Telegraf in head coach Piksi's home: Mom shows us never before seen photos, recounts crazy anecdotes

"I knew that Portugal is good at football, so I recently told him, 'Son, I hear that they are quite strong'. He replied, 'Mother, I'm not afraid of them, I am only going for victory, I believe in myself and nothing can surprise me'," Dragan Stojkovic Piksi's mother reveals in an exclusive interview for Telegraf

The whole of Serbia celebrated the success of the national football team on Sunday, and the mood was especially celebratory in the Nis village of Pasi Poljana, the birthplace of Serbia head coach Dragan Stojkovic Piksi. From the narrow alley where only his mother Desanka lives today, he stepped onto the path of fame that took him to unimaginable heights.

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The locals admit that they are proud of their most famous neighbor, especially since even after the meteoric success as a footballer, that modest boy remained willing to help everyone at every opportunity.

And now his mother Desanka had the most reason for joy, and the excitement and a huge number of phone calls kept her up the previous night.

"I often watch both domestic and foreign games, I knew that Portugal is good at football, so I recently told him, 'Son, I hear that they are quite strong'. He replied, 'Mother, I'm not afraid of them, I am only going for victory, I believe in myself and nothing can surprise me'."

"I was very excited, I couldn't even bare to watch the live broadcast of the match, but the son of my brother-in-law Zoran was on the phone and reported everything that was happening. He got very upset when we conceded a goal, and I say, 'Well, it's not over yet'. I watched the game afterwards, I didn't do anything all morning, I go to bed, I get up, I saw how people were happy, so my heart was full," says the mother of the legendary footballer.

Early on Monday, Desanka had the opportunity to congratulate her son on his success.

"He called me on the phone, he was very happy, he believes in himself and in his team. I told him, 'Son, just so you know, Belgrade is on fire, torches are burning, flags are flying,', he tells me, 'I can imagine mom.' I am so proud of him, I know that I'm nothing special, there are so many mothers of footballers, but my son is really first of all an exceptional man and then an athlete. He was like that since childhood, a born winner... He would take his bike, we didn't even know where he was going, his father followed him and found out that he was going to Radnicki FC to train.

Afterwards, we had a small Fiat, he was still young and didn't have a license so he would drive to the end of the village and then continue on foot. While his friends were out partying he trained hard, we expected him to be successful, we believed in him because he stuck to what he set out to do. He made us really proud and happy parents, especially me as a mother, but he took away a part of my heart because he is far away from us. It's easier now that he's in Belgrade, but while he was in Japan and China, he would come to visit once a year. His children were never off the plane and now when I look at the sky, I cry, their life went like that, they were flying all over the place," says Piksi's mother.

Commenting on Serbia qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, Desanka says that she is convinced that our team, led by her son, will go far.

"I always had a premonition about how the game (vs Portugal) would end. And now I believe that we will beat many there (in Qatar) I'm sorry that my age does not allow me to go there to support him. I believe in him because I know him well, he is passionate about football, he lives for it. When he started, I begged him to stay here with Radnicki, not to leave us. He always said that he had to move on, that he could do more. It's all beautiful, I'm looking forward to his successes and I'm sad that I'm far away, it's hard to bear. But that is him, unstoppable in what he sets out to do, that is his strength," this proud woman describes her son.

In front of the village store, not far from his childhood home, Piksi is always welcome. Desanka says that her son is generous, and that he always buy drinks for his neighbors and schoolmates, and likes to "shove something in their pockets."

He kept his childhood friendships, especially with his school friend nicknamed Gaci, in whose house we find his daughter-in-law Jovana Mitrovic.

"They have been friends since they were little, but I've never seen him, I only heard from my husband's family that he is a fantastic man. Since he took over the national team, it got a new lease on life and he really made us proud to be our neighbor," said Jovana.

Goran Krstic is also proud of Piksi, stressing that their families live only two houses apart.

"Nobody's better than him, good for him that he returned to Serbia to puck the national team back up. That game was fit for a heart attack, when we conceded the first goal I almost had one. It was tense, terrible, but Piksi made sure to take us further and I believe that we will have many more reasons to celebrate," Krstic is hopeful.

Miodrag Stankovic Uca, another big fan of the famous neighbor, admits that it was not easy for him either.

"Piksi is an enigma for many, it will not be easy for his opponents. It wasn't easy for me last night either, when we allowed the first goal, I fell asleep feeling miserable. When we equalized, my sons shouting drove me out of my mind. After the game, no one could sleep anymore. Piksi gave us a huge reason for joy that in these times when we often don't have a reason for happiness, it's a great thing for these people," concludes Stankovic.

(D.K.)