CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 5, 2021

Luka Stojanovic

Press Conference

Q. I know that after that long injury, you had a long time coming back to get to full match fitness. Are you there yet or do you still have room to get better as far as full match fitness goes?

LUKA STOJANOVIC: Yeah, I think I get now full fitness, and of course -- the first game, to be honest it was not only about fitness, but it was also like emotionally, I stay focused in the game, and I feel it also after the game for two, three days after, I was a little bit tired. But I think I get full fitness and I am ready for 90 minutes.

Q. How has your knee been holding up through the first three games and do you feel that it's back to 100 percent?

LUKA STOJANOVIC: Yeah, I can say that I'm 100 percent full fitness, and about the injury, it was -- everything is there behind me and now it is okay and I'm ready for a new challenge.

Q. You've gotten off to a very strong start personally but the team hasn't. Are you able to enjoy and take some satisfaction in how you've played, even though the team is not doing very well to start the year?

LUKA STOJANOVIC: Yeah, thank you for that. I was waiting for that moment to come back for a long period. And especially on the first game, I was a little bit disappointed with the result but on the waves like this, I know it's a little bit frustrate for us and the fans watching all of that. But things will not always go how you want and how you think is the best, and that's why I believe I make this three games -- I make a good job by making two goals, but I also can improve myself much more and to put my teammates also up for next games to catch the point, because this is the most important right now.

And about my personal goals and all of that, I can tell you, but the most important is victories and points and the table. We need to be up on the top in the place where we can play in the playoff.

Q. You came to Chicago with a reputation for scoring goals from the midfield, and we are starting to see how that now that you've returned to the team. How important is it that you bring goals to the team from the midfield position and how does that affect your approach to the game?

LUKA STOJANOVIC: Yes, I was also in my career when I play number 10, I was every time in the box. I like to score and this is the way I think I can improve each team when I play, also, that way, from midfielder to be dangerous for a goal. And I think I can -- I can help it a lot on that moment, but also, we need to be more aggressive I think, also me. I think we should be not passive in our 35, 40 minutes where people just receive a ball. I think they need to have pressure from midfielders.

So this is the thing maybe I should do better in the next games. But on the goals, I hope that I will score also this season more than ten and this is maybe my personal goal where what I want to be on the end of the season.

Q. After a couple of tough losses how is the team feeling? What is the mood in the locker room right now?

LUKA STOJANOVIC: It's not easy. It's not easy. I mean, we are not so much an experienced team, but the way we end the last game was not good enough for us because we did not make a lot of chance and we didn't play our football maybe for, I'd say, 30 or 45, the second half especially, 45 minutes.

I think this is a signal that we need to wake up. Each of us need to start from ourselves and this is the week where we play home against fantastic team, Philly, and I think maybe we need to change the season on that game. It can be perfect time and I just hope that we going to be 100 percent ready for Saturday and to bring a victory -- to take a first victory for us this season, because only on that way we can get our fans in the stadium and we can enjoy and we can have a better atmosphere on the team. The feeling we feel now, we don't want to feel anymore. That's why it's important to be focused for Saturday and on this 95, let's say, 100 minutes. In 100 minutes, we can change everything to our side.

Q. I saw a video that the team made and you were reading Steven Gerrard biography and you called him your favorite player. How much do you model your game on his, if at all?

LUKA STOJANOVIC: Yeah, he's one of my favorite player. Now he's a coach. Sometimes I watch his video when he was playing, and I would like to be like him on the team. Like, let's say he was formidable leader on the one club he spend all his life, especially professional career, and he was feeling great over there. I would like to do something that -- what he was doing there. He put -- he was leader on the team and he lead the team until the stop.

So with his goals and the passion he showed to his teammates and to all the fans they have. So yeah, let's say, I don't want to spend time here in Chicago; I want to score goals and make a lot of assists and to prove myself, also, like one of the leader on the team with that.

Q. Why did you decide to go with Luka and not Stojanovic on the back of your jersey?

LUKA STOJANOVIC: Yeah, it's simple. I mean, maybe for you it was interesting, but I was every time Luka since I start to play professional, and just before I come here, I didn't -- I did not remember that I need to say that. And for first year, I was Stojanovic. But actually, I think it's much easier to say just Luka than Stojanovic. That's the reason.