Dejan, welcome to Zenit! Tell us about the move and how you feel right now.
Thank you! I am happy and proud to join Zenit. I would like to thank Sergei Semak and Alexander Medvedev for making this move happen.
What did you know about Zenit and the city of St. Petersburg before agreeing to sign for the blue-white-sky blues?
I knew that Zenit are the best team in Russia and the league champions for the last two years and that Zenit have also just won the Cup too. For me, this is important not only because of the status of the club but also because quality teammates are waiting for me. I know that Zenit pay a lot of attention to European football, especially the Champions League, and this is important to me too. I’ve already had an impact on this tournament, but I want more, now I would like to to pass on my experience to new teammates and help the team go as far as possible.
During the 2018 World Cup, the Croatia national team trained near St. Petersburg. Did you manage to see the city? What did you think of St. Petersburg and Russia?
Yes, we lived near St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, we only passed through the city, but even just seeing it like this made quite an impression on me and it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I also liked Roshchino where we stayed, it had beautiful views and wonderful nature. The World Cup in Russia was wonderful, I also played at the Brazil 2014 World Cup and I can say that the Russian World Cup was the best in history.
Dejan, do you have a message for the Zenit fans?
Firstly, I’m looking forward to the fans returning to the stadiums in full, and not just ten percent or at half capacity, but completely full. We have such a large and modern stadium it should be completely full! For my part, I will try to earn the supporters' respect with how I play and my hard work in training. I know that it will not be easy, but I will give all my energy and strength to this. I’ll see you all at the Gazprom Arena!
