Svab: “Everything open with PAOK, I want to play for at least two more years”

THE Stefan Svab spoke to Austria and, among other things, mentioned to PAOK. His contract with the North Dikefalos is completing in the summer and the 34 -year -old noted that there has not yet been a discussion with the team and everything is open.

In detail his statements:

You’ve been playing in PAOK for almost five years now. How do you see your course there?

I see my course very positively. We won a cup and a championship. This is very big for PAOK and of course for me personally. In Austria, I only managed to win the 2nd Division, while with Rapid there were two defeats in the Cup finals. It was something special, because if we look at that time, we understand how good Zalzburg was. My term in PAOK was not an adventure, as many initially thought. When I made the decision, I had already appreciated all the parameters and found it to be a team with vision and abilities. It was also very useful for my personal development to play abroad.

How would you describe your experience there?

PAOK is a great team, the largest in northern Greece with many fans. This was also evident when we played in the Europa League this year, where we had about 5-6 thousand fans away. PAOK is not historically known for its titles, as there are other teams with much more conquests. In northern Greece it is much more difficult to win titles than the Athens teams. That’s why my course with the cup and the championship was special. PAOK has only four championships and we won the most recent. We are in the history books, because there are not many players who have won titles with PAOK. The president told us that he would draw our names on the court in golden letters. That’s why it’s something special and people have felt it …

Your contract with PAOK expires in the summer. Will you renew it?

We are close to the beginning of the playoffs. Last year, after the championship title, I renewed it when I was on vacation. We have very good communication and I believe that both sides see it positively. At the end of the season there will be a specific discussion with PAOK. I have already told me that they would like to keep me in the team for longer. But I haven’t decided yet, because I want to keep playing. I am in good physical condition and in recent years I have had few injuries. However, everything is open for now.

Does this mean that return to Rapid concentrates chances?

You can never exclude it. I played there for many years, but of course I don’t know exactly Rapid’s strategy. They are now increasingly investing in younger players. If I return to Austria, it would be nice to be Rapid the first team to contact me. We need to see what Rapid has plans and if it fits. If not, maybe I play somewhere else in Austria. I also realize that as the years go by, it will be harder to return to Rapid.

You said you want to continue your career. How many years will we see Stefan Svab as an active footballer?

I don’t want to limit it to a year, but I have been saying at least two more years. Then I have to see how I feel, how fit I will be and how much motivation I will have.

Since we are talking about the future: Two years ago you completed your master’s degree in Business and Sport Management. What are your plans for life after football?

I did it because I see it as a possibility of working in the field of sports management or other administrative positions, either in football or in other areas. On the other hand, I am also interested in coaching. That is why I intend to consider this direction and get the training licenses. Honestly, I want to keep all the options open. It is important for me to have knowledge in both directions. I want to avoid rejecting a good suggestion because I miss the training or permission for her.

You have mentioned that staying in PAOK in another position is a possible scenario.

It depends on what happens and how things will evolve. We have not spoken specifically about it, but if I want it and if I am interested, there is definitely the opportunity to do something to PAOK.

When did you start thinking about life after your career?

This was when I was around 28-30. I thought: What can I do now that will help me later?