Kurtic: “There is infinite passion in PAOK”

Jasmine Kurtic’s appearance at PAOK keeps the Slovenian media in the spotlight in Italy. In an interview, he spoke about his presence in Toumba, but also remembered the beginning of his career.

What he said in detail:

For his impressive presence in Dikefalos:

“The secret is always the job. Only that. No individual performance has much value. Only the team counts. I don’t understand a word of Greek but I believe in what I do. In the summer I had some proposals from Italy, It wasn’t easy for me to leave after ten years here at PAOK there is endless passion the fans are amazing and they push you to win I’m 33 years old I live by the sea and when it blows it’s cold but Thessaloniki reminds me me to Naples”.

For working in a factory before starting his football career:

“I got up at 5:30 in the morning, worked until 2:00 p.m. and then went to training. I did that for a couple of years, I didn’t think I would become a footballer. I had a permanent contract with a team from Slovenia and I thought it was my life, my destiny… Once we played a tournament in Austria, there were dozens of scouts and agents. I won the best player award, so an agent came up to me and said, “You want to be a footballer?”

I had a fire in me, I was ready to give up everything and follow my dream anywhere, one opportunity was enough. I went home and waited for a call. In the meantime I was obviously working, I couldn’t help myself. A month went by and nothing happened, so I started asking him if there was anything new. Six more months passed, still nothing new, and I was disappointed. Then my coach told me that maybe there is a team for me, Nuova Gorizia. I went and after two months they called me from Palermo. At first I thought I was joking, I told my agent not to make fun of me. In the end everything was true. I remember the journey, my whole life passed before my eyes. Yes, I have. “I’m still shaking today.”

For his experience in Palermo and Ilisic, Dibala:

“Mikoli, Pastore, my friend Ilisic. It was a phenomenon. On a good day, he won the game on his own. In the first year I played a bit, then I was loaned to Varese, and in 2012-13 I came back in the relegation season .I remember Dimbala, another incredible player, who did lobs and tunnels in training. During the pre-season, Josip Ilisic and I were on the bench. Paulo scored an incredible goal. “When we conceded seven goals at home against Udinese we found the sports center full of white handkerchiefs with the result written on them. They had left one for each in the dressing room.”