"We will leave our heart on the pitch" Nikola Vukanac

by Ayrton Galea - 7th January 2011

Saturday's evening clash against eternal rival Valletta FC looms closer, and we decided to interview Serbian defender, Nikola Vukanac.

With the word on the street being that Nikola will be ruled out for Saturday's match due to injury, we opened this interview by asking him about his condition. He replied, "This injury kept me out for six weeks and this was a very difficult period for me. I'm giving my best together with other people in the club to recover as soon as possible and I hope that I will be available for the match against Valletta."

On a more general aspect, we asked Vukanac how the pause they had from the Premier League helped them preparing for this important match. "During these two weeks we worked hard, there were many positive things, and we were involved in two tournaments with the main aspect being to improve our form. In the last one, we had the chance to play against Padova, a team from Serie B and this was a great experience for the players because we learned new things which we can use to improve our game."

We then asked Nikola what he thought of the match against Valletta, and in case we lost it, if he thinks that the title race be over for Birkirkara. He replied, "I think every game is important but against Valletta it is something special. Since the two teams are rivals this results in lots of supporters coming to the stadium and a great atmosphere. This is something that you remember for all your life and these are games which you want to play at least once in your career.

"There is still a long way to go and I don't think that this game can decide if we're title challengers or not. It's early for that but I'm pretty sure that a win in this game can boost our morale for the rest of the season."

We discussed the situation of the injuries, and how this streak of bad luck has been going for a long time. Saturday is not going to be an exception and several players are ruled out. We asked the 24-year old if he believes that we can still win this game. He replied, "Yes, injuries are a big drawback for us this season but I believe in this team. If there is some player who does not believe that we can win against Valetta it is better for him to stay home.

"This team has a winning mentality and this is something that the Coach gave us. We train together, we're good friends outside the pitch and we are always ready to help each other. This is something which gives me that extra boost before every game. We will leave our heart on the pitch, and only together we can make good things happen."

Nikola's last words were for you, the Birkirkara supporters. "You cannot imagine how important your support is in every game, especially in matches like these. That's something special for us. When you support us, you are giving us strength in the difficult moments. You are the 12th player and I cannot imagine Birkirkara F.C. without you. I know you are going to be there behind us, like many times you did before."

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