How is the feeling in the team after the recent run of bad results? Four matches without a win, only two goals scored. And how are preparations going for the match with CSKA?
It’s true that the last four games haven’t gone as we would have liked, but that’s football. Every team in the world have times when things don’t go their way, when they don’t win and don’t score as many goals as they want. Either way everything depends on us, we have three more games ahead of us to reach our aim to win the league. If we win those games, and if we go through in the Cup, then we will have a chance to do the double. We have four more games ahead of us, and if everything goes well, that will be five games, so if we play at our best then everything will be fine.
You are one of the players who most often talks to the referees during matches, what language do you speak to refs in? Have you always done this, or only in Russia?
Yes I sometimes talk to the referees, but it's not planned and there’s no intent behind it, it’s just me. If I disagree with something, I immediately tell the ref. Since I’ve come to Russia I’ve not said a single bad word to a referee. We somehow find a common language, not all the referees speak English, but football is our common language and we always speak as politely as possible, because they are just doing their job and trying their best.
Krasnodar and Dynamo are only one-point behind Zenit in the title race. Does this mean Zenit will be more cautious in games and not take risks?
In every game we try not to concede goals and to score goals. You’re right, we have a one-point advantage, so we mustn’t panic and not think about what Dynamo or Krasnodar are doing. As I’ve already said, everything entirely depends on us. We have three serious games ahead of us, everyone is like a final, and the next final is the game with CSKA.
Milan Gajić plays for CSKA and I believe you are friends and you played together in Belgrade. Does this make the game with CSKA a more important for you?
Yes, we are really good friends, as I am with Saša Zdjelar. We are all Serbian and all friends, but during the game we will be opponents and after the game we will be friends again. But for me, the most important thing is to end the game with a win.
