think I needed it to have time outside of football.”

Have you ever visited Greece again?

“I have come three more times in the past for holidays in Mykonos with friends and my wife. We really like it. It is not just an island for parties. It has many nice and quiet places. I think it offers everything. ”

Have you tried Greek cuisine?

“I tried a round! “We have it in Serbia, of course, but I had to try it here as well.”

Is there anything that has impressed you?

“Here they drink espresso three, four or even five times a day (laughs)! I do not drink that much coffee. But I tried and it’s okay. ”

How do you spend your time off the field, away from training?

“I spend most of my time with my family. I also watch football. “My son likes it too and we’ll see together.”

Are you saying he should become a footballer too? You have a family tradition, after all, since your father also played professional football and later followed a coaching career…

“The truth is that he has started kicking the ball, he likes it. But I do not want to put pressure on him to become a footballer too (laughs). Like me, I did not need anyone to convince me to become a footballer. “I could not imagine doing anything else.”

Did the fact that your father was a footballer make it easier for you to get into football or did it put more pressure on you?

“It definitely helped me because I always had someone to give me advice in all areas of the game. On the other hand, it was difficult because my father was also my coach and I always felt that I had to be much, much better than the others to prove that I was not playing because of my father. “Also, my mother played handball and she knew from such situations and she also helped me a lot.”

Do you like other sports besides football? What are you watching?

“Yes, I like a lot of sports: basketball, tennis in general I like sports…”

The Serbs also have a long tradition in sports…

“Indeed, Serbia is a country with talent in many sports. And I believe that with the right mentality we can achieve a lot. We showed it in the recent World Cup qualifiers. I think we look like Greece in this. We are not big countries but we have talent. And with the right mentality and guidance we can succeed. ”

If nothing else, you and your generation have had great success in football. The biggest that Serbia has ever had in terms of national teams…

“What we achieved was very big for Serbian football. We won the European Under-19 and the Under-20 World Cup. Great successes, unforgettable moments. I remember, three years before the World Cup, when we first met our then coach Paunovic, he showed us a video from the ’87 World Youth Cup in Chile lifted by Yugoslavia. And he told us: “In three years we will do the same.” We looked at each other then with a question. But in the end he was right and we did it. He formed a team that whoever he played with, was not afraid of anything and entered the field saying “today we will win”. Terrible mentality… »

What is the message you would like to send to the world of Panathinaikos?

“We want our fans by our side, especially now in difficult times. The team needs their support. “We, for our part, will give everything on the pitch to bring faith to our fans that we can achieve something good.”