{"id":99914,"date":"2025-06-19T16:56:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T13:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/?p=99914"},"modified":"2025-07-01T16:00:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T13:00:58","slug":"ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &#8220;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club.<!--more--> The experienced Croatian midfielder spoke about this new chapter in his career, the position he feels most comfortable playing, his personal goals, and his strong desire to celebrate success in front of the Apollon fans.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-99914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-5-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-5-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-5-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-5-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-5-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-5-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-5-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-5-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-web-interview-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-4-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-4-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-4-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-4-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-4-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-4-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-4-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-4-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Welcome to Apollon. What convinced you to choose our club for the next step in your career?<\/strong><br \/>\nI spoke with the coach and the sporting director and we had a very good conversation. They spoke very positively about me and showed me that they consider me an important player for the team. Apollon is a big club and I believe it&#8217;s the right step for my career. I want to achieve success with this team.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was the first thing you asked or searched about Apollon?<\/strong><br \/>\nI wanted to learn more about the club in general \u2013 the fans, the people around the team, but also what life is like in the city for me and my family. These aspects are very important to me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You recently mentioned in the media that you wanted to play outside of Austria. Why was now the right time?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes, that\u2019s true. I\u2019ll turn 29 in three weeks, and I\u2019ve played my whole career in Austria. Every footballer wants to experience new countries, new clubs, and different cultures. I\u2019m at a good age now, with plenty of experience, so I feel this is the perfect moment for such a change.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-99914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-3-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-3-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-3-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-3-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-3-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-3-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-3-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-13-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-13-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-13-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-13-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-13-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-13-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-13-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-13-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-12-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-12-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-12-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-12-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-12-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-12-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-12-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-12-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>How do you feel about starting this new chapter away from your home country?<\/strong><br \/>\nOf course, there\u2019s always a bit of uncertainty because it\u2019s something new, but I feel great. I came here with my wife and our son. The first impressions have been excellent, and everyone welcomed me warmly. I have a really good feeling and I\u2019m happy to be here.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your first impressions of the facilities?<\/strong><br \/>\nWe had a quick tour. I saw the stadium from the outside and visited the training center. It\u2019s very impressive and modern. The fact that the training ground is so close to the stadium is ideal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You mentioned earlier the conversations you had with the coach and sporting director. What did they tell you?<\/strong><br \/>\nThey had seen a lot of videos of me and know my game well. I spoke with the coach about the system he wants to implement and I think it fits me perfectly. I can really see myself in this playing style.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-99914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-2-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-2-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-2-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-2-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-2-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-1-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-1-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-1-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-14-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-14-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-14-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-14-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-14-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-14-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-14-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-14-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Which position suits you best on the pitch?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy main position is as a number 6, but I can also play as an 8 or a 10. I can even play as a central defender if needed. I feel comfortable in multiple roles, but 6 is my natural position. I\u2019m strong defensively, I can support the attack, I\u2019m technically sound, I hold the ball well and I distribute it effectively to my teammates.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you have other offers on the table?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as is usually the case for a free agent, I was approached by several agents and clubs. I didn\u2019t want to say \u201cyes\u201d to the first offer that came. I waited to see what options would appear. When Apollon approached me, I felt good right away. It was my choice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Was this the first time you received an offer from a Cypriot team? What did you know about Cyprus before Apollon\u2019s interest?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes, this was the first offer I received from a team in Cyprus. I didn\u2019t know much about the island, but I happened to visit eight years ago for vacation, so I knew it\u2019s a beautiful country. I also know that football in Cyprus keeps improving. It\u2019s a competitive league and it won\u2019t be easy, but I believe I\u2019m well prepared.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You have over 160 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga. What do you think you can contribute to Apollon with your experience and personality?<\/strong><br \/>\nI believe I can contribute with my experience. I\u2019ve played many matches in the Austrian league and also in the Europa League group stage. I can bring calmness to the pitch, take responsibility both on and off the field, and I consider myself a positive character. That\u2019s important for a good team atmosphere.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-99914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-11-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-11-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-11-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-11-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-11-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-11-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-11-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-11-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-10-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-10-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-10-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-10-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-10-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-10-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-10-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-10-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-9-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-9-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-9-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-9-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-9-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-9-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-9-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-9-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>What are your personal goals with Apollon?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe most important thing is to stay healthy and to play in as many matches as possible. I know Apollon is a club that competes for titles \u2013 that\u2019s one of the reasons I came here. With titles comes European football, and I want to play in Europe again. For now, I want to get to know the team and have a strong pre-season. So far, everything feels really positive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve had some injuries in the past. How are you feeling physically now?<\/strong><br \/>\nLast year I had the most serious injury of my career \u2013 a muscular one. I think the doctor made a mistake by letting me return too early. I got injured again, but the recovery process after that was the right one. Now I feel excellent. I played a lot of matches in the last six months, full 90 minutes, and I\u2019m in the best physical condition of my career.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you like to send a message to the Apollon fans?<\/strong><br \/>\nI can\u2019t wait to play in front of you. I want us to celebrate many victories together!<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-5' class='gallery galleryid-99914 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-8-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-8-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-8-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-8-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-8-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-8-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-8-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-8-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-7-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-7-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-7-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-7-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-7-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-7-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-7-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-7-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-6-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-6-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-6-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-6-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-6-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-6-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-6-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ivan-6-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":99996,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[167],"tags":[1201,2166],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &quot;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&quot; - Apollon FC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Apollon FC - Announcements - Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &quot;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&quot; - Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club. The experienced Croatian midfielder spoke\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &quot;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&quot; - Apollon FC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Apollon FC - Announcements - Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &quot;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&quot; - Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club. The experienced Croatian midfielder spoke\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Apollon FC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OfficialApollonFC\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-19T13:56:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-01T13:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"629\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Panos Kosta\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@APOLLONOFFICIAL\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@APOLLONOFFICIAL\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Panos Kosta\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Panos Kosta\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/ff01e2dc8a20ad9746c402a7f62effff\"},\"headline\":\"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &#8220;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&#8221;\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-19T13:56:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-01T13:00:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/\"},\"wordCount\":928,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Featured\",\"Ivan Ljubic\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Announcements\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/\",\"name\":\"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \\\"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\\\" - Apollon FC\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-19T13:56:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-01T13:00:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"Apollon FC - Announcements - Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \\\"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\\\" - Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club. The experienced Croatian midfielder spoke\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &#8220;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&#8221;\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Apollon FC\",\"description\":\"Official Website\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Apollon FC\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apollon-1-512.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apollon-1-512.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Apollon FC\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OfficialApollonFC\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/APOLLONOFFICIAL\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/apollonfc\/?hl=en\",\"https:\/\/cy.linkedin.com\/company\/apollon-fc\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ApollonWebTv\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/ff01e2dc8a20ad9746c402a7f62effff\",\"name\":\"Panos Kosta\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bdc4856d0dc7b09876624fdc94a61627?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bdc4856d0dc7b09876624fdc94a61627?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Panos Kosta\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\" - Apollon FC","description":"Apollon FC - Announcements - Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\" - Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club. The experienced Croatian midfielder spoke","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\" - Apollon FC","og_description":"Apollon FC - Announcements - Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\" - Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club. The experienced Croatian midfielder spoke","og_url":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/","og_site_name":"Apollon FC","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OfficialApollonFC\/","article_published_time":"2025-06-19T13:56:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-01T13:00:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":629,"url":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ivan-web-interview.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Panos Kosta","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@APOLLONOFFICIAL","twitter_site":"@APOLLONOFFICIAL","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Panos Kosta","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/"},"author":{"name":"Panos Kosta","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/ff01e2dc8a20ad9746c402a7f62effff"},"headline":"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &#8220;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&#8221;","datePublished":"2025-06-19T13:56:53+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-01T13:00:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/"},"wordCount":928,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#organization"},"keywords":["Featured","Ivan Ljubic"],"articleSection":["Announcements"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/","url":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/","name":"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\" - Apollon FC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-06-19T13:56:53+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-01T13:00:58+00:00","description":"Apollon FC - Announcements - Ivan Ljubi\u0107: \"Apollon is the ideal next step for me\" - Ivan Ljubi\u0107 gave his first interview to the official website of Apollon after completing his move to our club. The experienced Croatian midfielder spoke","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/ivan-ljubic-apollon-is-the-ideal-next-step-for-me\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ivan Ljubi\u0107: &#8220;Apollon is the ideal next step for me&#8221;"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/","name":"Apollon FC","description":"Official Website","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#organization","name":"Apollon FC","url":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apollon-1-512.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apollon-1-512.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Apollon FC"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OfficialApollonFC\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/APOLLONOFFICIAL","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/apollonfc\/?hl=en","https:\/\/cy.linkedin.com\/company\/apollon-fc","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ApollonWebTv"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/ff01e2dc8a20ad9746c402a7f62effff","name":"Panos Kosta","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bdc4856d0dc7b09876624fdc94a61627?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bdc4856d0dc7b09876624fdc94a61627?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Panos Kosta"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99914"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apollon.com.cy\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}