Niko Janković: 'I'd Walk to Rujevica for Kek'
The scorer of Rijeka's only goal against Ilves revealed how extra work on the training ground led to his strike, and he especially thanked the coach for his return to the club.
The scorer of Rijeka's only goal against Ilves revealed how extra work on the training ground led to his strike, and he especially thanked the coach for his return to the club.
In the 16th minute of the match, Niko Janković scored to give Rijeka the lead against Finnish side Ilves, which ultimately proved enough for a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League. His shot into the top left corner, beating goalkeeper Faris Krkalić, secured an important advantage ahead of the return leg, but also highlighted the finishing issues that have plagued the Rujevica-based side.
Rijeka was completely dominant, as the statistics confirm: the shot count was 23-3 in favor of the hosts, and corners were 9-1. Despite the overwhelming pressure, Alekse Todorović's goal remained untouched, while the attackers managed to find the net only once. Interestingly, this is already Rijeka's third consecutive 1-0 victory in European competition this season.
After the match, Janković was visibly emotional and directed special words of thanks to the coach. "I dedicate this goal to our boss Matjaž Kek; without him, I wouldn't be at Rujevica. He brought me back, and I saw his strong desire and that he values me as a player. I told him I'd walk to Rijeka for him. That's why I'm happy about the goal. I hope there will be more," Janković said to Novi list.
His return wasn't easy. Due to disagreements with former coach Victor Sanchez, he left Rijeka in February and went on a one-year loan to Slovan Bratislava. However, Kek insisted on bringing back the Armada's favorite, and Janković repaid him on the pitch. The key to success, he says, lies in extra work. After seeing in the first matches that his finishing wasn't up to par, he took the initiative to come to the auxiliary pitch at Rujevica.
"I always joke that it's luck when I score. In the first three matches, I had quite a few shots on goal. I saw it wasn't working, so I came to Rujevica and spent two or three days practicing shots on the auxiliary pitch. It paid off; I scored exactly how I practiced," the player said.
Although the win was recorded, Janković admits there's a degree of dissatisfaction due to the lack of a more convincing triumph. "I'm happy for the team; things are going well, we're winning. The only thing is I'm not fully satisfied with the result; we should have won by two or three goals. We were dominant, created chances, and it's a shame we didn't score another. But there's no despair; we'll train hard for the next match, as I like to say 'gas geben,' give it gas, and go to Finland to play as well as possible," he said.
He also had special praise for the fans. "I must commend the fans, our faithful Armada; they really have our backs and are our twelfth player." Although the match against Dinamo this weekend was canceled, Janković isn't looking for excuses. "For a player, there's nothing better than playing every three days. Matches are the most important; that's what you train for. It's best to play, especially big matches like the one against Dinamo. We're sorry it's not being played because we believe we could have played a good game. Now it's full throttle in training, throwing ourselves into it, and preparing as best as possible for the return leg in Finland."
The return leg in Tampere will bring completely different weather conditions. While yesterday at 10 a.m. in Rijeka it was 33 degrees Celsius, in the Finnish city it was only 16. The forecast for next Thursday predicts a maximum of 19 degrees. Janković, however, doesn't want to hear any excuses. "It won't bother us. I don't know how much trouble the artificial turf will cause, but there are no justifications or calculations. We're going for the win," he concluded decisively.
