From the special reporter "Vijesti"
Montenegrin football players trained tonight on the hybrid surface of the beautiful "Torfalur" stadium in the Faroe Islands, under strong gusts of wind, and tomorrow they will try to win against a team that has long been an outsider in European football in the debut of new coach Mirko Vučinić.
The former Roma and Juventus ace held his first press conference as coach ahead of the match. Here are his impressions:
What is the difference in feeling - as a player before an important match and as a coach before your debut?
"It's a big difference - like heaven and earth! When I was a player, I didn't think much about other things, except to go out on the field and enjoy football. And of course to win. Now as a coach, I have to think about many things, about the 11, about the 24 players who are here, about the rival too... It's much harder to be a coach than a player. I accepted the role of coach with the desire to give my maximum, to convey my vision and desire to work, and I hope that the players will convey that to the field."
How important is the game system, the formation you will play in?
"I don't strive for just one system, because there is no perfect system or formation. If there was an ideal one, everyone would play in the same formation. What matters is what the players in that formation show on the field. I keep repeating how important desire and will are. We need to be a group, to function as a family - all as one. If we fulfill that, any formation will look much better."
How important is the result, considering that our chances of qualifying have already been lost?
"We haven't won in three matches, and when there are no victories, there is no confidence, the atmosphere collapses - whether we want to admit it or not. In these situations, restlessness and nervousness are introduced, and all the time during the preparations I insisted that the players must only think about winning. Not only in this, but in every other match. It is a disaster if you think otherwise. That's why the result is very important. So if the opponent is better, we will congratulate them."
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Vukotić's injury is the most recent, after Jovetić, Marušić, Janković, Vujačić and Lončar have already been dropped from the list for the same reasons. How many of you have been affected by it?
"We will miss him a lot, considering that we have a small pool of players, and also because of what he is showing at Partizan. However, we have to know and get used to the fact that the national team does not depend on one player. Those who perform best in training will play. Those who are missing now are important to us, but I am not complaining about the players that are at my disposal."
What kind of match do you expect on your debut?
"There are no easy games, this one is especially specific because it's an artificial pitch, the ball goes faster. The wind is strong, it won't be easy, and they play football that doesn't suit us. But I can say that I'm satisfied with how the team performed and I'm a big optimist."
To what extent will the midfield be based on the qualities of Vasilije Adžić?
"Adžić is a talented player, he knows a lot with the ball, but in today's football you have to play both ways. I saw in the last Juventus game that he worked hard and ran, and for his efforts he was rewarded with a Eurogoal against Inter. He is important for our national team, but not only him, but all the players. It is certainly clear that he is a player who can 'jump' out of the system, do magic and bring an assist or a goal."
Do you know the lineup?
"I know, what kind of coach would I be if I didn't know 24 hours before the game," Vučinić laughed.
"You will know it tomorrow 75 minutes before the match," continued FSCG press officer Branko Latinović.
The match will be played tomorrow at 20:45, and the referee will be Spaniard Javier Alberola Rojas.
There is one more match to be played in Group L, a derby for first place between the Czech Republic and Croatia in Prague.
Bonus video:
