The start of the European football season is marked by the Montenegrin striker. Nikola Krstović is the top scorer of the League of Conferences, and with incredible strength and confidence, this season he also treated the audience to a number of spectacular goals - Eurogoals. Two "scissors", in a series of seven goals in six games.
The Montenegrin representative is the most deserving of the best European result of the Slovakian Dunajska Streda in the history of the club - the third round of qualifications was won.
- We are going to Steaua and we are not without chances, on the contrary! I know that duels with Risto Radunović await me, we are in contact. He missed the first match due to a stomach virus, but in the second leg he showed courage and class and scored the decisive goal against Saburtal. However, our goal is the group stage of the Conference League, we have a young, talented and fast team and I think we can do it. It's only important that my young teammates play at the level they can - said the 22-year-old Montenegrin representative.
He also scored a nice goal in the second leg against Vikingur, after he received the ball 40 meters away and muscled his way into space for a shot from 25 meters, catching two defenders and the opponent's goalkeeper wrong-footed.
- Good work pays off, fantastic physical preparation, and I never lacked self-confidence. I never doubted my abilities, and we still did fantastic preparations and work hard every day. I am also aware that I am ready for a bigger step in my career, but I still have three years left on my contract, and the compensation is astronomical. Despite this, there were several offers to buy out my contract, but my agent refused. We'll wait for the right one. I have fantastic conditions here, they are doing excellent work, so much so that the goal is the first title in the club's history. Three times second and now we are going to that last step, and the administration is doing a fantastic job, as well as the new coach Adrijan Gula, who relied on the young men who played less before. And his coaching staff is full of professionals and the result will not be lacking, captain Zolt Kalmar, Hungarian national team player, is returning to the team after a long break due to injury.
It was Krstović who qualified the club for the Conference League, as he was the scorer in both playoff matches. He scored in both games of the Fortuna League since the start of the season.
- I scored a goal for Žilina to equalize, but we didn't take advantage of complete dominance - 21 shots. But that's football, we have the game, we strive for quick attacks and pass play and so far everything is going according to plan. And I'm on the ground, despite the praise for the games and goals. In Streda, they recognized that I have quality, they "put" me on the right track, and now I'm following the path I had in Zeta at the start of my career.
From Zeta to Zvezda, is there any regret from the "red and whites" that they let you off the hook?
- I don't have any contacts with the administration or the coaching staff, I trained hard, even bloody, but I didn't get a real chance. There are other stories and things, but I never doubted myself for a moment. Now, after every goal, my former teammates from Zvezda call me and congratulate me, I was treated unfairly, and they knew that from training. Others recognized it too - concluded Krstović.
Insufficient investments and inaction are ruining Montenegrin club football
Although he played a game against Vikingur the night before, Nikola Krstović was already at his workplace at eight o'clock in the morning - Dunajska Streda Academy.
- Just like at work, arrival, breakfast, rest, then activation in terms of preparation for training, after which 45 minutes of recovery is mandatory, then lunch and around 15 pm I could go home. Some days there are training sessions in the afternoon, then we go to the rooms at the base, although there is everything you need to have a good time - from pool tables, computers, video games... At the base, only three kilometers from the center, we have 20 field, two gyms. Although it is a small town, but close to Bratislava and Djerba, the conditions are certainly not better than Real Madrid - says Krstović.
What do you think are the reasons for the collapse of Montenegrin clubs in Europe?
- Insufficient investments, indiscipline and idleness! You can't just rely on undisputed talent, with an hour of training, to which you come 15 minutes before and without preparation, and then you strain this and that - injuries, like I did in Zeta. Just look at the performance of our players from other leagues in this round of European qualifications, it's fantastic, but we don't do enough and don't do it seriously. In Streda, even after the match and training, you have to spend 45 minutes recovering, with massagers, cold water, and special devices.
We will win the Nations League group
After six years as a young national team player, Nikola Krstović made his dreams come true, wearing the A selection jersey three times.
- We lacked something in young, we had quality and play. I hope it will be better in the next cycle. After six years I finished that episode. Now I can only contribute to the A team, we played great in the League of Nations and we will win in Bosnia and beat Finland to win the group. We have the game, the quality and the atmosphere, especially when Stevan Jovetić and Stefan Savić come back... We all play well, but we need their experience - believes Krstović.
Maybe he was lucky to take the ball in the duel, but after his shot from 25 meters you can only say - my god, what a shot. It was a killer move, which decided the game - Cliftonville coach Paddy McLaughlin described Krstović's goal in Ireland in the rematch with his team
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