Peja Mijatovic celebrated his 57th birthday on Radio MARCA’s Vicente Ortega’s show on Monday, and used his congratulations to reflect on the current situation at Real Madrid. The former striker and sporting director has clear thoughts on the tensions of recent weeks, the whistle at the Bernabéu, the changes in the dugout and the appearance of Florentino Perez. Real Madrid “have everything but patience”, he says.
Mijatovic admitted that as a Real Madrid fan, he admired Barcelona’s stumble and the fact that Real Madrid were still fighting: “Like every Real Madrid fan, at one moment you would have hoped that Barcelona would fail, but that’s what happened…Despite everything bad, despite all the disasters, we got one point from the leaders and survived in some important competitions.” Here he left behind one of his most powerful words. “If you think Real Madrid is over, my friend, you don’t really understand football.”
Vinicius went straight to the locker room after Real Madrid’s win at the Bernabéu
Mijatovic did not hide the fact that he had not followed the club’s daily life “very closely” over the past year due to his work in Serbia. “I’m at Partizan Belgrade…to lift up a historic club…I don’t watch every game, but I follow things and stay informed.” Regarding the sporting context, he expressed his doubts in the process of adaptation. “It’s been a year since we started with a new coach… some games went well, some games didn’t… now is the time for the players to adapt, get to know each other better and understand the coach’s philosophy.” However, he warned of the special nature of Real Madrid, saying: “As you know, there is no legitimacy to defeat at Real Madrid,” and especially against Barça: “Losing against Barça in the Super Cup… has a negative taste.”
Fury of the Bernabéu
Amid the outrage and banners, Mijatovic asked the president for his opinion. “Now, people are looking for the culprit, as always… sometimes the coach, sometimes the players, sometimes the president,” he said bluntly to Florentino Pérez. “Let me just say that Florentino Pérez, with all his faults and all his virtues, has accomplished what no president has ever achieved.” He extended this claim to the most criticized players, saying: “Just like players like Vinicius and Bellingham, we must not forget the players who have brought so much joy to this club.”
Asked about Xabi Alonso’s sacking, Mijatovic expressed surprise: “I really didn’t expect it to happen so soon…a new project, a three-year contract for the coach, paying the clause…I thought it would last a little longer.” But he understood how the office worked. “A decision is a decision…When I was at Partizan, too, two months ago I had to make the decision to fire the coach.” And he has a comment that sums up the severity of his position: “If you do it right, it’s normal, but if you do it wrong, it’s a disaster. I don’t think Florentine would wake up one morning and say, “Okay, everyone get out”…”
Arbeloa was appointed as the new player in charge of “resurfacing” the team, and Mijatović was positive about his first appearance. “I heard him at the first press conference…I liked him very much. He’s a man of words, a clear thinker, a man with a desire to work…They say he did very well in Castilla.” He also asked for more time: “We have to give him a chance and we have to be patient with him…He is in charge of the team at a quite complicated time.”
One of the most powerful moments was when I spoke about Vinicius. Mijatovic recalled that he himself had criticized his attitude on other occasions, but he stood apart from his fans and said: “Right now, in this situation, I have to say that… so many whistles against him didn’t seem right to me.” His defense was based on the Brazilian’s competitive nature. “He’s still a Real Madrid player and he made some very decisive plays in very important matches… He brought us a lot of joy… He was always present in the Champions League final,” he summed up by saying, “If you support him a little bit, the kid will definitely respond.”
