01, 07 News Croatian media RTL Danas exclusively interviewed RB Leipzig central defender Gwa
Dior.
(The following is the second half of the interview)
Danas: With all the media focus on negative things, there’s nowhere for you to escape.
We know there’s a video of you smoking a cigarette on social media, will you apologize?
Gwadiole: I have nothing to regret.
It might not be very professional, but we won bronze and we were all happy at that moment, and we were all out.
But I knew that when I came to the club and for the next six months I was going to devote myself to football, that’s how it was.
Danas: British media say you will transfer?
Gwadiole: Then I wouldn’t have to go to England, when the transfer comes, the journalists write all kinds of stuff.
Danas: You are the ninth most expensive soccer player in the world, according to Transfermarkt.
If the transfer goes through, you could be the most expensive defender in the world.
Are these numbers impressive to you?
Gwadiol: I don’t care about numbers.
Half of it might be unreal because I have connections with people at the club and I don’t think there were any negotiations.
I have an agent to deal with these issues, and I focus on my work on the court as much as possible.
Danas: The Leipzig director said that the offer for Gvardio would be spam.
Gwadiol: Of course I’m happy to hear that and I’m also happy that the club can achieve some big things.
I’m not in a rush, I’m at Leipzig, we still have six months to finish the season and win something.
Then we’ll look to the future.
Danas: But with that line, he’s showing how much he depends on you, how much they trust you.
Gwadiol: I’m sure of that because they ended up keeping me last summer.
We talked and they told me how much I meant to them, how much I meant to my team-mates and the club, I’m happy to hear that and I hope to spend these six months with them.
Danas: You were close to moving to Chelsea last summer.
They didn’t give up on you. It is said that you will join in the winter window?
Gvardio: They didn’t give up, we agreed to wait until the winter window.
Winter is here, so we need to see what to do next and how, but that’s okay, there’s still plenty of time, we’ll see.
Danas: Which league do you like the most and which one do you want to go to?
Gwadiol: When I was a kid, I was always drawn to the English league.
We all know what kind of league it is, I don’t know if I’m mature enough and ready for the Premier League.
When I feel that this is a moment, that I have crossed a certain hurdle and reached the top level of the Bundesliga, then I will look further.
Danas: Manchester City was also mentioned as a possibility. If you had to choose, would it be Manchester City or Chelsea?
GVADIOR: Well, I don’t know.
No one has shown me anything, and as far as I’m concerned, don’t know.
But I’m not in a rush, we have time, let them make plans and we’ll see.
Danas: If I asked 10-year-old Iosko which club he would like to play for, what would he say?
Gwadiol: That must be Liverpool.
I’ve watched a lot of Liverpool games with my dad since I was a kid, we followed every season in detail and it’s a club that’s always been in my heart.
Danas: What is your New Year’s resolution?
Transfer, new success for the national team?
Gwadiol: It’s about staying healthy first, because I have a lot of friends who are injured, so I realize how much an injury affects people mentally.
But as for aspirations, I want to continue to be successful with the national team because what we did was unimaginable to me at 20 years old.
I want to go as far as possible in the Champions League.
Danas: Thank you for your time and good luck.
GVADIOR: Thank you.