After overcoming early injury struggles, which sidelined him from the October international break all the way until the start of February, Mitrovic hit great form for Al Rayyan.
He’s now at four goals scored in seven league games, and has recorded either a goal or an assist in each of his last seven games across all competitions.
His latest league game, in which he provided an assist in a 2-1 loss to Al Shahaniya, came after the QSL’s forced break. On March 1st, Qatar suspended all sports competitions after Iranian missile and drone strikes prompted authorities to close the country's airspace.
“Doha is usually a really nice, peaceful place. So this wasn’t nice to hear, neither the explosions nor the news about what’s going on. But you know, I'm from Serbia, I have some experience with this from my childhood. I know the most important thing is to not panic,” Mitrovic tells Flashscore.
“Obviously nobody wants to see any wars and we all hope that the situation will return to normal very soon,” he adds.
The Serbian striker praises the QSL and his club for taking care of the players' safety.
“Everything stopped for a little bit, but people who help us and take care of us were in touch all the time. They kept us well informed and said they will support any decision we make,” he says.
Those decisions include potentially leaving Qatar altogether, though Mitrovic mentions that was not on his mind for long.
“It’s something you have to consider, of course. I discussed it with my family and we decided to stay,” he explains. “Even if you hear some explosions here and there, mostly it’s calm and people take very good care of us. We try to live our normal life.”
As all sports were put on hold, the QSL teams weren’t able to practice for about a week.
“We couldn’t use the pitch at all. But after a week, we had a few days when we trained every day before the first match back, so we could get back to fitness,” Mitrovic says. “Thankfully, it was not a big break.
"We’re entering a key part of the season, we’re fighting for some trophies and the top three in the QSL, so thankfully it didn’t derail us for too long. We want to finish the season strong,” he claims.
Mitrovic and co. came back to action on Friday, 13th. The date proved unlucky to them as they lost to relegation-threatened Al Shahaniya. But other than that, there was very little unusual about the fixture.
“We didn’t think too much about the situation,” Mitrovic claims when asked if the conflict was on his mind during the match. “We were instructed what to do if something happened, we were well prepared. We knew what to do if something happened, and thankfully nothing did.”
The talismanic striker believes football in the times of military conflict can play the same role as it did during the pandemic six years ago.
“Football is something that can give people some hope and peace, even if it’s just for a few hours,” says Mitrovic who was midway through his Fulham spell during the COVID-19-affected season.
“Right now, we focus on our job, and I hope it can be a getaway for people who are afraid of the current situation. And hopefully it will finish soon and everyone can get back to normal,” he wishes.
Mitrovic’s personal focus is clear. He had a goal contribution in all seven games since coming back from injury, and he wants to continue this form to carry Al Rayyan to silverware.
“The goal is to win at least one trophy,” he says. The Lions currently sit fourth in the league and have a QSL Cup quarterfinal to look forward to.
“In the last few years, the team has been really unlucky, came close to winning a few trophies but never took them home. So I hope the goals I score will be important in bringing a trophy back to the club,” he hopes.