Boris Sekulic: Representation? Offering is not my style
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Nowadays, you would find hundreds of footballers complaining about the inflated schedule. Boris Sekulič, the right defender of our national football team, is in a completely different situation. Since he failed to make it to the playoffs of the American MLS with the Chicago Fire, today he has the spring-autumn system after the season, which is played in the USA.
WEEKEND DIALOGUE with BORIS SEKULIČ, defender of Chicago Fire and our football team
He spends his free time in his native Serbia. “For the world competition, the competition generally ends earlier. We closed the year on October 9. I’m at home, resting, I’ll start light training next week. Twelve years after I left for Slovakia, I am home for my birthday. The family is happy,” said the native of Belgrade and naturalized Slovak representative, who turned 31 yesterday, at the beginning of our debate.
You finished twelfth in the fourteen-member MLS Eastern Conference and did not advance to the playoffs. Was there a big disappointment in the club?
“Yes. Before the season, many new and especially expensive players arrived. Everyone expected better results. We didn’t have a bad start, especially the defense worked well for us, but we didn’t translate solid performances into more victories. In the middle of the season, we went on a longer streak without a win, then we had a better season again and worked our way up to the ranks, which meant participation in the playoffs.
We were in the seventh position and had two home games that we lost, which was probably the key to failure. We could still get it back, but we were definitely knocked down by the 2-3 loss to Charlotte in September, when we were 2-0 up after the first half. After the international break, we more or less just finished the competition. The disappointment is great, Chicago invested a lot of money in the past period, none of the last four years advanced to the playoffs.”
What are you pushing yourself to do to keep in good shape?
“Hard to say. In important moments when we should have taken action, we failed. We led 2:0 twice and lost 2:3. The season broke on such details, we couldn’t handle them. At the same time, we did not have a young team. Before the season, reinforcements arrived, such as former player of Bayern Mov, Inter Milan or FC Liverpool Xherdan Shaqiri or captain Rafael Czichos, who played a lot in Germany. Maybe we lacked quality, maybe some transfers didn’t work out for the club…”
Xherdan Shaqiri did not take off as expected?
“I would also like to point out that many boys were injured. Four or five reinforcements were missing for half of the season. We also missed Shaqiri due to health problems, but he had statistics. He scored seven goals, assisted on some.
You completed 33 matches, 32 of which were in the starting line-up. Probably complaining about Get Busy…
“I haven’t missed a single training session, which makes me happy. The last time I was injured was during the winter, which I still needed, but I was fit for the start of the competition. I have played practically everything that pleases me. In contrast to the previous two seasons, when I scored two goals each time, I did not make a breakthrough this time. I’ve had better times, worse times, it’s been such a cool season. I did a little better in the first half.”
You are in your third season in MLS. Are you completely used to football in America?
“Yes. When you get used to traveling, matches in different time zones and temperature differences, it’s fine. In Chicago, the weather is comparable to Slovakia. Winters are cold and summers are warm. However, it is very year-round in Miami and Florida, and the matches there are difficult. However, one gets used to that too. The league is great.”
Your contract expires in the winter. So will you continue in MLS?
“All options are open today. I have time, I’m in no hurry.”
Are you drawn to Europe after three years overseas?
“I can imagine continuing in MLS, but I admit that I have been attracted to Europe for a long time. Although MLS is great, many people think that it is financially more lucrative than reality. Not everyone has million dollar contracts like the stars that come there. However, there are many good players in the USA, representatives of their countries. The conditions for training and individual development are great everywhere, everything is at a high level. If a Slovak player were to ask me, I would definitely recommend MLS to him. But do you know what I miss in America?”
Don’t reveal…
“The European football atmosphere, simply our fan culture. Before leaving for MLS, I worked in Poland and I like to remember the spectators in Gornik Zabrze, but also the supporters of Slovan and Košice.”
Is Chicago poor in this regard?
“We played at Soldier Field, home of the American football team Chicago Bears. Its capacity is more than 60,000 places. An average of 47,000 spectators come to such an Atlanta, but we had approximately 15,000 visitors who were lost in such a large stadium. The most I experienced at home was a crowd of 35,000, and the stadium was only half full. It’s something completely different from what I had week after week in Poland.”
Did you enjoy life in America?
“Yes, Chicago is a great city where people from all over the world live. I didn’t miss anything. I went around as much as I could.’
Do you also think about the fact that you worked in your native Serbia?
“I certainly don’t want to play in Serbia, I was never attracted there. Although the league has quality, as evidenced by the results of Crvena zvezda Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade in Europe, the stadiums there and the overall conditions are not at a good level. For example, in Slovakia, it is much better in this regard.”
You worked for us in Slovan in Košice, both clubs have new stadiums where you have not played yet. Would that be a more interesting address for you?
“I still follow both clubs. I have seen several matches of Slovan in the European Cup and I am happy for his success. I am also happy that Košice are fighting for promotion to the first league. I believe they will succeed because they are among the elite. However, I will certainly not offer myself, I have my fingers crossed for both of my former clubs.”
“The opportunity to represent Slovakia has always been an honor for me.
Boris Sekulic
By the way, are you also attracted to Europe in order to be more in the eyes of the new national team coach Francesco Calzona?
“We’ll see what options I have. I realize that I am 31 years old and probably no one will call me from elite European competitions. By the way, believe MLS is a good league. Definitely the best I’ve played in. That is, as better Slovak, Bulgarian or Polish. It has many representatives from Europe, but also from Central and South America.
Well, they are great players, although their names don’t mean much to fans in Europe. However, it is far away and one has to fly to the representative meeting for a long time and cope with the time difference. I regularly watch the matches of the national team, I saw both matches of the League of Nations under the leadership of the new coach. Fingers crossed for the coach and the boys, that’s all I can say. The decision to nominate is not up to me.”
So the national team is not yet a closed chapter for you? If coach Francesco Calzona calls you, will you come?
“Of course. The opportunity to represent Slovakia has always been an honor for me. But you know me, offering is not my style. Let’s respect the coaches’ right to decide.”
What do you think of Slovakia’s performances in the September matches with Azerbaijan (1:2) and Belarus (1:1)?
“I noticed that under coach Francesco Calzona we had more possession compared to the previous season. It’s just a shame that we didn’t convert the superiority on the field into better results. And an even bigger pity is that we fell to the fifth performance basket. Now it is important that we bounce back from the bottom and move up, let us have a starting position for the next qualification draw.”
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matches in the American MLS played by Boris Sekulić in three seasons, he scored four goals in them.
NOTHING WILD
Yesterday, Boris Sekulic celebrated his birthday after twelve long years at home in Serbia in the circle of his family and even during the holiday season. We debated together on Thursday evening, we were interested in how to use this opportunity. “I will be at home with my family all day and then I will get the closest for the evening. Don’t worry, it won’t be anything wild.” newly 31-year-old defenseman Boris Sekulic described his plan for his birthday with a smile.