SEOUL) By Seol Ha-eun = Matteo Kovacic (Croatia) of European giants Manchester City (England), who traveled to South Korea for a pre-season match, said he was happy to be welcomed by so many Korean fans and will continue to do his best to prepare for the game despite the hot weather.”I’m looking forward to playing a good game,” Kovacic said at the pre-match press conference for the second leg of the Coupang Play Series against Atletico Madrid at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Monday. I’ll do what I’ve been doing,” Kovacic said ahead of the match against Atletico Madrid.When the topic of the sweltering weather came up, with temperatures approaching 35 degrees Celsius, he laughed and said, “It was really hot,” before adding, “But nothing can be an excuse. We will do our best to casinositezone prepare and not let the weather change our game tomorrow.”Recalling the Korean fans who greeted him at Incheon International Airport on the 27th, he said, “I think there are more and more fans because City is doing great things,” adding, “I was happy to see so many more fans than I thought.””It’s a great feeling to join City,” said the midfielder, who switched from Chelsea last month as a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who moved to Barcelona. “I am looking forward to the role I will play at City and will try to be a good fit for the team,” he said, “I am grateful for the welcome I have received from all the players and staff.”It’s never been easy playing against City until last season, but after training with them, I can see why they are so good,” he said. “They are a great team with very good people. They are very professional and everyone gives their best on the pitch, which is why they have been so successful in recent years.”On Pep Guardiola: “I’ve been here for about two weeks and I’ve seen a new level of football. I’m looking forward to seeing a better version of myself.” “I came here to learn, too. Joining City is the perfect time for me to develop as a midfielder.”As for former Krieger Mislav Orsic (Southampton), “I’m sorry to hear about his recent injury,” he said, “but I know he had a great time playing in Korea.”