After a two-week representative break, players of Vojvodina FC will face the team of Spartak FC in the seventh round of the Mozzart Bet Super league of Serbia.
Yet, this match is overshadowed by the serious health condition of Jonathan Bolingi, who was urgently admitted to the Institute in Sremska Kamenica. The Club’s doctor, Borko Vukosav, was therefore the first to address those present at today’s press conference.
– After the match with Radnički 1923, Bolingi traveled to Kinshasa, where he was invited to join the national team of the Democratic Republic of Kongo. Upon his return in the late hours of September 14th, he expressed that he was feeling unwell, and was immediately transferred to the Emergency center of Clinical center of Vojvodina, where they conducted a detailed and complete diagnostics. Due to the serious heath condition, the medical advisory board decided to transfer him to the Institute for Lung Diseases in Sremska Kamenica, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit. At the Institute, they performed additional detailed diagnostics. His condition is serious, difficult, but he is in good hands and I am glad that he is in the best possible place. A team of best specialists with extensive experience in treating such conditions is taking care of him. We all hope that Jonathan will make it and overcome this difficult condition. The causes are unknown for now, there are still conducting detailed analyses, all the tests so far were negative. They are also monitoring the epidemiological situation in Kinshasa, and are on the line with his doctors in the national team of DR Kongo, so we are waiting for developments – Borko Vukosav stated.
After him, the coach Ranko Popović addressed those present and sent words of support to Jonathan Bolingi and his family.
– When you receive news like this, then the match is pushed into the second plan. Our thoughts are with Boli, and we wish him a fast recovery. This situation should be a motivation for us all to play for him and win. I have no doubt that he will win his game. When things like this happen, we are reminded of the priorities in life- Ranko Popović said.
He then reflected on the upcoming match in Subotica.
– We have been preparing for the game in the best possible way, and I would like to thank the president and the Club for securing the mini preparations outside of Novi Sad during this break. It meant a lot to me from multiple aspects, because since I arrived I didn’t have much chance to meet the team properly. As for the match with Spartak FC, we know everything we need to know, just like they do. What we will do matters the most to me. If we repeat what we did at these mini preparations, I believe there will be a positive outcome. Spartak FC signed 3 serious players during this break, which proves that the Club has done some serious work. I have friendly correlations with Spartak and their staff, and this match has a special significance to me – Popović stated.
Voša’s coach is particularly pleased with how the team responded to his demands during these mini preparations.
– We worked on a lot of things, from different segments, and I am pleased that the players feel that and see the progress. You can do a lot in seven days if we’re all looking in the same direction. We additionally hinted in which direction we want to go. Seven days is not much, but can be enough. The basis of everything is the physical condition, on which we had to work. The players charged their batteries and I am pleased that they can do some things on the pitch at a different speed, not like before. The break was good for us, aside from the Bolingi situation. It would be the best if he feels better tomorrow, and we win and wait for his return – Popović highlighted.
He also reflected on the leave of Nikola Čumić, who signed for Rubin from Kazan today.
– On the one hand, I am really sorry that he left, and on the other hand, I am happy for him. He took the leave very hard, we talked a lot and created a great connection during this short period of time. He worked incredibly during those seven days, I didn’t expect such a change. If he applies what he learned at the preparations, and shows what he started to work on, he will become an entirely different player. We will miss him greatly, because he was also our captain. But you can compare that to a child leaving for university, we should be happy for his next career step. As for the replacement, we have been looking at so many players in the last few days, and in the end we agreed that if we couldn’t find the right player for the Club, we shouldn’t bring one. I know I am talking to my detriment now, because we need quality, but also we don’t need just any player available. I see a motivation of everyone in the Club, the president and the sports director. We believe in this team, we’re looking ahead and hoping that his team will become better and better – Popović pinpointed.
The match between Spartak and Vojvodina is scheduled for Saturday, September 16th at 20:15h.
