Atanasijevic
Today is the same day like any other in Sir Safety Prugia, who are preparing for the most important period in the season. On Wednesday, they will play the fourth game of the playoff semifinals in Italian League and in two weeks, they will organize the Final Four of the CEV Champions League.
Today, on this special day, we spoke with Aleksandar Atanasijevic, who was in good mood.
“Happy Easter to all people around the World, especially to my people in Serbia. In Perugia this day is like every other day. We have two trainings because on Wednesday, we have very important match against Diatec Trentino, who have been playing this season like never before, unbelievable. They are like a real team. But, I am very happy because this year, we all celebrate Easter on the same day and somehow it is more easier when we are all together,” said Atanasijevic at the beginning of the interview.
Last week Perugia found out the name of their opponent at the Final Four of the CEV Champion League. What do you say about that?
“Honestly, I think that four best teams in the Champions League have qualified to the F4. Maybe BERLIN Volleys made a little surprise but in the same time they showed, during the pool stage, they are very serious and very strong team. For sure they took their spot in the Final Four deservedly. In the semifinal, Zenit Kazan will definitely play a hard game, because in this moment, Berlin compete on a high level.”
Are you satisfied with the participants in Rome, in general?
“For sure, there were no surprises. All teams are very good.”
As the organizers of the F4, do you feel a pressure from the club or the fans?
“That is normal. In Perugia we always have a little pressure before each game. The club did everything to make us easier to play and maybe win a medal. We have to try to play well and to present ourselves in the best light.”
In the semifinals Perugia will face Lube CIVITANOVA…
“Yes, we will play against Lube from whom we already suffered defeat twice in Italian league. They have the role of favorites but we will certainly have more fans. It’s one game and everything is possible. The most important thing is to prepare for this match and to try to surprise them in the semis.”
Final Four will be in Rome, not in Perugia…
“CEV rules say that we have to organize the Final Four in the much bigger sports hall than we have in Perugia. Maybe it is better like this because the organization has to be on a high level. I really hope that our fans and people from Perugia will come to support us because they are very important for us. Thanks to them we played many times beyond our means.“
What can you say about the quality of the Italian league? Trentino lead 2-1 in series against your team.
“This season, the Italian league is much stronger than before. Many players have returned to the championship and literally one ball decided many games, as we saw in our match with Trentino and in the match between Modena and Lube. I hope that we will extend the series and that the finalist will be decided in the fifth game.”
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