Milos Veljkovic has already found his way to the wohninvest WESERSTADION. He hasn’t been there in a while. In the time since he was last there, there has been a World Cup, a unique holiday, and a training camp. It’s been almost two months. He met journalists in the mixed zone with a wry smile on Wednesday afternoon. “I’ve been away for a little longer, that’s why I’ve missed it,” said Veljkovic. Finally, it’s Werder again, finally it’s the Bundesliga again.
Milos Veljkovic spent his free time between Switzerland and Serbia. Just switching off. There was a lot going on last year. It was a stressful period. Enjoying nature in a small village in Serbia helps him not to get distracted. Just put your mobile phone away. And then, today, he came back to Bremen with a new sense of energy and lots of excitement for the action ahead. “Whether I’m playing at the World Cup or here with a third division side in the cup, I always give 100 percent,” explained Veljkovic, who was asked a lot about his World Cup experiences during his interview. “After such a big tournament, you grow as a player and learn to deal with lots of pressure.”
After years in the Bundesliga, Veljkovic made his breakthrough into the Serbia national team as a second division player. It speaks of the development made by the 27-year-old, who came to the club six years ago as a young talent and is now one of the leaders in the squad. That’s why the centre-back is conscious of his role at the club. “I try to give it my all every week, to work on myself and take the younger players with me,” said the Serb before continuing when asked about the thin squad depth during the first half of the season: “They took their chance, and they have to be ready to step in again.”
The Basel native can begin to slowly count down the days until the action starts again. Just ten more until it all begins again. That’s when Veljkovic & co would like to continue from where they left off from last year. Werder want to improve their position starting with the double-game week. “For us, it’s about staying calm, taking it game by game and giving it everything we’ve got,” stressed the centre-back. “We need to bring that mentality to every single game. It sounds boring, but it is.”
