Stefan Savic (Mojkovac, Montenegro, 1991) rest well, like the rest of the team, after the final sprint of the League and before to start prepare the big dream Atlético: the Champions. The central defender, in a great moment of form, takes stock in AS: the transition, Oblak, Leipzig …
-These days off, with the goal accomplished, will taste better, right?
-We have been very good after the quarantine and we have deserved to be where we finished and get back into the Champions League.
– they got to think that they were going to be left out?
-We have always believed in the squad we have and in the end we have played at a great level and we have succeeded. I don't know if there have been doubts, maybe more from the outside, but we always trust in our work and that things would turn out.
-Why has the team performed so well after the break?
-Maybe the break came in handy and we have also taken advantage of the five changes, we have a great squad, with players who come in and make a difference and that has been seen in several games. Before we also eliminated Liverpool, but during the break we worked well at home, we came back toned and we played at a great level.
-The team looked very good physically …
-We have worked very well at home and we were responsible, always in contact with the Professor and the coach. When we returned we did not suffer, we have had very few injuries and that is because the physical work done was good.
-But after playing 11 games in 5 weeks, did you notice that you needed this break?
-Yes, this week will be good for us. It has been very intense, playing every 3 days is not easy and now it's time to rest for what is coming, which is very beautiful: the Champions League, where we all want to go all the way.
-Are you afraid of losing your good shape in this other break?
-We are not afraid. We already returned very well from a two-month break at home, and in this smaller one we will be responsible and work because we know the challenge that lies ahead and what it cost us to get to these quarterfinals of Champions. I think this break is going to be good for the team.
-Will it be a Champions League in which the physique matters a lot?
-The physical and mental state, yes. Leipzig is very tough, very physical and it will be important to be well prepared physically.
-But it will be strange: PSG will arrive without having played the League since March, Atalanta will almost link the League with its tie …
– It will be strange, but it is what there is. In a game it can happen after all, that's why not only the physical preparation will be important, but the players' minds.
-Have you noticed that, after the draw, there is a lot of enthusiasm among the fans?
-We always look forward to the Champions League, we have been very close but we have not managed to win it. Now there are three games left, but they will not be easy for anyone. The Champions League is very tough, that's why we don't look beyond Leipzig. You have to go game by game, we have it clear.
– it hurts to them that Atleti is favorite for that party?
-I think it is 50%. We know what the Champions League is like, but we don't listen to what is being said outside. Leipzig eliminated Tottenham, a finalist last year. Those of us who follow football know that it is a good, intense team and that it will not be easy.
– They would have preferred to double party?
-We don't look at that. I'm a little alike. Against Liverpool it was very hard to play two games, at home we were very good and at Anfield we suffered a lot, but we ended up passing. It is about being very prepared and aware that this Champions League is like this …
-And Atlético returns to Lisbon. There is a thorn stuck since 2014 …
– We have not spoken anything, at the end of that final there are few players left. We don't think about it. We are looking at the present, not backwards.
-What if it will be strange, although they have already experienced it in the League, is that the fans are not there.
-Yes, people are missing and joy is lacking, but we take it as one more reason to win, for our people who cannot be with us, but will be at home watching us. It is a responsibility.
-Has this been the most difficult season for Atlético?
-It has been a year of transition, of many changes. Many people doubted us, about our regularity, but in the end we have achieved the objective. It has been the most difficult year and the next will be better, because we will have a team that has been together longer and there will not be many changes.
-For example, on defense many days he has played alongside three newcomers (Trippier, Felipe and Lodi).
– It is necessary to work even more when there are changes, but I believe that the numbers are good and we have maintained the defensive solidity. People of weight came out on the field and in the dressing room, such as Gabi, Godín, Juanfran, Filipe, Fernando … All of this has been noticed. But now I see that the team has grown, we have been together for a year, we know each other much more and that is also felt.
Do you already feel like one of the wardrobe leaders?
-I have been at Atlético for five years, I feel good and I feel responsible and important. It is normal when you have been in a locker room for a long time and at my age (29 years old).
-Other who is gaining weight in the locker room is Oblak …
-He has been a year older than me and is number 1 in the world, for me and for many. It is extremely important on and off the field. We are very happy to have a great goalkeeper and a great teammate.
-Well, Chelsea wants to take it for 100 million.
– We have not spoken anything, that is subjects of the Press. It is normal, the best players are wanted by the best teams, it has happened other times. Who doesn't love Oblak? Everyone wants him for sure, but he is our goalkeeper and we are very happy that he is and I think he will continue with us in the future.
-In the locker room coincides with Vrsaljko, Saponjic and Oblak, a Montenegrin, a Croat, a Serbian and a Slovenian …
-We get along very well and we understand each other easily. It is also very good for when a footballer comes to the group, we help him, as we are doing with Ivan. It is important to have supports when you arrive. We are from different countries, but as brothers.
-Another companion: Marcos Llorente. Did you ever think you could be a forward?
– We did not think it, but the mister saw something in him and has guessed right. He has won and the team has won, what Marcos has done these months is impressive. He has shown that his start and his shot can give a lot to the team and it is important to him that he can play in various positions and do very well.
-How was the quarantine for you?
-It was difficult, I was alone at home and my family could not come, they all stayed in Montenegro. It was hard, but I knew that one day the light would come out, the training sessions would come back, to be able to talk to friends, colleagues … I wanted to see mine now. My country did not suffer much at first, but now there have been new flares and it is a little worse. Montenegro is small and I think people will be responsible and there will be a lot of respect for the indications.
-By the way, have you always liked being a defense?
-I always liked it, I was more excited to avoid a goal than to score it. I don't know why, but since I was little. I have always played behind. I paid a lot of attention to Nesta.