Partizan youth teams started winter preps at club`s Partizan-Teleoptik training centre.
Partizan U17s coached by Miroslav Vulicevic started their training at 9.30am today while Partizan U19s coached by Milan Smiljanic did their medicals earlier in the day.
“We traditionally do mid-season preps at our Partizan-Teleoptik training camp where we have the best working conditions. We don`t go anywhere else as we have everything we need and we`ll train here until the restart of the season. We will also play five or six friendlies, most of them arranged already while we wait some more to be confirmed. I`d love us to play against some foreign team as well so that the boys can meet different players and football philosophy”, said U17 Coach Miroslav Vulicevic.
Like senior players, youths have certain medical and fitness tests planned for the next few days.
“Our youth academy plans to raise it all to a slightly higher level. We will have another training centre involved, to test our youngsters. Later on, in two to three months, we will have another test arranged to see their progress. We want to look at it more closely and get player`s performances on a best possible level”, said Vulicevic.
You were Partizan skipper and you work at Partizan Youth Academy for seven years now. There`s new energy present in the shape of Acting Director Miralem Sulejmani and another former Partizan player Nenad Marinkovic. How`s your cooperation with the new Partizan Youth Academy management?
“I don`t want to seem like praising them too much, but we have a great cooperation so far. They are young lads, in full power. Sulejmani and Marinkovic had great football careers and they are both Partizan academy graduates so they fully know how this club works. Sulejmani was playing for Ajax and their youths are one of the best in the world for years now. New youth management plans a lot of new things but they will need a lot of time to implement all demands. Certain ideas are already visible and I have no doubts they`ll raise the academy on a higher level”.
You`ve been a youth coach for years now. When you see these boys in a short sleeves training in winter conditions, do you envy them?
“No, I don`t (laughs). Young and foolish I should say. Well, they are young and we educate them in accordance to their age, it`s all a learning curve. They need to learn how to behave off the pitch as well as they represent Partizan at all times. As they get closer to senior football, they all get recognized as Partizan players more and they have to be present themselves in a fine fashion on and off the pitch. We advice them how to dress, especially during winter period, but they are young and full of energy, they think they should wear short sleeves. We battle with them every day but they do listen to me”, said Miroslav Vulicevic.
Youth Academy Doctor Branislav Milojevic explained medical procedure for youth players.
“These are prevention checks including heart load ECG, basic biochemistry, clinical and overall examinations. We are obligated to do a load test once a year. This allows us to foresee and prevent certain unwanted situations on the field up to 90 percent”, said Milojevic.
How important is to do regular checks on these boys age 12 do 18?
“Serbian FA law and regulations bind us to do tests at least twice a year. If unwanted symptoms occur, we do it more often. Tests prevent heart diseases, inflammations and other illnesses that can cause damage to organism of a young player”.
The rest of the Partizan youth teams start their winter preps on 25th of January.
Before the winter break, number of Partizan youngsters joined senior team – Dimitrije Jankovic, Nikola Simic, Zoran Alilovic, Mihajlo Petrovic and Dusan Jovanovic. They are joined Partizan winter preps in Antalya and their future status will be known upon return from Turkey.
