Angelo Cijntjen haastattelu

Angelo Cijntjen haastattelu 26.10.2001

-How old were you when you first saw football?

When I got my first real leather ball I was 4 years, ant that was the moment that I really fell in love with football. Before that I was always looking at my uncles who also really liked playing with ball.

-Who introduced the ball to you?

The leather ball... my father gived it to me but it was really my uncles who were playing with me all the time.

-Which was the first club (as young) you played football?

V.V. Meeuwenplaat was my first club. When I went to Holland I was 7 and then my father brought me to a small club who was nearby where I was living, called VV. Meeuwenplaat and 4 years later I went to VV. Spijkenisse who was playing in a higher division.

-The career before KuPS: Year, club, games played, goals.

Before I game to KuPS I was playing at S.C. Heerenveen. I was 16 years old when I had to leave home and go to the north to play for them, I played 2 seasons as a junior and then went to the reserve team there I also played two seasons. During that time I didn't get the possibility to play an officiel match for the first team.

-Compare KuPS with the previous clubs (coaching, training, team mates, supporters).

At Heerenveen I had a great football education. All the coaches had a lot of experience, so I have learn a lot from them. The trainingsession were always on a high level. Teammates are your working partners so you always have to find a way to comminicate with them, and every time you meet new teammares it means that you’re going to learn something new because that’s the way it goes. I learn something from them and they learn something from me.. And the supporters were great but the KuPS supporters really had me going. I preciate every support I get and I always want to show the supporters that by working very hard and let them enjoy the game.

-If you compare Finland and Holland, what are the main differences in training?

I think the big difference is the tactical trainings. In Holland we almost train every day on our tactics. And the coaches are also more specifiedon details, like the way you play the ball to teammate (on his right foot or on his left foot)..

-In last games you have succeeded very well in defence. Do yuo prefer playing in defence to playing in midfield?

As you noticed I really like playing on the right defender position because I think that’s the place where I can show my skills the best. So I really prefer to play in defence.

-Future plans in football and civil career.

My future plans in my civil career are finishing my study. I’m studing as nurse and later I want to work in a hospital but my nearest future plans are to make a way of living doing the thing I love the most… playing football!!!

-Your impressions of Kuopio: the city, people.

I think Kuopio is a nice town. Esspecially in the summer there are a lot of events and the weather is great. The people here has been very nice and helpful to me, it really makes me feel more secure about my time here in Kuopio.

-What kind of expectations did you have in advance about Finland, Finnish Football league and about Kuopio and Eastern Finland? Have you experienced some big surprises compared with your possible earlier expectations?

Actually, I didn’t reallu made a lot of expectations because I really didn’t know anything about Kuopio. I have a friend who also had played for KuPS (Stephano Wooding) but he didn’t tell so much about it. What really supriced me was the landscape… I didn’t exspect it to be so natural and so peacefull. I really enjoyed the envirement around Kuopio.

-Did you have a cultural chock after coming to Kuopio and the Eastern Finland landscape compared with living in the urban Netherlands – or possibly only a surprise due to the cold time of the year at the tine of your arrival?

When I arrived here in Kuopio it was like 10 degreeds, so it wasn’t really cold although there was a lot of snow. But what really shocked me was the weatherchange… for example a few weeks ago it was like 12-14 degreeds and a few days later it was like 3 degreeds. In Holland the weather newer change so dramatic so that was quiet a new experience.

-What do you think about the state of football culture in Finland. Has it been a surprise to you that sports like cross country skiing, athletics and ice hockey are – sadly though - more popular in Finland than Football?

I knew that football didn’t have such high status as in Holland but the summer there are not so much activities around the ice- and snowsports so I think there was enough attention around the football events.

-What did you know about Finnish Football – besides Litmanen - before the opportunity to come to our country?

I almost didn’t know anything about finnish football, so I was very open minded because I didn’t know what to aspect.. like I said earlier a friend of mine has played here but that was in the second division and that’s a big difference if you compare it with the league.

-Has the gap between the level of Finnish international team and the Finnish league football been a surprise to you?

In the finnish league there are a lot of good and very skillfull players who can upgreate the level of the league but they can’t do it alone. So I think if there was more better trainers and better envirements then the finnish league would have nuch higher level than it has now… When you see the finnish national team then you recognise the fact that the players had much more time and place to develop them self.

-Do we have any hope seeing you next season in to us very important yellow and black colours

I have the opportunity to come next season because the staff of KuPS want me back next season but I didn’t make any decision yet. I really had a great time here in Kuopio so maybe you will see me next year again…allthough at this moment I have the priority to play in Dutch league. At the end of December I will make a decision about next season.

-Do you have any personal thoughts where your endless fighting spirit comes from. During the season – and especially towards the end of the season - we have seen you more and more winning your opponents and when loosing the ball never giving up - almost always winning it back. This is something that all we fans respect a lot!

I don’t know what is given me the mentality to fight like you say But one thing I know… when the opponent has the ball I want it back and I will give everything to get it back. It always has been my talent so I have to use it and I think I can use it best when I’m playing as a defender. And of course if the fans are enjoying my style of play it gives me more power and will to fight and win!

-Has the Pekonen way of playing Football been a surprise to you and does it differ from the earlier ways to play you have experienced?

Yes I did a little bit, but I got used to it. When I was playing on the midfield it didn’t confirm me so good and as a defender it did. In Holland we play with a lot of passes on the ground so this was a big difference with what I was used to but that will not say that it’s better kind of play. Maybe for me it is but for another it won’t be.

-What has been your personally best and worst moments during the season?

I think my worst moments where the moments that I cauldn’t perform as I like to, like the second match against HJK I really had a bad game. Also the away game against RoPS, it kind of given me the feeling that I let the fans down because after all I love to enjoy the fans. My best moment was the moment that I scored my first goal for KuPS and the goal made sure that we were staying in the league. It really give me a great an undiscrible feeling.

PS. I would like to give my thanks to the fans who had supported KuPS in the good and bad times, I really appreciate that!

Thank you, Angelo! We’re looking forward to see you in Kuopio next season.