Former Partizan forward Nemanja Kojic attended latest edition of Partizan Interview. We best remember Nemanja for his 90th minute winner at the 146th Eternal derby game and he was telling us what was going on before the match.
“We all know that you win or lose the title winning or dropping points against so-called minnows. That season, our bitter rivals were winning all their tough away games, one way or another, but it added to our energy and defiance. We were saying it doesn`t matter as the derby game will show who the better side is, that what derby game is for. Prior to the match, we spent five days at our training centre, getting ready for it as if it was our last ever game of football”, said Kojic.
Gameday finally arrived and it was the one Partizan fans will always have fond memories of.
“It was mad all over, the sub`s bench was almost out there on the field with the players jumping and protesting at ref`s decisions. The synergy between players, bench and the people on the stands was unbelievable, we were one body out there, everyone was doing their best and we were rewarded by God for all our effort. That feeling, when the ball hit the net, me jumping over the advertising board to run towards the South Stand – that`s something no one can explain. I don`t remember half of it, it`s the stuff of dreams. You don`t dream Man United, you dream Partizan and scoring against Crvena Zvezda”.
Unfortunately, that derby winning goal proved not enough for Partizan to win the title later on but Kojic underlines it was really important players were able to hold their heads high.
“We are all humans with our ups and downs, but it really matters when group of players, who spends more time with each other than with their families, knows they did their best to get a result. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you usually get your reward at the end of the football marathon”.
Kojic also revealed who is his favourite Partizan player now, someone who could score a crucial goal at today`s Eternal Belgrade derby.
“I rate Nikolic highly, he`s a player making a huge difference on our football scene. Nikolic is my favourite as I know how he give himself out for the club, how much he did for Partizan. He`s a player who scored 10 to 12 goals a season for any club he plays, you don`t want to part with such player too easily. I would love him to be the one scoring the winning goal”, said Nemanja Kojic.
