Mile Škorić waved goodbye to the loyal Osijek fans at the rousing City Garden Stadium last weekend. He is about to start a new chapter in his soccer career, destined for the Lions of Cangzhou Super League team. Before embarking on this unknown journey, he gave an exclusive interview to the Voice of Slavonia, bravely announcing his commitment to the Chinese Super League: "China, a land of unknowns and challenges, is waiting for me to conquer. I am full of ambition to face this new challenge and I will fight for my place in my new club. I am ready for difficulties and I will give my best to prove my worth."
[Interview Transcript]
Q: Last game at home in Osijek against Sibenik...
A: Unfortunately, we were not able to win this crucial game. I knew that it was my swansong at Osijek and I had hoped to bring three points to the team, which is crucial for the upcoming European qualification. Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve our goal and the final farewell was particularly touching. I'll miss everything here, I've had a lot of good times here, I'm eager to try new things in life and hopefully we'll see each other again one day and not forever.
Q: Before Mijo Čaktaš took the penalty against Sibenik's goalkeeper, you were surprised by the shouts of "Mile Školjic" from the stands (the home fans wanted you to take the penalty), but in the end the penalty was taken by Mijo Čaktaš, and you didn't get a chance.
A: I thank the fans for their support and I want to score goals for the team and contribute to the victory. If I can score a goal, it will be my greatest joy. However, according to the team rules, the first player to take a penalty kick is Miyo Tsaktash. I felt sorry for him. This time he did not score a goal. In fact, I have taken many penalties in Osijek, but the results were not good. I am not the kind of player who is good at taking penalties.
Q: In Osijek, you witnessed a relegation crisis where the team was almost on the verge of bankruptcy. Which game impressed you the most?
A: Of course, it was in the last round of the 2013/14 season when we played against the Croatian Volunteers. At the time, we were on the brink of relegation and our opponents scored a goal. If that scoreline had stayed the same, we would have been relegated to the second division. Fortunately, Josip Barisic stepped up and equalized to keep us in the top flight. If relegation had become a reality at that point, we don't know where the club would have gone, whether Hungarian investors would have stepped in or not, let alone the future fate of the club.
Q: Why did you choose to play in China?
A: It wasn't easy for me to make this decision, I thought long and hard about it. In the end, I decided to leave, even though the decision was very difficult. I will turn 32 this June and this may be my last chance to change and experience new things.
