Hello. You are a very experienced football player who was transferred to Fatih Karagümrük Team after playing in senior teams in Hungary, Slovenia and Romania. Can you tell us about your football background and which coaches you have worked with?
Hello, I'm Bljana Bradic. I learned something new as an athlete and as a person in every country I played in. Football taught me how to be good both as a person and as a player because one cannot be successful without the other. You have to work hard and be determined in everything you do, on and off the field. All the coaches I have worked with over the years have always looked at football as a game rather than a bigger picture. Although my opinion may be slightly different, I have great respect for all my coaches and am grateful for the hard work they put in to develop me as a player.
Can you describe and compare Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and Türkiye in terms of Women's Football?
As I said before, every country has good things and some areas that need improvement. I played for national champion teams in Slovenia that played in Champions League qualifying matches and my work with them was very professional. But overall, the league was not yet at our level and the level of competition needed to improve. Since then, there have been many developments on the women's side of the game. I was in Romania for a short time, but in that half season we made club history and won the Romanian Cup. This was an important turning point for the club and my career. There is also a lot of work to be done on the women's side in Romania, but they also try to improve themselves every year. Hungary is the country where I spent most of my professional career. I played for DVTK in Hungary for four years. The club and I qualified for the Hungarian Cup Final, which was a great achievement for the club at the time. The training center and academy for the youth teams were very well organized and professional.
This club ensured that the women's football team could use the men's facilities, so I felt a lot of respect while I was there. Although my time at DVTK was good, it was time for me to move up in my career and that's when I joined Hungarian champion Ferencvaros-Telekom (FTC). I met some of the most talented and professional players here. I also have to give credit to FTC's strength and conditioning coach, Laszlo Horvath. He dedicated himself to his job and prepared our team for the toughest practices and matches. He took his job very seriously and this made you want to be better and improve. The best part of being at Ferencvaros was also becoming the Hungarian Champion. If I were to compare all the places I've played, Hungary was the place where football felt the most professional. Now I play for Fatih Karagümrük Football Club and I felt welcome from the first day. The first thing I noticed was the positive energy that exists in this country. I was very impressed by the friendliness and hospitality of the people here. I am coming to Türkiye when the women's league is in its best form. I am looking forward to competing with Fatih Karagümrük and winning many matches. I think the Turkish League treats women's football with respect and I am excited to be a part of it. I think the league here is just starting to rise and there will be developments that will improve women's football every year.
How did your transfer to Karagümrük Team happen?
I joined this club because the President and Coach were interested in me being a part of this team. With the cooperation of my manager and I, we thought Karagümrük would be suitable for me. There is a lot of young talent at the club who work hard every day to improve their game. I love everyone at the club and I look forward to having great success with my team this year. Coaches focus on helping us improve as a team and individually, which is important. Players need to be able to listen and coach us in these moments so we can continue to improve together.
You are a striker. What are the responsibilities required to play this position?
I play in the forward position and as many people know, this is the position you rely on to score your goals. It's a big responsibility but I enjoy the pressure and leading the team in this way. As a striker, your main goal is to help your team score goals and get three points. You need to be ready for anything and be two steps ahead of your opponent. But I believe that every position on the field is important. Whether you're in the starting 11, coming off the bench or supporting your team as an injured player, everyone has a role to play when it comes to winning matches. We must come together as a team and work for each other or we will not be successful.
Do you want to run a team in Türkiye after quitting football, do you trust coaching?
I want to stay in the football world after my professional career. Being involved with football gives me pleasure and women's football is just getting started. I'm working hard to educate myself for my life after football and I think it's important for experienced female players to stay in the business so we can also train young academy teams to follow their dreams. This year I received my UEFA B Coaching License. I'm not sure where I'll coach yet, but I know I have the right mentality and experience to become a great coach one day and I want to continue to develop myself in this direction for my post-football career. For now I'm still focused on scoring goals!
