One of the players who has marked the past month in the Portuguese Primeira Liga is Famalicao goalkeeper Lazar Carevic. In all three matches played during that period, the 25-year-old goalkeeper kept his net intact, the club from Vila Nova won seven out of a possible nine points, and Carevic was named the best goalkeeper in the league.
Our international won 19,66 percent of the votes in the Goalkeeper of the Month election, finishing ahead of Cesario Mista (Rio Ave) and Gabriel Batista (Santa Clara).
- I am certainly satisfied with how I adapted to the new environment and how I coped. Coming from Vojvodina is a step forward for me - moving from the Serbian league to the Portuguese one. I received that award - I am overjoyed. I hope I will continue with good games - Carević told "Vijesti".
THE NET WAS STILL FOR FIVE MATCHES IN A ROW
Carević got his chance in mid-December, when he stepped in goal in place of the injured Ivan Zlobin.
- They brought me in as the first goalkeeper. Zlobin defended excellently until the moment he got injured against Braga. I got a chance and I think I made the most of it. The club is very happy with me. The most important thing for me is to defend and to progress.
Carevic and Famalicao kept a clean sheet against Guimarães, Gil Vicente and Moreirense in February. They had previously kept a clean sheet against Estrella Amador and Boavista, equalling the club's record of five consecutive clean sheets, which had stood since the 1992/1993 season.
- We've equaled a record that's been going for over 30 years, five consecutive games without conceding a goal. It's certainly an indicator that we're doing well at the club - not just me, but the entire defense. It's no small feat to keep a clean sheet in Portugal. Everything is going as it should - says Carević.
Carević defended in the championship, among other things, against Benfica and Sporting, but was not among the goals against Porto.
- You can see that the league is much better than in Serbia. The game is much faster and stronger, there are more duels. A big step forward for me. I had a period when I didn't play, but I trained - I was ready and took advantage of the opportunity. The matches against Benfica and Sporting are just a plus for me. We recently played against Sporting at their stadium, there were about 40.000 people, a nice atmosphere and a real fight with such a big club.
He is clearly enjoying life in Portugal.
- I'm by the sea, Porto is close. I like the environment and the club. Everything is top-notch, I have nothing to complain about.
The Montenegrin goalkeeper signed a four-year contract with Famalicao.
- I defend consistently and well. I go from game to game. I hope that both I and the club will do it properly, that we will fight for the best possible position in the table. We will see later. I don't have any plans to leave right away, I just arrived. I want to have the whole season under my belt and be ready to welcome new challenges. I am very satisfied here - the club is organized, the president, sports director, coach, everything is at a huge level. I am pleased to be part of this club - said Carević.
I DESERVED THE CALL.
The former goalkeeper of Grbalj, Barcelona B and Vojvodina last played for the Montenegrin national team in March 2023, when he was attacked by some fans during the warm-up before the match against Serbia at the stadium under Gorica because he was wearing blue, white and red gloves.
He was last on the list for the matches against Hungary in the European Championship qualifiers and a friendly match with the Czech Republic in June 2023, but he did not appear at the national team meeting then.
- I expected an invitation because I think I deserved it. They have some reasons for not inviting me, and it's up to me to play good games - said Carević and added:
- If they think I'm good enough, let them call me. If not, let's be healthy. I've never asked anyone to call me, but it would certainly be an honor for me to defend for the national team. I know how people think of us, but it would certainly be a great honor for me to be there. When you receive such recognition in Portugal, in one of the strongest leagues in the world, it also shows that I deserved the call - and why I didn't get it, that's not a question for me, but for someone else. The most important thing for me is that everything goes well here, so I hope the call will come. Otherwise, I won't be sad much - said Carević.
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