He answered every question. He never hesitated and spoke sincerely about everything. We went through Qatar, the present, the qualifiers for the Euro, as well as the future of Serbian football, with a fine-tooth comb.
Dragan Stojković Piksi gave an interview for the anniversary issue of Kurir, and we heard for the first time the Serbian national football team manager’s detailed explanation about everything that had happened at the Qatar World Cup.
You can read the entire interview in our print edition, which you can get free of charge at any newsstand.
What is the truth about the atmosphere in the national team during the World Cup?
“It’s all a farce, an expected representation of certain things, exaggerations, fabrications of affairs. It’s all normal, because if you were winning, let’s be honest, none of that would happen. We are not the first to have it happen to us, and it happens to the English and the French in South Africa too. There are a million problems, but there’s nothing you can do about it. You try to keep up the atmosphere and the positive spirit, both with the players’ behaviour and staff. Everything was OK, and those who were in Qatar, at the hotel, could see that. Now, how journalists will report on this, and the media show it here… I had a man come up to me and say, ‘Those women, there around the hotel…’ What women, man, what are you talking about? Mitrović’s wife had arrived with her son, she spent an hour or two with him, another guy’s wife came in to say hi… I saw maybe two or three,” Stojković openly said.
The national football team manager was perfectly clear:
“You couldn’t sleep at our hotel, or go into our section – we were completely isolated. The organization was perfect, the players’ behaviour was perfect. Had we won over Cameroon, we’d have heard: ‘Great work, boys, way to go, you nailed it’, and so forth. But it happens, and you have to suffer the blows. Does that affect the players? I think so. I wasn’t affected because I didn’t read anything, or follow, or watch. I just heard, ‘Hey, such and such thing got published,’ and I’d say – not interested. I protected myself from these things. I actually did that after Bahrein, when we landed in Qatar – I turned off my cell and threw it away. You have to suffer through the blows, although there have been really many lies – it’s all part and parcel of a World Cup.”
You got criticised, and some criticisms were valid, but others were insolent, calling you “Failsi”!
“I never read a single word, nor did I read the papers, or talk to people. Even today I don’t know who said what, I can only assume. Starting from the claim that I am the worst coach. I accept all this, but I still don’t know who said what. Today I meet people, put out my hand, but I don’t want to spoil the image because in sports, you have to be both a good winner and a good loser. Let others be happy, but this is your job, and the most important thing for me is to work honestly, as honestly as possible. To have a clear conscience and a clean slate when I look at myself in the mirror, and make sure that no one is playing because they’re someone’s uncle or cousin. I select the team only according to my vision, I am responsible for the results, although some of the responsibility lies with the players,” Piksi said, adding:
“I have always been ready and will be ready, just like I didn’t fly after Portugal and all the qualifiers, when Serbia showed a different face – being brave, aggressive, offensively-minded, when the nation recognized that and started to be happy, with everyone saying: ‘This is the Serbia we want.’ Do you? Well, you will, but don’t attack me if I take two goals – I’ll score three, don’t you worry. Then those who know a lot about football, the football experts, said, ‘But our defence isn’t right.’ No kidding?! You win 4-1 over Sweden, and he says that we took a goal. Way to go, bro, well done. How do you imagine your opponent not creating a chance and not shooting at the goal? You think we are a Godsend, that we just walk out and it’s 3-1 for us? Even the smallest club or the worst national team will create a chance out of a corner kick or a free kick. What’s important is what you do, what attitude you have, and what style of football you want. Ultimately, the result will be good or bad, but that’s OK, what matters is to stay calm at the most important moments, and not go into any kind of arguments. Going on TV is the easiest thing to do for me. You bring me anyone to give them a good rap about what I think. I think it wouldn’t go well for them, and that I would knock it out of the ballpark from the expert side. When you see who comments and who is given space to fill up the media with such vulgar words without ever being a coach, or having experience leading an organization such as a football club, or in football administration, the pitch, etc. To get into any kind of argument… I’m not the type of person who’s after a fight or any kind of justifications.”
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