Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with David Zdrillic Zdrillic on German footy ..oh no not another training session…. Diegos: " From all reports you seem to be the toast of the 'Sauerkraut and Carlsberg beer' set in Germany at present, impressing all and sundry, with your goal-scoring exploits. The Four Diegos satellite dish does not pick up many SSV Ulm games, so can you tell us about the club and how your season has gone so far?" Zdrillic: "SSV Ulm is a big sporting club. It's not just a football club. It has basketball, volleyball, and tennis teams associated with it. The football team has really picked up this season because of the way that we have played. We went 16 games unbeaten - a new record for first and second divisions in Germany. I've scored 8 goals in 15 games and the whole team has been playing well, so we are on a bit of a high right now. I'm not sure whether we will be promoted to the German Bundesliga though. We haven't got the financial resources of some of the big clubs that have been relegated from the first division but we have an exceptional trainer, so anything can happen." Diegos: " Former Liverpool Aussie star, Craig Johnston, once said that he didn't take up an offer to play in Germany because the players had to train with weights strapped to their legs. What is the training like, and do you think that after a couple of years of playing in Germany that you can perhaps, turn your hand to weightlifting and wear the Green and Gold in another sport?" Zdrillic: "You can't help but bulk up playing in Germany. The training consists of endless running, sometimes in one-hour intervals after one hour of match play. They take blood tests to calculate how fast you should be running and what physical aspect of your play you should be concentrating on. This sort of training is very intense but the positive thing is that it can only improve us as players and eventually improve our national team. It's exciting when you see yourself improving as a player. Hopefully l can keep it going."
Diegos: "A former Diego 'Guest of the Week', Frank Juric, who is the goalkeeper for Fortuna Dusseldorf, also plays in the German second division. When you clash in competition does it bring back memories of the old Sydney United and Melbourne Knights rivalry, and if you do slam one past him will you go up and give him a hug and a kiss or just a good Aussie raspberry?" Zdrillic: "We have actually met once on the field but l didn't score against him. I'm sure, if we meet again and l put one away, I'll let him know about it. I think I'll remind him of the good old days 'Downunder'. I'm sure, if he saves one of my shots he'll have a few words to say. Hopefully next time l can put one past him so l can give him a bit of cheek."
Diegos: " You got your chance to play for the Socceroos under Terry Venables at the beginning of his reign as Aussie coach. You didn't figure in his plans against Iran but it is well documented that he rated you highly as a player of the future. What are your thoughts on El Tel and do you still have a strong desire to play for Australia?" Zdrillic: "Terry did rate me pretty highly, but back then, l didn't really know why. When l first played for Australia, l didn't think that l was ready. I didn't think that l was good enough to play at that level but he bloodied me and gave me a chance. Now that I'm playing in Europe, l feel that I've developed as a player and learnt quickly about the qualities you need to survive as a professional overseas. One big desire l have, is to play for the Socceroos again. This time though, when l do play, l want to make sure that l make an impact so that people really see a difference. It was very easy to play under Venables. The instructions he gave me and the systems the team played were simple to follow and understandable. It's a shame that he has gone because he was a great coach and he wasn't to blame for our failure. The main reason for our failure was our lack of experience in playing good teams in important matches. We've got to learn how to handle the pressure better."
Diegos: " A recent news flash on the Four Diegos fax, announced that the German fourth division club, Bonn S.C, in its quest to get promoted, has signed up the whole of the Cuban national team. It must get lonely for you over in Germany. Do you sometimes wish that your club would sign a team full of Aussies to keep you company?" Zdrillic: "That would be ideal if it could be done. But you've got to learn the hard way sometimes and if you do, in the end, l believe, you'll be a better player for it. I did hear about the Cubans coming and l thought it was pretty funny. I just wonder how their club will field a team when they are all called up for national duty."
|