Montenegrin national football team player Driton Camaj left Kazakhstan's Astana in the January transfer window and arrived in Novi Pazar, with whom he signed a contract until the end of the season, with the option to continue the cooperation after that. He had a winger in January and an offer from Buducnost, but - as he himself explained - he wanted to play in a stronger league, which is certainly the Serbian one.
And the start in the new environment could not have been better. Three matches - three goals, is Camaj's balance after 270 minutes of football in the Serbian Super League. After scoring twice on his debut, against Spartak Subotica, the Montenegrin international also scored last weekend in a victory against OFK Belgrade (2:1), with which Novi Pazar ended a three-match winless streak. After 23 rounds, the team is in fifth place with 36 points and is one point behind fourth-placed Železničar.
Camaj spoke to "Vijesti" about his arrival in Novi Pazar, a new chapter in his career, the offer from Buducnost, his period in Astana, as well as the new edition of the League of Nations with the Montenegrin national team.
"To be honest - I'm overjoyed. From the beginning, I felt how much people at the club wanted me. I was received wonderfully - both by the club and by my teammates. It's a dream start, I couldn't have wished for a better start. I want and will try to continue at this pace as much as possible," said Camaj.
The stands in Novi Pazar are always full, the city lives for football.
"It seems phenomenal to me. From the people from the club, to the people from the city, to the fans - everyone breathes as one. When matches are played, it's a holiday. It seems to me that time stands still. Everyone goes to the stadium. I experienced a new emotion here. I'm overjoyed with everything I've seen so far."
Novi Pazar played in European competitions for the first time in its history last season, being eliminated by Polish side Jagiellonia in the second round of the Conference League qualifiers. Europe is the goal this season as well.
"The team is good, they played in Europe last year. That's our goal this season too, so we'll see how far we can go. We're one point away from fourth place, we're still active in the Cup, so there are real chances that we'll appear on the European stage next season. It won't be easy, there are a lot of good teams. We're taking it game by game. Each one is a story in itself."
LALATOVIĆ CAME AT THE RIGHT MOMENT
Camaj played three games for Novi Pazar, but under two different coaches. After Vladimir Gaćinović left, the team was taken over by former Budućnost coach Nenad Lalatović.
"He came at the right time. Gaćinović achieved serious success and took Novi Pazar to Europe. Lalatović brought in recognizable, necessary energy. The shock therapy worked, because we were on a downward trajectory, and the pressure was growing. The cooperation is excellent, the impressions are positive, it started well. We beat OFK Beograd, we just have to continue in this rhythm. We have a tough away game against Vojvodina and we will try to win points there," Camaj emphasized.
The contract expires in the summer, so it may be too early to talk about further plans at this point.
"I'm with Novi Pazar until the summer. I don't know how much they could financially support me for next season. Now that I came, I didn't look at the financial part, it was more important to me to have minutes, to be standard. I think this will be a step forward. I'm 28 years old, I can make a transfer to Europe in the summer. Of course, I don't rule out staying in Novi Pazar, but I don't know how people from the club think and what kind of agreement would be in the summer, if there was a mutual desire," explained Camaj.
IT IS NOT TIME TO RETURN TO MONTENEGRO
Camaj was mentioned in January as a potential reinforcement for Buducnost. The cooperation did not come to fruition, and the winger explained why he did not return to Montenegro, where he once played for Dečić, Lovćen and Iskra, in addition to Buducnost.
"There were negotiations with Buducnost. The reason why I didn't sign is because I still consider myself young and as a national team player I didn't want to return to Montenegro. With all due respect to Buducnost and the Montenegrin league, I think I can still contribute on the European stage. I decided for Novi Pazar because it's a stronger league and I wanted stronger matches. The Serbian league is underrated, it has a lot of quality. As for the rhythm of the matches - it's at the European level."
IN ASTANA, EVERYTHING WAS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WAS SAID
After five years in Hungary, where he played for Kisvarda and Kecskemet, Camaj arrived in Astana last summer. But his stay with the Kazakh runners-up was not ideal - Camaj played 10 games in all competitions, but did not start a single one. Therefore, leaving was a logical solution.
"I didn't think much when I got the offer from Astana, I wanted a new challenge. It's the biggest and best club in Kazakhstan. Some things didn't add up. I didn't get a real chance. I was brought in as a reinforcement, to be the first winger, and in three months I didn't get a chance to start a game once. I don't know what was going on behind the scenes. Every time I talked to the coach, everything was going well, but then the game came and everything went against me. As for the club - Astana is a top-notch, organized club. I could have continued this season, but during the three months everything was the opposite of what was said, so I wasn't satisfied. I think I'm in my best years when I have to play constantly. I wanted minutes so that I could still be in the national team. I decided for Novi Pazar and I don't think I made a mistake," explained Camaj.
WE'VE BEEN BURNED MANY TIMES, BUT THE GROUP IS MADE TO MEASURE
The Montenegrin national football team recently got its rivals in the Nations League C, which starts in September. The “Brave Falcons” will play against Cyprus, Armenia and the better of the play-off between Latvia and Gibraltar.
Before that, Mirko Vučinić's team will play four friendly matches - it is currently known that in March, in Podgorica, the rivals will be Andorra (March 27) and Slovenia (March 31). Two more teams are waiting.
"I think we got a tailor-made group. We got burned a lot of times, we don't want to promise too much, to score points in advance, but we go from game to game. Of course we will try to win every match and be first in the group," concluded Driton Camaj.
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