Capan: Hajduk is by tradition the biggest club in Croatia
Former Hajduk youth captain, now Žalgiris player, Marko Capan, has previewed the clash against his former club in the Conference League qualifiers.
Former Hajduk youth captain, now Žalgiris player, Marko Capan, has previewed the clash against his former club in the Conference League qualifiers.
Hajduk's footballers will face Lithuanian side Žalgiris away on Thursday at 7 PM in the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Conference League. This tie carries extra spice as Marko Capan, the former captain of the Split club's youth team, who moved to Lithuania in January this year, will be on the opposing side.
Capan made 11 official appearances for Hajduk, recording two assists, but he couldn't have imagined meeting his old teammates in a European competition. "I didn't expect to play against Hajduk, but that's life. I'm really happy about it. I think it will be a good match. We'll try to win. Six months ago, I couldn't have imagined this," the Žalgiris midfielder told Index.hr.
Capan admits it took him time to adapt to his new surroundings. "I feel good, better every day. The most important thing is that the team is growing, especially after the last match. In this game, we'll give our all to win. When I first arrived, I wasn't at my best, but everyone needs time to adapt. I feel better every day," he added.
Reflecting on his team's last match, Capan highlighted its unpredictability. "It's tough. Those matches are special. We didn't expect that before the game, but that's football. That's why we love it because anything is possible. Until the final whistle, you can fight for everything," he said.
Asked whether the players had emotionally recovered from that exhausting encounter, he responded professionally: "That's football; we're all professionals and we've recovered. We quickly returned to training and focused on this match. In football, you don't live in the past; you have to work harder every day. That's what we did. I think we're ready for tomorrow."
Speaking about his former club, Capan was full of praise but also realistic about their current situation. "Hajduk is by tradition the biggest club in Croatia. They have great support and excellent results, maybe not in the last few years. They have a young team and a good coach. I played with them for a long time, and the coach really wants to play football. They haven't started this season well; they're under a lot of pressure right now, and they'll give their all tomorrow," he said.
He paid special attention to Rokas Pukštas, his close friend with whom he shared a dressing room for five years. "First of all, he's a really good person. He's one of my best friends; we played together for five years. He's a quality player, a hard worker, and he improves every season. I think his biggest quality is his leap, which is one of Hajduk's biggest weapons," Capan highlighted.
He is also aware of Pukštas's potential for a big European career. "I think he can be really good. He's still young, but he's a hard worker. He wants to improve every day. I know he had a few offers before; I'm sure he can go far in European football," concluded the former Hajduk youth captain.
