Zenit’s midfielder reflects on his birthday at the training camp in Qatar, travelling to the Caribbean and his return to Lisbon next month.
– You are in Doha celebrating your birthday here for the third time in a row. How was that?
• Yes, as usual, in a hotel with the team. We had dinner and the chef prepared a cake.
– You had a few hours free as you met with the team in the evening. Did you celebrate?
• No, nothing special. I actually rested; I had a very long flight.
– How do you feel at the start of this camp?
• I feel fine, we now had two training sessions. There is no stress, it’s just the beginning.
– Tell me about your vacation. Once again you went somewhere far away.
• Yes, first I travelled to Dubai and then went to Guadeloupe, after in Orlando and Disneyland and from there to the Bahamas.
– Guadeloupe – is it your first time there?
• No I’ve been there before, the first time was the Bahamas. But I am from Martinique, which is also Caribbean, so I know how it all feels.
– So…Benfica, again. You just wrote a few words on Instagram after the draw, but they are special matches for you.
• Yes, “Da Luz” is a very special place for me, even though we played there again with Zenit. But now everything will be different, we meet in the play-offs and I’m really looking forward to both games.
– Do you believe that we will get back to your former club?
• Not particularly. There were a lot of other very strong contenders, but they fell out. Two strong teams, strong players, so it will be top matches.
– Some believe that Zenit plays in Portugal too often, like… karma!
• Yes, it’s true we played many times with Benfica and other clubs from this country. So, our paths cross again.
– Have you seen the weather forecast in St. Petersburg? You know, it’s not just cold, but very cold?
• Oh sure! I knew that until mid-December it was not bad, but then it got cold, everyone told me yesterday. During my first year, when I moved to St. Petersburg, we celebrated Christmas in Russia, and then, too, it was -20 C or -25 C. Now I know how to keep warm!
