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FOOTBALL EUROPE: Injury will not hold back Lovrek

by Elvir Islamović from Zagreb

/noticias.info/ With his career back on track, NK Zagreb forward Krunoslav Lovrek is determined that an injury picked up during the Croatian winter indoor championship is not going to provide a premature end to his personal renaissance.

Six-month absense
However, Lovrek had to be carried off as his club, the defending champions, lost their semi-final against HNK Hajduk Split. Medical tests then confirmed he had suffered serious ligament damage and will have to spend at least six months on the sidelines. It is a major blow for the 28-year-old who is the leading scorer in the Prva Liga with 14 goals in 16 appearances during the first half of the season. Not only was he in great form, but the injury has scuppered any immediate chance of securing a lucrative transfer to a big club which would offer the long-term financial security he desires.

Hoping to leave
Even though his career is now shrouded under a question mark, Lovrek remains upbeat about the future. "Everything I achieved in the past was through hard work and that's how I will approach this setback," he said. "I will train 24 hours a day just to get back playing sooner and I will be back to score more goals this season." He is optimistic he can still leave during the summer and sign a good contract at a bigger club. "With a new contract I will be able to help my family. I want a life without stress for them," he added.

Catastrophic setback
The injury could not have come at a worse time as Lovrek's coach, Miroslav Blažević, had already agreed that he could move to city rivals NK Dinamo Zagreb. "Maybe the deal will still be on in the summer," said Lovrek. "I just wanted to help our guys to win the indoor championship again. When I got injured everything crashed down in a second. I knew something was really wrong at that moment. It was a catastrophe, I felt terrible after the injury."

Second spell
But Lovrek has recovered before, bouncing back from brief and unsuccessful spells with Cerezo Osaka FC, HNK Hajduk Split and Lierse SK after originally leaving NK Zagreb in 2004. Now that he has both returned to top form and is attracting the attention of the country's top clubs again, he is especially determined not to let something like this injury ruin his plans. notas_de_prensa_archivo