Antonio Novelo, Mexican soccer player in North Macedonia who received advice from ‘Zizihno’

The father of Giovani and Jonathan Dos Santos helped Antonio Novelo to try his luck in Spain, and gave him advice to be able to stand out in soccer; now, the Mexican footballer seeks to succeed in North Macedonia

The Mexican striker Omar Antonio Novelo Medinajust signed with him FK Borec, a club located in Veles, in North Macedoniaa small country on the Balkan Peninsula.

However, Antony Novelooriginally from Yucatan, is the second Mexican, of whom there is reference, to reach the First Division of Macedonia. The other was César Moreno Zamora, from Tijuana, who played in 2015 with FK Vardar.

The 24-year-old attacker was fortunate to receive advice from ‘zizinho’ and later, find support in the Eagle Sport agency, which led him to Macedonia Due to the lack of opportunities in the MX Leaguewhich has caused many Mexican soccer players to seek luck in Central American and European countries.

“In Mexico it is very difficult to play, there are a lot of foreigners,” he was honest.

HIS MEETING WITH ‘ZIZINHO’

Omar Antonio Novelo Medina He began playing professionally in his native Mérida, with the Venados of Liga de Ascenso MX. He then went to the U-20 subsidiary of América and also sometimes reached the lower forces of Tigres, but soon after the team disappeared.

“I only trained with them one day, a person from the ‘Tuca’ coaching staff saw me and invited me to try out with the Tigres first team. They were seeing if I would stay or not, and that’s when an opportunity arose in the Second Division from Spain”.

It was precisely Geraldo Francisco dos Santos ‘Zizinho’father of the brothers Giovanni and Jonathanwho rescued him by inviting him to play in Iberian soccer: “He was a very good friend of mine; I went with him, but I had paper problems and returned to Mexico.”

However, he had the opportunity to have an approach with ‘zizinho’but how did you meet him?: “Once my parents went to visit me at the U-20 of America, we went to eat at a restaurant and it turned out that ‘zizinho’ I was also eating there. We got closer, there was a good relationship, my family and he became friends.”

“zizinho” He told me stories of when he played, anecdotes of Giovanni and Jonathan. He gave me a lot of advice on everything, on how to lead a soccer career. He was very religious, I think he was a Christian, and when we were in Spain, he called a lady friend of his, from the family. She passed it to me on the phone and she prayed for me. I don’t understand much, because I’m a Catholic, but she told me that she always prayed for ‘Gio’ and by Jonathan”.

He said that “because ‘zizinho’ I met Marcelino García Toral, who was the Villarreal coach. He told me that Marcelino greatly appreciated Giovani already Jonathan. And well, I tell you, he took me to a team that was close to Barcelona; It’s called FC Badalona… When I was there for a few days, the only one I knew of the players who are now triumphing is Adama Traoré”

About the advice you gave him Geraldo Dos Santosexplained: “What he repeated to me the most was that I run a lot, that this is very important in today’s football, that everyone must run a lot. ‘When you don’t have the ball, you have to run, press and help’, is what he emphasized the most … TO ‘zizinho’ he liked how I did it, how I do it”.

HE WANTS TO REACH THE ‘BIG LEAGUES’

Even before your arrival at Macedonia, Antony Novelo he sought to consolidate himself in teams such as Veracruz and Alebrijes de Oaxaca. He even wanted to try his luck in Panamanian soccer, but in the end he couldn’t settle there due to the same issue of paperwork and work visa.

“My dream has always been to play in Europe. It’s complicated, because here they speak Macedonian, they don’t speak English or Spanish. But I’m very happy and very grateful to the people here who gave me the opportunity to come to Europe”; In addition, he hopes to be able to play European competitions: the league champion plays the Champions League qualifiers, the second for UEFA and the third for the UEFA Conference League, “so I’m very excited.”

On how he will make himself understood in his new squad, he said: “There is a Serbian who speaks Spanish, he will help me translate. The coach speaks English and I make myself understood a little. I know English and a little Italian.”

Antony Novelo He already met the club, his new teammates and the coach… “I was surprised by the cold, it’s very cold here, but I tell you, I’m very excited. I have the goal of doing everything very well here and then reaching another league outstanding. It’s my goal, to reach the big leagues in Europe”.

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Antonio Novelo, Mexican soccer player in North Macedonia who received advice from ‘Zizihno’