Marko Devic: about football and love

24-08-12 10:09:00

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It’s only a matter of hours before the latest issue of Shakhtar magazine goes on sale. The main character of the August issue is Olexandr Kucher. Shakhtar defender gave an exclusive and completely unexpected interview - he turned out to be just a different man! By the way, on August 24, our hero will personally present the magazine to fans.

Below we present an interview by the July issue’s protagonist Marko Devic. Everything is honest, open, and wholehearted in it! Marco just cannot do it differently.

Let's skip the subject of pain
 
- Marco, let's start with Metalist. Kharkov locals just idolized you. All of a sudden you moved to Shakhtar. Quite naturally, people react differently. What’s your current attitude in this regard? Shall you seek to win Shakhtar fans’ hearts or Kharkiv fans will always remain the best for you?
- It is too early to say who will be No.1 in my heart. I spent a great time at Metalist and I am very pleased with this period of my life, the club has helped me a lot. I love Kharkiv fans and I am thankful to them for everything they have done for me over the last six years. Now I have a new stage. I believe it is a step forward. As for the fans - I start from scratch in Donetsk. I have to win the love of fans by my performance and goalscoring. It’s fine with me that one half of Metalist fans reacted to my move one way, and the other half – in a different way. I myself believe that I did the right thing. Shakhtar are a step higher football career wise. Here they seek to win trophies – both Ukrainian and European - plus participation in the Champions League. They have a lot of lot of good footballers playing in my position, so the competition will be very tough. I don’t know whether someone will take offence at me or not. But I gave it my all at Metalist. At Shakhtar I’m going to do the same.
 
- You signed the contract even without talking to the coach or the president. Were you in such dire straits employment wise then? Or you jumped at the chance to move to Shakhtar immediately, without hesitation?
- No, no! Shakhtar is a big team. But Metalist also grow from year to year, turnining into the Ukrainian football powerhouse. In many ways I was helped by Darijo Srna. He called me and said the coach wanted to see me. I did not communicate with Mircea Lucescu directly, but if Dario said that Mister was interested in me, of course I believed him, and just so it was. I cannot say that it was bad at Metalist – on the contrary! But when I learned about the opportunity to be signed by Shakhtar , I did so at the drop of a hat.

- Now thre will be a very tight competition for your position at Shakhtar. Did you choose that risk deliberately?
- I am happy to face this competition. It helps a player to grow. I think I still have the opportunity to develop in football terms. For how long more – we’ll see. But there must be serious competition at such a club anyway. I’m interested in it, for me it’s a new challenge in life. I want to prove my mettle.
 
- Can you describe the emotional experience of a football player when he moves to another club?
- (Smiles) Yes, there was some. But I am still in the same country, in Ukraine. It gave me a lot: the passport, the opportunity to take part in European Championships and other games... I moved some three hundred kilometres away from Kharkiv. With each day I am getting more and more confident - I think I’ll face no adaptation problems. I've been in Ukraine for a long while, I speak the language, know the league, talk to the guys, even play for the same national team with some of them.

- Did you have a fear of failure?
- No, I didn’t. What does this 'fear of failure’ mean? Then we will always stay in one place and that’s it. You can gain nothing in this life without risk. I signed a four-year deal and I want to not just do my job, but I also want to prove that Marko Devic who played well at Metalist may  perform even better at Shakhtar. I am demanding of myself. If I score two goals today, in the next game I want to score another brace. And to help the team win at that. I want to be helpful to Shakhtar, to make the team feel that I gave my all to ensure the positive result.
 
- There were people who tried to reason you out of the transfer?
- Frankly, some in Kharkov were sorry that I was leaving. My family and friends supported me. Everyone knows that Shakhtar is the club of European level. Some fans sent me text messages: ‘Do not leave’, ‘Stay with us’. I did care when I received those messages, because I'm a very emotional guy. It was a bit sad to leave Kharkiv because of the fans, they strongly supported me.
 
- Was there anyone after the talk with whom you finally decided to move?
- It happened almost immediately after Darijo called me and said that the club was interested in me.
 
- So that man is Darijo?
- He asked me, "Are you interested?" I immediately replied, "Yes." There was another couple of calls. But it didn’t last long. We didn’t torture each other. (smiling)
 
Unmarried would-be husband
 
- How did you settle in Donetsk?
- Iitially, I lived at Donbass Palace. But I quickly found an apartment! In Kharkiv I also lived in an apartment instead of a house. It's more convenient this way.
 
- Coud you describe your first encounter with Mister and the president?
- With the president, I had a long talk on the phone. He said, "Marko, hello! Welcome to the family of Shakhtar. Wished me luck. I thanked him for the opportunity that I was given. I hope that both him and I will be satisfied. Even deeply convinced. As for Mister – we met for the first time in a training camp. He introduced me to the players, noted that I had performed pretty well for a couple of seasons with Metalist. I talked to him, as well as with Alexandru Spiridon, who told me what kind of things were welcomed by the coach and which were not. He also helped me a lot during initial adaptation.

- The load was about the same as at Metalist?
- No, one step higher. Although, perhaps, it ws due to the training camp - let's see how it pans out in the league.
 
- Is it hard or you feel the strength to rise to this level?
- That’s exactly why I came here – to climb a step higher. I am confident that I am strong enough. Football age wise, I'm still young - I can play on and on!
 
- You must have a lot of lady fans just as any successful man does. In Donetsk, you'll get a new wave of interest from girls. Do you like it when you're in the focus of female attention? Or are you indifferent to it? Maybe it's annoying you?
- First of all, I want to say that I have a girlfriend. She is now in Serbia. But she will come to Donetsk. A successful man, as it was mentioned in the question, should have a woman with similar qualities! For me the most important thing is to be in the focus of her attention. (Laughs.) And other girls... if they ask for autographs – they will get them, no problem.

- Tell us about your girlfriend. Who is she?
- Her name is Militsa. She is from Serbia. We are together for more than four years, we met about six years ago. She is about to graduate from a university. Day by day I feel that I am more and more in love with her, missing her when she's not with me. I am very emotional by nature, while she calms me down. She is not just a girl for me, but also a friend. I know that some couples get bored of each other over time, it’s never like the first time... But I myself feel that our love grows and gets stronger as days pass by. And it always be this way. Our relationship with her gets better and better. She also supported me when I was moving to Shakhtar. She was with me during that period. I can’t wait to see her again.
 
- Does it mean that she lives in Serbia and comes to your place for holidays?
- Yes. She still has six or seven exams to take. She graduates from a university. And then we'll see. Everything will be decided by the end of this year.
 
- Aren’t you going to marry her?
- We are dating seriously. We are trying to avoid a long separation not to miss each other for a long time.
 
- What is Militsa?
- She studies Political Science. It’s important that she fulfills her potential in life. So that she doesn’t live at my expense. So we’ll try to arrange everything. So she must graduate from the university first, start working and somehow make herself known. I seem to have fulfilled my ambition, so I will try to help her.
 
- In general, one can say that you're a kind of unmarried would-be husband?
- Probably. We have a very serious relationship.
 
SMS and sign language
 
- A subtle question. Don’t answer it if you don’t feel like responding. It concerns your parents. It is true that they are deaf-mute?
- Yes, it's true.
 
- So you grew up in a rather unusual situation, do you know sign language?
- I know. By the way, the language is constantly changing. Some basic features remain the same, but changes occur. When my father was a baby, he had a fever, and the doctor injected a large dose of penicillin. This caused problems with the ears. And he became deaf. A similar story happened to my mother. Being adults, they met as deaf people. I lived with my uncle and grandmother on my father's side. Owing to my father's brother received a normal education and finished high school.

- How do you currently communicate with your parents?
- Grandma now lives with my father. She knows sign language and through her I communicate with father on the phone. With mom - via SMS.
 
- Do you have a brother or sister?
- No. I am the only child.
 
- Does your father have anything to do with football?
- Yes! He definitely is more talented than I am. Well, outwardly I take after him. They say I’m just a living image of him. (laughing) My father once played at a high level. He played for the Olympic team of Yugoslavia. But the problem with hearing... prevented him from becoming a very strong player. Even now, when he has time, he attends the games.

- That is, he will be coming to Donetsk?
- When my adaptation is over, then he will fly here. May, for the Champions League gams. My father, by the way, already visited Donetsk. He watched the England vs France game. And not just him. There were about 15 relatives. Everyone was positively impressed with the city and the Donbass Arena.

- What about your mother?
- Mama is a non-football individual. Therefore, she is unlikely to attend matches.
 
Bombs and scrambled eggs
 
- You gave a lot of interviews during your career. What’s the most hated question, which annoys you and makes you angry?
- Earlier, they asked a lot of questions about my decision to be naturalized in Ukraine. Time goes by, I get older and noting is unclear for me. But if a journalist knows that he said something bad and tries to twist the facts, I see that and just do not answer. If he is not ashamed to ask such an impolite question, why should I be ashamed of not answering it? But when I am addressed in a humane way, I can talk on any topic.
 
- What don’t you like in yourself?
- First of all, I'm very nervous. I can react to something in the way I feel sorry for later. Because I understand that I could have acted differently.

- Can you even hit?
- Hit - no, but use foul language - yes. But getting older, I control myself better.
 
- Are you a disciplined person?
- I think so, yes. You’d better ask my coaches. I can’t say that I’m ideal, but moderately disciplined.

- Are you a peaky eater?
- Scrupulous. For every professional athlete it is important to watch the diet. We want to have more power and less fat, as they say. Therefore it is necessary to help your body find some balance. I am thin by nature, but I don’t eat everything. When I was 19-20 years old I used to eat anything. And had no weight issues. Incidentally, my father is lean. But now, if I eat too much of something, I may just put on weight. So I take care of myself, because I want to play for a long time.
 
- Surprise me. Tell me something special that you can cook!
- I can. Scrambled eggs! (laughing)

- Not much... Well then, tell me about your most outstanding act in life?
- Recently, it was Militsa’s birthday. I invited all her girlfriends, and it was a surprise for her. She came to the restaurant and was stupefied to discover it. She even burst into tears. Then she thanked me. And when she feels happy, I am twice as much.
 
- Did you ever face a situation when girls are trying to have an affair with a footballer because of money?
- It never ever happened to me. With Melitsa we know each other for ages.
 
- Did the war in Yugoslavia affect your family in any way?
- Yes. I was in Belgrade, in the period when it was bombed. But it was interesting for me then, because I was a child: tee-hee, ha-ha. Didn’t understand what was actually going on. Thank God, my family and friends are alive and well. But after that, the whole country had big problems, and it was hard to get back to the former standards. The consequences of war are still being felt.
 
- How you are going through footballing and personal failures? Draw into your shell, don’t want to see anyone or listen to music?
- Sometimes, of course, I get very upset. For me, football is larger than life. When I play well and the team wins - I'm happy, I'm fine. But when we lose or, say, I fail to covert a penalty (smiles) - yes, really, it may happen that I do not want to see anyone. Want to stay alone. To sit, to lie down. And when I wake up in the morning, I say to myself: "Come on, there will be another game and everything will be all right."
 
- You are able to experience a deep sense of guilt because of some wrongdoing? If so, do you apologize in this case?
- If I feel guilty, it's not a problem for me to come up and apologize. When I missed a penalty kick in the game against Olympiakos, I felt really bad. Then I scored and we progressed further, but all the same I still feel guilty for that spot kick.
 
- What is the most unusual rumour or gossip you've heard about yourself?
- (After a pause) No idea. I spend little time online. Maybe you know?
 
- No, I don’t. I cannot know if what they right about you is true or it’s just press people’s fantasy.
- Maybe there are some rumours about me, but I just do not pay any attention to it. The more so as they seemingly wrote nothing like that.
 
- And in Belgrade? Didn’t your parents read anything of a kind?
- No. In Serbia, of course, they know me. But not so much as in Ukraine, I am much more popular here. Therefore, the rumours do not reach my family in Serbia.
 
FC Shakhtar Press Office based on the July issue of Shakhtar Official Magazine