Saturday afternoon at Humska Rd. was marked by the return of club legends and supporters to their home ground and our club`s TV spoke to some of them.
Legendary captain Sasa Ilic was thrilled with what he has seen at the stadium where he myself wrote some of the most beautiful pages in the FK Partizan history.
“It`s sunshine after the rain! I came here to give my support to the people who took over the club. I know they will need time but I believe things will get better. I met lots of former Partizan players in the VIP area and that`s good to start with. Our legends are returning home to support the team and the club, I can only hope for the better”, said Sasa Ilic.
Danko Lazovic was quite emotional regarding return of the Partizan fans and packed stands as a result.
“First of all, I`d like to thank Partizan fans. After a long time, they made a super great atmosphere that FK Partizan deserves to have. This is a long process and there will be many ups and downs but the starting point is good. I would like to wish us all lots of luck as we will need it. We need to be together in this process and some decisions will prove quite painful, some not as much, but everything that will be done will be done in the interest of Partizan. Fans showed today things can be done. Partizan is still alive and I`m so thrilled with the atmosphere today but we have to work hard and It`s clear in won`t be an easy job”. Lazovic adds: “When we talk about Partizan I`m quite emotional and I find it hard to see the club in this situation. This club is part of my life and now I`m back. I said at the press-conference I had no doubts when I was called-up to return here, as Partizan is so much bigger than all of us and the club needs help now! I did my best to be part of this management team and I think we`ll do everything in a shortest amount of time possible to stabilize things we can”, said Lazovic.
Former Partizan player and coach, Igor Duljaj says it`s important to keep this positive story going.
“First of all, I`d like to thank the people who officially invited me to this event. As you were able to see, the sun started shining over the Humska Rd. It`s extremely important we continue spreading this positive energy around. Everything we giveaway in life reduces with time, apart from positive energy and love. If we give this out, this energy and love, it will only spread, so I`m always for a story of sport and positivity and I believe this is how it`s going to be here”, said Duljaj.
SA Partizan President Ostoja Mijailovic revealed how important it is for FK Partizan to recover.
“I`m a bit excited as I`m able to be at the VIP section of Partizan Stadium after eight years of absence. Rasim Ljajic is a huge friend of mine as well as Pedja Mijatovic and other people who took over the club now. We are one big family. FK Partizan is in a difficult spell but we had that as basketball club in 2017 when we were close to become defunct. Now, we have a club breaking all the European basketball records. We will help football club recover with any advice and resources”, said Ostoja Mijailovic.
Partizan fan`s favourite, former basketball player Novica Velickovic, was particularly thrilled with recent meeting of club`s football and basketball players, when members of football squad showed up at basketball arena to support their basketball colleagues ahead of important Euroleague match.
“It`s clear we need more of such events, that how it should have been and that`s how it`s supposed to be. Well, it was like when I was growing up next to Slavisa Jokanovic, his football team would come to watch us and we did the same. I wasn`t around for a few years but I`ll be regular at football ground now”, said Velickovic.
Finally, we heard Predrag MIjatovic and his impressions.
“As for the fans, the atmosphere was great, something that should be in place at our ground. Upon ending my Partizan career, I never came down to VIP box and I`ve been told such atmosphere has not been witnessed for a long time. I was quite excited as this is what we really want to see.
There are lots of things we need to fix but we are at the early stage only. Regarding our roster, we need to keep changing frame of mind in certain areas but it`s always positive when you win”, said MIjatovic.
