SCOTT IN SLOVAKIA: “NOONE BABYSITS YOU”
Former Ajax Cape Town stalwart Granwald Scott acknowledges the higher level of playing in Europe FORMER Ajax Cape Town midfielder Granwald Scott is settling in well at Super Liga club Slovak Bratislava. After 12 seasons in the Ajax first team – he joined the academy as a 13-year-old – the 28-year-old sealed a two-year deal with the Slovakian club in January. “Things have been really good so far, the people at the club have been really nice to me,” Scott tells KICK OFF, having featured in four of his side’s first five matches since returning from the winter break. “The players are all fantastic people, very friendly and helpful, and the coaching staff is top-class. I speak English to everyone; most speak English so it’s not too difficult. “They obviously speak Slovak to one another and I’m trying to teach myself a few important words, especially for when we are playing a match, but it’s a very difficult language!” Scott says he is enjoying learning under head coach Nikodimos Papavasiliou, with South African-born assistant Nikos Kounenakis providing a taste of home. “The coach is approachable and he likes being involved with players – he will join in at training and have competitions in taking free-kicks, and play head tennis with us,” he says. “Kounenakis knows where I come from and often speaks with me to see how I am.” The former Ajax captain says the intensity and training load has by far been his biggest challenge since his move, citing this as the greatest difference between South Africa and Europe. “Here it is more professional, and more about the mentality and how much you want to improve and better yourself,” Scott says.“No-one babysits you: if you have to do recovery, no-one tells you what to do, it’s your responsibility as a professional to find out from the physio or fitness trainer what is good for you to do.” Scott says he will forever be grateful to his former club, saying he will never forget his roots: “I am still part of the Ajax WhatsApp group and I often speak with Nathan Paulse, Dominic Isaacs and Franklin Cale,” he says. “I read about the League, although I can’t watch the matches. Ajax Cape Town is my heart and soul. The club means everything to me, I basically grew up there – it was my second home and the people there are my second family. I will forever love the club and everyone connected to it. I’ll always be an Urban Warrior in my heart!” After 23 matches, Scott’s new side Bratislava were second in the League, six points behind leaders Trencin with ten matches left in the season. By Fabio De Dominicis