sport / sports
Red Star hero, Stefan Leković I dream of the Champions League R ed Star will this season compete in the UEFA Champions League group stage. The Belgrad- ers will receive confirmation of who their ri- vals will be at the 31 st August draw in Nyon, while the competition is set to get underway on 19 th September, when we will once again have an op- portunity to watch the biggest names of European and world football at Marakana Stadium. Among those most eagerly awaiting the start of the season, and also one of the youngest players in the ranks of the Serbian champions, is 19-year-old Stefan Leković. Here this Red Star teen sensation speaks to Elevate about what playing in the red and white jer- sey brings, especially after a year that saw the club defend its double crown. “This season was filled with emotion for me, par- ticularly as I’m a child of Red Star. I took it all very emotionally and have no words to describe how I feel,” says Leković. Red Star invests in young players over many ye- ars, which is why Leković is expected to follow in the footsteps of Strahinja Eraković, who is three years his senior and participated with the Serbia national team at the World Cup in Qatar. “Such comments make me feel good. Eraković is a fantastic footballer who left behind a big mark; he set the standard, became a great centre back, and everyt- hing he did in just a short period had never previously been done by anyone in Red Star history. I will look to build on everything I’ve learned over the past 12 mon- ths from him and my other teammates in the next se- ason. Positive comments mean a lot to me, it feels go- od when I hear that people are talking about me. All that can also be a bit of a burden, but I’m not scared.” Leković, as the youngest team member, had the support of his more experienced teammates. “Everyone tried to be there for me when that was most important to me. I played 15 games in total, whi- ch isn’t a small number for a young footballer. If I had to single someone out, someone who was my greatest help, then that would be captain Milan Borjan. Erako- I’m delighted that I managed to win both trophies in my first season as a senior, and to secure direct qualification for the Champions League with the club
vić, Dragović and Milunović advised me, because we play in the same position. It meant a lot to me that I was facing successful guys with knowhow, and everyt- hing they taught me – both football and human thin- gs – will certainly be meaningful to me. As a young player and a young man, Stefan has big dreams. “To play in the Champions League, if not straight away this season, then next one... To leave some mo- re profound mark, so people don’t just remember me as a kid who could do more.... I want to become the standard at Red Star.” Alongside Serbian football, Leković also follows other European leagues, and most of all... “Serie A. I love Italian clubs, and Inter [Milan] has a special place in my heart, as a club whose shirt I’d like to put on. That’s one of my bigger dreams that I hope will come true for me“. Red Star will face off against its Champions Lea- gue rivals in August, and we would say that those ri- vals have never been stronger... “Who would I like in our group? If it’s at all po- ssible, I’d like us to make great strides in the Cham- pions League next season, for us to be able to compe- te with the biggest teams on the continent. I’m aware that there are no easy opponents in the Champions League, but, if possible, I’d like us to receive rivals we can compete against as equals, to see if we measure up... I’d like us to go a step further every year. If I’m able to choose, then let there also be a club from En- gland in our group.” At the end, Stefan reveals who his idol was when he first set foot on the Marakana turf. “Only Nemanja Vidić. He is unparalleled as the all-time greatest Serbian defender. I often watch clips from the period when Vidić played; it’s unbelievable the kind of career he had. He was captain of the great Manchester United, with whom he won many trop- hies, while he also played for my Red Star, where he was also a pillar of the defence. Nemanja is the player I look up to,” underscores Stefan Leković.
108 | Fudbal » Football
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator