Seoul: FC Seoul striker Dejan Damjanovic is about to embark on his sixth AFC Champions League campaign and, after a runners-up finish (2013) and two semi-final appearances (2014 and 2016), the Montenegrin believes that the 2017 edition could finally be the capital city side’s year.
The-afc.com spoke to the AFC Champions League’s third-highest scorer ahead of the start of the 2017 Group Stage to get his views on the team’s preparation, squad changes and Group F opponents.
Hi Dejan, how are you feeling ahead of the 2017 AFC Champions League?
We’re feeling good. We fulfilled our main goal in 2016 by winning the K-League Classic so now our 2017 main goal is the AFC Champions League.
We’ve got a hard group so we’ll see how it’s going to go. Generally, this pre-season, we are trying to prepare the best we can because I think our group is the hardest in this year’s AFC Champions League.
We need to be careful not to make any problems for ourselves in the first few games in the group especially in February and March when it is very cold.
We are feeling good with no injuries, although we have changed some personnel. We are preparing well and I think 2017 is going to be okay.
You mentioned some changes, one of whom is Adriano – your former strike partner – who left FC Seoul ahead of the 2017 AFC Champions League. How do you feel the team will cope without last year’s top scorer?
AFC Champions League hotshot Adriano joins Shijiazhuang Ever Bright
He performed unbelievably last year, we were talking earlier about how some of his performances in the 2016 AFC Champions League were fantastic. It’s true he’s gone now, but we won’t change the system we play.
Park Chu-young and I can still perform the role he did and do a pretty good job. We have been doing this role for the last 10 years with experience in Europe and Asia, so I think it’s going to be OK. It is important that any incoming players adapt well and quickly to our style of play, but I’m confidence his departure won’t affect us too much.
Another change is a familiar face coming back. Former captain Ha Dae-sung has returned to the club, what can he bring to the team?
Ha Dae-sung rejoins FC Seoul ahead of 2017 AFC Champions League
From the beginning, I was saying a team like FC Seoul needs to sign champions, players who were champions before, who know how to play with pressure who can take the pressure on themselves. Ha is one of those guys. He has had a really good career in Asia, I played with him in Beijing, so I know him really, really well – we’ve played together for six to seven years – so I’m really happy he’s back.
He will need a bit of time to catch up with the training as he’s about one month behind our pre-season, I think he can be a really, really good signing for us and can make the difference for us in games. He is going to be ready soon and should be OK for Matchday One. I am really happy and satisfied he re-signed for us.
You said earlier you had a tough group, what are your thoughts on some of the teams in your group?
They are really, really hard teams. We played against Urawa Red Diamonds last year in the Round of 16 and everyone remembers those two games. Crazy games, unbelievable. I’ve never seen a game like that in Asia let alone the AFC Champions League in the last 10 years. So anyway, we know what to do against these teams but even so these teams have a specific, set style and are really tough.
Shanghai SIPG, I don’t want to even comment. Their foreigners are unbelievable and they have a lot of talented Chinese players too. I’ve played a few games against them and they were tough, especially at their ground.
Oscar to join Shanghai SIPG in record transfer deal
Western Sydney Wanderers, champions in 2014. Now they are not performing the best in Australia but that doesn’t mean anything. They are in the middle of their season – at full power – while we will face them when we’ve just started ours, so we must respect them and take them really seriously.
I remember playing against Brisbane Roar in 2015 [for Beijing Sinobo Guoan] and it was a very tough game at their home ground, so Australian teams know how to play football and they use their physical attributes very well plus they’re ahead of us in their domestic season.
Almost every game is going to be really tough so we have to be careful. Last year Guangzhou Evergrande, the defending champions then, didn’t even get out of the group stage, so that shows you how tough it is.
With defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors not taking part, is this a good opportunity for FC Seoul to win the title?
Not only for us. Guangzhou Evergrande for sure are going to try and make this a great season, for them I honestly think the 2017 AFC Champions League is a priority. Us, Shanghai SIPG, I think everybody can see there is a chance to reach the final as the East Asia representative.
We got close last year but we failed to perform in just one game [a 4-1 loss in the semi-final first leg against Jeonbuk] and that was the one that cost us. This year, I think we have a chance.
We have to go step-by-step because the knockout games in September, October, November are far away and things can change, it’s hard to think that far ahead. For right now we have to think about getting out of the group and start the season well, that’s the most important thing right now.
Photos: AFP, FC Seoul, Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com