Is the national football team still short of defenders? Chinese Super League foreign aid: willing to accept naturalization and wait for China's call-up!

Reporter Wang Wei, intern reporters Huang Hao, Liu Chengyan reported On the evening of July 12, Meizhou Hakka team defeated Beijing Guoan 3-1 at home, and on the morning of July 13, Meizhou Hakka Serbian central defender Dugalic was interviewed exclusively by this newspaper in the club office. Dugalic, who follows the example of former Manchester United Serbian centre-back Nemanja Vidic, is the quintessential tough guy on the pitch: "I'm willing to give everything to the club, I'm willing to take everything and push my team-mates forward, that's my nature. Dugalic said. At the end of the interview, Dugalic revealed that he has the will to naturalize and is willing to join the Chinese national team.

◆"Football": As a core player of defense that integrates attack and defense on the field, and also the captain, how do you understand the word "responsibility"?

Dugalich: When I first started playing, I wanted to be a fighter on the pitch, a fighter who was willing to give everything for the club, take everything and push my teammates forward, that's my nature.

◆ Against Shenzhen, you led 2-0, but then reversed due to mistakes, you were both happy and sad on the field, what was the situation like?

Mr. Cao (General Manager of Meizhou Hakka Club Cao Yang) trusted me very much, the captain of the field at that time entrusted me to do it, as the captain, losing must be frustrating, the club hired me definitely need me and my teammates to win, losing is my responsibility, but the victory must be the result of the team's joint efforts.

◆The captain's armband was given to you, is this a full affirmation of your sense of responsibility?

Now in the Chinese Super League, there are also many foreign players who have become captains, such as Shkolic of Cangzhou Lions, Oscar of Shanghai Port, Fellaini of Shandong Taishan, etc., which is of course a recognition of responsibility. As long as it is for the team to be better, no matter who is the captain, Shi Liang and I are like brothers.

◆After a period of winless games, the team played quite well against Chengdu Rongcheng and Beijing Guoan, what changes has the team changed recently?

There is nothing special about it, the first 15 rounds of our team have been incomplete, like before we couldn't even get together in training, Rodrigue suspended five games, Kosovic has just recovered from injury, Liao Junjian also missed the game due to a broken rib, and the absence of the main team has led to ups and downs in the first few rounds. But since the start of the game against Chengdu Rongcheng, with the return of the main players and the addition of new foreign striker Conrad, we have started to play to our full potential. Football is about a complete team, not alone, we need a whole team.

◆Meizhou Hakka team now has young players such as Li Yongjia and Yang Yilin, how to evaluate the young players in the team and how to bring them to improve together?

It is still necessary to focus more attention on training, in which young players will learn a lot from many old players. Of course, training must be 100% in, think and train with your brain, and show it in the game if you have the opportunity.

◆ "Soccer": Last season, you were almost the team's all-time king, and this season is almost too, which shows that your strong fighting power is really like an iron warrior!

Dugalich: Yes, I only missed last season in the last game against Guangzhou because of the coronavirus. I often think that I won't leave the pitch until I die, that I'm going to fight until the last minute.

◆As a central defender, you scored two goals last season and two goals and one assist this year. How did you do it?

Yes, four so far this year, but two were blown out by VAR, handball against Qingdao and header against Shenzhen.

◆After coming to the Chinese Super League, what goal do you remember the most?

For me, it really doesn't matter if I score or not, the main thing is that the team can win. My main task is to defend, and if the opportunity comes, I will go and score, of course it is good to have a chance to score. But my main task is still to defend. Goals are the icing on the cake, the kind of defenders with knives.

◆How did you exercise your ability to integrate attack and defense?

Even through training, my main occupation at training is centre-back, but after training I also keep practicing crosses and shooting. On the football pitch, all performance depends on training. I've always believed that training is what it's like when you play.

◆When the team needs your center forward, I also saw you rush straight up!

Of course, as long as the team needs it, it's okay for me to be a goalkeeper.

◆Meizhou Hakka won the ninth place in the Chinese Super League last season and is currently ranked 11th in the Chinese Super League, what season goals do you put forward for the team and yourself?

Personally, I definitely want the club to become a champion, but the reality is not like this, now we are in the middle of the table, our goal this year is to relegate, not to fall to the second division, or to try to stay on the platform of the Chinese Super League. And for myself, the goal is also to stay in the Chinese Super League and be relegated.

◆Speaking of champions, you have won the Kazakhstan League championship many times before, and you are also in the year of play, what are your expectations for victory?

There are people who are born to win, and I am this kind of person, I desire to win, I am this kind of person who was born to win. Every man should be like this. Whether it's the team or myself, I want to stay in the Chinese Super League, which is the most realistic goal. Everyone here is built to win and I want to win more games for the team.

◆Soccer: How did you get into football?

Dugalich: Me and the current Serbian national team coach Stojkovic are from Niš. At the age of seven I started learning to play football in my native Serbian Niš, at the age of fourteen I went to the best football school in Serbia, at the age of sixteen I returned to my home club, after the age of twenty I went to Russia to officially start my professional league journey, and at the same time I also entered the Serbian U21 national team.

◆Why did you go to play in the Russian league so early?

When we were at school in Serbia, we could learn a second foreign language, I chose to learn Russian, and at the age of 21 my agent asked me if I would be interested in playing in the Russian First League, and I went without much thought. I think it's great for a player to be able to go to a country when he is young that has helped him develop and where there is no language barrier with his teammates. For foreign players like us, we need to perform better than local players in order to have a foothold.

◆Compared with the Russian and Kazakhstan leagues, what do you think of the overall level of the Chinese Super League?

Each country's league has a few particularly top-tier teams, while others are a little mediocre, as is the case with the Chinese Super League, where several teams are giants and the teams in the middle of the table are almost the same level. In Kazakhstan, my previous team, Haylati Club, is the league leader, we have won the league three years in a row and have also played at the European level, which is a top team.

◆Who are the stars who influenced you on your path to professional football?

It's the former Manchester United captain, Nemanja Nemanja Nedic, who has been Manchester United captain for ten years, and he's a fighter.

◆How do you define a warrior?

Have courage, brains, dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to football and be willing to give everything for the club and the team.

◆"Soccer": Besides football, what other hobbies do you have?

Dugalich: I don't have a particular hobby, I eat and chat with my wife or friends. Wuhua, where I live, is a county town, and a trip to Guangzhou is at least three and a half hours by car, which is also a bit far, and I don't go out much. In the future, an hour's or one-and-a-half-hour drive by high-speed rail is okay.

◆What special Chinese food do you like to eat?

I've eaten hot pot, local pickled noodles in Wuhua, and turtle, but these are rarely eaten, and I'm a little more professional in eating, but I'm not very used to spicy things or saucey foods in terms of taste.

◆What do you and several other foreign aides usually communicate with?

Our family is now in China, usually a few of our foreign aides are more with their families, sometimes they will get together for a meal, but they don't often, basically just live a normal life, we all enjoy family life.

◆Which Chinese players impressed you?

Wu Lei is one of them, he plays well, and has a lot of experience, he plays relatively modern, he runs and fights very actively, he is better in front of goal, he has scored a lot of goals, he is a very advanced player.

◆Through communication, I feel that you are a typical Serbian player, with a strong sense of responsibility and heavy feelings. The Serbian national team may have lacked a centre-back like you during the World Cup.

I feel the same way, but it's all about coach Stojkovic, whose philosophy can be seen during the World Cup.

◆Stojkovic has coached in the Chinese Super League, have you ever thought about being called up by him into the Serbian national team? In fact, a tough guy on the pitch like you is exactly what Chinese football needs.

Coach Stojkovic knew me. Actually, I am already waiting for the call of the Chinese national team, because I have not played for the Serbian senior national team, I have the opportunity to naturalize, and the Chinese national team can also.

◆Do you really have an idea to naturalize?

Yes, I have the idea of naturalization.