The coach of Vojvodina FC, Ranko Popović wishes his team to continue growing, and to reach a positive score in Niš.

The players of the old lady are playing against Radnički Niš on Saturday, and Popović believes that the team from Niš will be additionally motivated after their win over Partizan.

  • We want the match against Radnički to be the continuation of our process. We play well, and in a correct manner, if we exclude Partizan and the Red Star from that equation, the other results and games were good. Radnički defeated Partizan and is surely motivated to win against us, and they also see a chance to win a big club here. We want to be on a level where everyone expects us to be. Their motivation is big, but ours has to be above theirs. I wouldn’t focus on the pitch, because a good pitch in Serbia at this time of the year is rare. I am sorry that we have a few stadiums in Serbia that are excellent, and no one is using them, and I can’t understand why no one made a decision that they should be played at, because they exist, so why not be used? Not to make someone look weaker, but to make something, and in order to make something, we must start thinking that way. If we got new, modern stadium, no matter how hard people try, as I know our people at Karađorđe try and work day and night to make the pitch as better as possible, then we should use those stadiums. No one should take this as criticism, but as an advice that should be considered. Because we have good pitches in Zaječar, Loznica, Leskovac, that no one is using. And why wouldn’t we play there? Maybe there would be less fans, but the quality of football would be better, and the percentage of injuries would be reduced to the minimum. That is my humble appeal, and I am not messing with anyone’s job, this is just a constructive suggestion. As my colleague Lazetić had said after their game in Freiburg, that the pitch was faster than theirs, then what should we say? I say this with all due respect because all those details affect the game. When we work now on these pitches, the football boots of the players after walking at the pitch, are full of mud. That is one complicated process, and when we have those pitches, it would be nice to use them. We don’t complain, we know what awaits us, and it is up to us to be ready to play at all pitches and under all weather conditions, because we cannot have an influence over this. If we come in the right state of mind, then no one can create a problem for us. We will try to simplify and speed up the game, to play on one or two touches, and not complicate too much – Popović said.

He confirmed that all players are healthy and ready for this match.

  • They are all healthy, and thank God it is that way in the finish of this half season. Not only are they in good health, but in a good state of mind, in a good mood and ready to show their maximum. We will see whether they will be like that on Saturday, because it is most important that they act in the same manner at the match – Popović highlighted.

The coach of Vojvodina also responded to the statement that his team haven’t received a goal in the last two matches, and that the defence is improving.

  • We haven’t received a goal at the last two games, and that is a collective success. Our way of playing is riskier, because we stand high, and we want to play offensively, to keep the defence away from the goal. During 90 minutes it is very hard to maintain the control over the game, and dominate throughout the match. We should learn that even when we fall, we know how to control the game without the ball, and make a balance there. When we have the ball, you can see we have the control and know what to do with it. Our back line doesn’t have the habit of defending forward, but automatically retreats backwards, and we still want to reach a higher level in that. We have to know what to do with the ball, when we don’t have it we should also be able to make the opponent play the way we want them to – Popović concluded.

The match between Radnički and Vojvodina is scheduled for Saturday, December 16th at 2 pm.