AEL player and captain of the Montenegrin national team, Stefan Jovetić, as well as the national team’s head coach, Mirko Vučinić.
The veteran forward emphasized that they must be 150% ready, noting that while they may be slight favorites, Cyprus has shown it has good players.
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He also described some of the players he had played alongside in the past at Omonia (such as Fabiano, Panayiotou, Andreou, Loizou, and others).
Here are their statements in detail:
Stefan Jovetić
On the match against Cyprus: “I think that was our mistake in the past—we always put on unnecessary extra pressure. We’re slight favorites, but we’re not Spain—we can’t just assume we’ll take all the points. Overconfidence is never a good thing. We need to keep our heads down and prove, first and foremost on the field, that we’re the better team. We beat Cyprus four years ago, but a lot has changed. Now they’re a team with players playing abroad. I play there myself; I know them from the league, and I can say they’re good players. If we’re not at 150%, we might run into trouble.”
On Cyprus and the players he knows: “Fabiano is an excellent goalkeeper; he’s Brazilian and has been playing for them for a year or two now. Panagiotou is a center back, and Loizos plays for Red Star. And the forward Pittas is dangerous. There are also defensive midfielders Andreou and Kastanos, on whom their game depends. The Cypriots have quite a few good players. We’ve analyzed them, we’ve talked about them, and we know what we need to watch out for.”
He also added about his team: “If we play up to our potential, if we ‘give it our all’ on the field, as we must, then a lot depends on us. We might have a bad game—that can happen. But we can’t let our will and desire falter.”
On his readiness: “I don’t set the schedule—the coach does. Whatever he decides, he has the best intentions. I know we can’t all play, and I certainly can’t play in every game. The younger players probably can, while it’s a bit harder for the older ones. But for as long as needed, I’m here 300%.”
Mirko Vučinić
Initial comment: “We have to run, fight, and cover for our teammates. That’s the only way we can expect anything. We need unity; we have to earn the jersey we wear. If it’s not difficult, then it will be difficult. I haven’t thought about how many points would satisfy us from these four games. Right now we’re focused on Cyprus, and then we’ll see.”
On preparation and team news: “We’ve trained well; we’re all healthy, except for Haksabanović, who got injured and we’ll miss him a lot. Ever since he returned to the national team, he’s been outstanding, and his absence will be felt.”
On Sasuolo’s Vasilije Anjić: “We all know Anjić’s abilities. He’s here because he’s in good shape and playing. He’s with us, just like Savic, Jovetic, and Osmaic, who is also in good form. I don’t like to talk about individual players; what matters is the team.”
A general comment on the four matches in the tournament: “A lot depends on us. We have four games in ten days ahead of us, and staying fully focused and maintaining our energy will be crucial. Starting with the match against Cyprus, which plays well and proved it against Slovenia when it was down a player and still managed to earn a draw.”
Photo source: Football Association of Montenegro
