Juricic: “The most difficult thing for us is the loss of George – We can win the championship”

An interview on the Match Program of the match between Panathinaikos and Aris was given by Filip Djuric.

The Serbian midfielder spoke about the very difficult situation that prevails in the “greens” after the sudden loss of George Baldock, while he expressed the belief that his team can go all the way to winning the championship, despite their bad start.

In detail what he said:



On life without Baldock: “It’s not just difficult. It’s the hardest thing. There is nothing worse and nothing more difficult. Unfortunately, life is hard. But we are obliged to move forward. It’s hard, it’s hard, but you have to. This club existed a century before us and will exist after us. It is a very difficult and harsh situation. After a few days we had to go out on the field and play. Greece’s national team was forced to play only the day after George’s death. It was something very bad. Professional football has shown how rude it is. He showed no respect. We, for our part, must remain strong and united. We always say we are family and now we have to show it. We must do our best to honor George. This is the thought and this is what we say to each other. The game against OFI was too difficult for us to manage. But we had to come out victorious. And we did it”.

On how to deal with such a shocking event within a group: “It’s a shock. We were all together here at the training center until 2 in the afternoon. We joked, we worked out, we were in the sauna together, we told jokes as usual. And then you find out what happened. I had fallen asleep and my wife woke me up to tell me that George was dead. It was like a bad dream. Like waking up from a nightmare. But unfortunately you understand that it is a reality and a very harsh one at that. You can’t do anything else. You keep going. You don’t give up. You learn to appreciate more the things you have in your life, even the seemingly small ones. And of course you honor the person who is gone. We too must honor George’s memory”.

On how he experienced the game with OFI: “There is always pressure on Panathinaikos. That’s what great teams are like. You’re always playing to win, so you’re always under pressure. But in this case the pressure was even greater. We had to honor George’s memory with a win. It was the least we could do. Our emotions were very strong in this game. When we scored at the beginning we felt relieved because the goal we wanted came early. But then you feel the pressure again because you have to hold on to this victory at all costs. It was a very emotional game for all of us.”.

For George: “I will always remember him smiling. He was a laughing man. Always in a good and positive mood, always up for a joke, to join the conversations. He was forceful, spoke his mind. In addition to being a good teammate, he was also a good friend to all of us. Obviously with some players he hung out more but in general he had a very big and positive effect on the team. And that’s because he really was a very good boy. Sorry but I can’t find the right words to describe George. It’s very difficult for me”.

For the Mars game: “I think we have to treat this game like the one with OFI. Before entering the field, we said that “whatever happens, we have to leave the game as winners”. We didn’t care about anything. Only victory. In the same way we have to deal with the confrontation with Mars. It is a very important match for us. Certainly the team comes from a demanding European match against Chelsea but we have a large roster, we have quality and we also have a great will to win. The victory over OFI was important for the championship and should not be wasted. There must definitely be a sequel with a victory over Mars. In this game, the goal is to get the three points at all costs because we want to close the gap and get closer to the top.”.

On whether Panathinaikos has self-confidence and faith in view of the continuation, after the rants of its competitors: “Certainly! I think that the teams behind the big guys have gotten a lot stronger. They have improved significantly and are causing problems for everyone. Panaitolikos, Asteras, Kallithea, Panserraikos and other teams have raised their level. I think this also has to do with the fact that there is now more investment in Greek football. The stronger the big groups get, the more the smaller ones get stronger. For our part, we believe that we are in the game. After all, there are a lot of races left until the end, so the road is long. We have faith that we can succeed”.

On what Panathinaikos must do to reach the level of football they want to play: “We must try to stabilize our performance. Let’s play our football. We are Panathinaikos, we are a great team and we must always play at the same high level. We must have faith, perseverance and consistency and the results we want will come. I have been playing football for many years and I know that if you have these elements, the result will come. I am optimistic because we have a good team and a quality roster. We have the potential to be champions this year. People may not believe it, but we can. But we need cohesion, will and staying focused on our goal. There will be negative results, there will be ups and downs during a season that is long, but we always have to look ahead and continue our work with the aim of the next victory.”.

On how he feels football-wise after last season which was not so easy for him: “For me it was clear what I wanted. From the moment I didn’t go to Euro, I knew what I wanted. Obviously my wish was to be at the Euros and finish my career there at national team level. This eventually happened earlier since I was not called to the Serbia mission. From then on, always at the beginning of the season you feel a little strange. There are scenarios for players who will take your place, transfers are made but I always have a different rationale in mind. I say “even if you bring Messi to my place, I will try to compete with him and win the place”. If he is better, then he will play. But I believe in myself and I know the quality I have. I try to be healthy, play as well as possible and help my team. I want to contribute in goals, assists but also in other areas on the pitch. And as I said, the season is long and we are all indispensable to the team. So far I’m satisfied because I’ve scored goals, I’ve given assists and I’ve had an influence on what the team has achieved. The club trusts me, the coach trusts me, I think the world also sees that I am contributing and that I am well. Also, this year I have no obligations with the National team. I am fully committed to Panathinaikos and I hope for the best for our team”.