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"I was born in Athens, but I am not Greek"/ Mario Mitaj speaks with his heart: I love Albania, I am a patriot of my homeland

2024-03-27 20:02:28 / SPORT ALFA PRESS

"I was born in Athens, but I am not Greek"/ Mario Mitaj speaks with

One of the best in the two friendlies that the Albanian National Team played was Mario Mitaj. The left defender gave positive signals as in the first challenge against Chile, but especially in the one against Sweden in Stockholm. Mitaj has become a key point not only for Sylvinho's Albania, but also for Lokomotiv Moscow in Russia. As in a Russian media outlet, the Albanian footballer recently spoke. Mitaj talks about his transfer from AEK in Greece to Lokomotiva in Russia. He also expresses the great love he has for Albania, as he explains that he is not Greek even though he was born in the Hellenic state, stressing that he feels proud every time he sees the red and black flag.

"I had a difficult situation in Greece. The problem with Greek football is that they don't trust young players at all. They immediately expect an outstanding performance from a young lad in his debut match. There is practically no chance of error , if you go out and show nothing, they start 'marinating' you in a jar. Because of this, many young guys got bored and ended their football career.

I have also faced this horror. In my first season for AEK at the age of 17 I played around 30 games, but in the next season I played only two. The offer from Lokomotiv was a breath of fresh air for me, a chance to leave forever from a country where they don't believe in me. Moreover, at that time the Russian Premier League was the 6th league in Europe.

I prefer to work on things that can make me faster, more flexible and more technical. I'm not a bodybuilder to have muscle mass as a priority. In martial arts, muscles do not always play a major role, they can be won with cunning and technique. A weak football player can be good because of his intelligence.

Disadvantages in Russia? The first thing is the traffic jam. I'm already used to it! Second, high prices for almost everything (except gasoline). Life in Moscow is much more expensive than in Greece. And thirdly, speed cameras. This is absolutely horrible, how do they manage to catch everyone like this? Last year I had 5-6 fines.

I was born in Athens, but I am Albanian. The fact that I was born in Athens does not make me Greek. I have many friends there, I speak Greek and I love that country for the opportunities it has given me and my family. But I love my Albania more, I am a patriot of my homeland. When I see the Albanian flag and talk to Albanians, I am filled with a sense of pride", said the defender of the Albanian National Team, Mario Mitaj.

 

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