Kiril Despodov: I am at home in PAOK, this title was the most difficult in my career

The captain of the Bulgarian national team, Kiril Despodov, gave a lengthy interview to the Greek publication SDNA, writes Topsport. In it, he talked about the past season with PAOK, which became the champion of Greece.

He told how he feels after one season at PAOK: "The truth is that I feel very close to PAOK. My city is very close to Greece. When I came to PAOK, I told them that I come every year to Greece on vacation. I love your country, your food, your music, the sun. I love everything about Greece. And now my work is here... Maybe this explains my relationship with PAOK".

Despodov could not miss the warm reception from the team's fans: "What I get from the people is so nice. You know that it is very important for a football player to feel loved, both in the team and outside it. It gives you more confidence, more motivation to show your potential, what you can achieve and I can say 100% I got a lot of love in Greece from PAOK fans. And I honestly respect them a lot".

"To be honest, I feel at home. I don't feel like I'm playing in a foreign country. When I signed with PAOK, I told them that I didn't want any adaptation time because I felt that I was already part of this culture. I just want time to adapt to the needs of the team and the Greek league," Despodov said about his adaptation to the team and the championship.

Despodov told a curious story related to PAOK's interest in him: "I will tell you a story. 4 years ago, when I was playing in Austria, there was serious interest from PAOK. We were very close to the deal, but in the end something happened and the deal fell through. I would come to play on loan at PAOK with an option to buy. But you see, maybe it wasn't the right time. Now it was painted. And in my first season at PAOK, I became a champion. Perfect scenario. PAOK was honest with me. They were very excited about the prospect of my transfer, I felt in myself that this was my chance to go to this club. Everything was arranged in less than 2 days... I am very happy with the decision I made then and I feel vindicated because my instinct was right.

The winger also talked about the fact that he only wanted PAOK: "Olympiakos was close. I had other offers, but they didn't move me. PAOK acted very directly and purposefully. There were some pending financial issues but they resolved them within a day. I think that I also helped to make the transfer happen, because I spoke with Ludogorets. It was not easy for them to let me go, I was the leader of the team. I had a very good relationship with them, a relationship of respect, but inside I wanted to leave. I was honest with them. I told them, I played here for three years, I won everything, it's time to leave after one season with 19 goals, 22 assists in 48 games. It's time for me to go. I feel this need in me. I want to go to a new club, give my best, win trophies.

"It was the hardest title I won. But what makes the championship I won with PAOK very special are the celebrations that followed. Really, it was crazy. You can't imagine the satisfaction I felt after the Aris match, the moment we won the championship. When the season started, few believed in us. I heard it. But over the past few months, halfway through the season, the mood has started to change. More and more people believed us. They were stopping me on the road and telling me we can win the championship, we have to win the title. But we also believed it in the dressing room," Despodov said about the past season with PAOK.

He also talked about the demands from the fans: "I have played for CSKA for about three years. The fans 1-2 times came to talk to us after a bad result. For me, these moments help the team, they are useful. To see up close the passion of these fans who are annoyed, disappointed, sad. I know they do it with good intentions, not to harm the team, it's just that sometimes we have to think that footballers are people, not robots. We all make mistakes. No extra pressure is needed. But I understand that PAOK is a club with constant pressure. Pressure to always win. This is a club with goals. Such a situation motivates me. When I see that the fans of the team are annoyed, and we are annoyed, it means that we have to fix it from the next game. All this interaction helps the team. In the last 4 derbies it was there before every game. They gave us strength, they told us that we were the best, that we would win the championship. They helped us a lot".

Despodov also shared his impressions of Greek football in general: "Greek football is not easy. It is definitely one or two levels above the one in Bulgaria. It's more aggressive, hard football. Do you remember when I started my season at PAOK? Ten games passed and I didn't manage to score, it was a difficult period for me, I had to adapt immediately. That's why I kept saying in my interviews "I'm not 100% ready, I need time". But it's normal. There are good teams with good players who fight to the end for the championship. It's definitely a tough league".

"I know that PAOK paid a lot of money for me. They felt this need to do it, they really wanted me. But you know what you give to get back. I gave 100% of myself, I am 100% professional. And I believe that they are satisfied with me", the Bulgarian is convinced.

"We prepared very well, especially for the European matches. We have our chance and we will do everything to be in the Champions League. It will be exciting for the club and for us. This year the season will be tougher for us because the demands and expectations are greater. And we know that. He doesn't scare us!", Kiril Despodov is categorical.

Finally, he told a story about the beginning of his football journey: "When I was 12 years old and I went to Litex, I was a recluse. We all lived together, the conditions were not very pleasant. We lived three people in a very small space, I had no friends. I was 12, it wasn't easy for me. I wanted to go home and called my family. When my father spoke to my uncle and told him that he was coming to get me, he asked him why and he told him that Cyril was not having a good time, he was crying and he was going home. Then my uncle called me. He told me I could come back whenever I wanted, that was the only easy thing. But if I want to achieve my goal, become a footballer, build character, then behave and give my best. Then I thought I'd try for another week. And finally I stayed".