Firefighter Djordje who found Ronaldo's armband tells Telegraf: If he buys it I'll forgive his anger

When he set out to do his job during the Serbia vs Portugal World Cup qualifier in Belgrade last weekend, firefighter Djordje Vukicevic had only one wish - to get some souvenir. However, he had no idea that it would turn out to be the captain's armband of a star like Cristiano Ronaldo. Today, this armband is in his hands, he sees it as salvation for toddler Gavrilo, to whose benefit he has put the item up for auction on Limundo - and he tells Telegraf.rs that he would like to hand over the armband to the person who bids the highest price, as well as that he would forgive Ronaldo's outburst of anger  if the footballer happened to be the one to buy back his own armband for charity.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that the armband that Ronaldo threw down onto the grass of the Red Star stadium as he was leaving the pitch, because he was angry over a ruled out goal he had scored, eventually fell into the hands of firefighter Djordje Vukicevic. Since then, he has not stopped giving statements to the media, and even today, when he has a day off, he is at the Fire and Rescue Brigade. Regardless of that, he says that he doesn't feel popular, and that he and his colleagues have only one goal, and that is to raise money for Gavrilo as soon as possible.

"It's just a form of help. We are trying to help this boy as much as possible," Djordje Vukicevic starts his conversation with Telegraf.rs

He played football professionally

Djordje is a family man. He is married and has a 2-year-old son, Luka. He was born in Lazarevac, lived in Kosovo, and moved to Belgrade at the age of 12. He has been a member of the Fire and Rescue brigade for three years, he was a professional football player before that, and he always dreamed of owning football souvenirs.

"However, I never imagined something like this from such a big star," says Djordje and points out that he had an indescribable feeling when the armband ended up in his hands:

"It was a very nice, indescribable feeling. But we knew right away where we were going to do with it. As I was leaving my house headed to the stadium, I wished that if I got something during that match, it would go to charity. That's what happened. Before the game, I saw an advertisement for little Gavrilo, so there was no dilemma when I took the armband to whom it would go. Regardless of the fact that I want to have those souvenirs, I would always give them away for humanitarian purposes. It is much better to help someone than to have that souvenir for yourself."

Djordje was on duty with his colleagues in the tunnel, through which the players were entering and exiting, when Ronaldo threw away his armband.

"I was two meters away from her. He passed through there, and threw it away. The end of the game came after two, three seconds. The armband lay there. I asked my commander if we could take it, he said yes. We knew right away what we were going to do with it. I put it up on Limundo."

The armband is with Djordje all the time. When he's at work, and when he's at home. He says he would like to be the one to hand it over to the person who makes the highest bid.

"I would like that, but it will be as the authorities say because everything has been done in agreement with the ministry," said Djordje.

About fake bids

With his rage, Ronaldo united Serbia. The story of the armband and the auction started like an avalanche, however, those who want to spoil this fairytale have already reared their heads.

Just when the bidding price reached one million dinars, unregistered members appeared on the Limundo site and started raising offers by several million at a time, so the figure reached an incredible 120 million euros overnight. It was a red flag for everyone at Limundo that something was wrong. They started checking all the offers and removing all the fake ones, and there were hundreds of them.

"That's the ugly side of it and I wish it could be eradicated. It presents a false image. It can give people the false hope of having reached the full amount. That is really bad and those who do it have no consideration," Vukicevic is explicit.

Gavrilo's mother also commented about this for Telegraf.rs and pointed out that this was the worst thing she heard after learning about the diagnosis itself. Nevena says that she also spoke to Djordje, who found the armband at the stadium and set up the auction to help her son, adding that she wants to inform everyone that the money for Gavrilo's treatment has not been raised yet, and that it is important to continue making donations and sending SMS messages.

He believes that Ronaldo would help as well

I think outloud about what Ronaldo would say to Djordje now about all of this, and he replies, jokingly, "I don't know. I wouldn't like to be in my own shoes in front of him", and then:

"I believe he would help, too."

When asked if he has forgiven Ronaldo for the anger tantrum and the rage exhibited in our Serbia, at Red Star's stadium, he said that he has not, but would do it under one condition.

"If he buys the armband, I'll forgive him. In the end, it's great that it turned out like this," Djordje is honest.

He says that he would like to collect money for other children who need it, besides Gavrilo, but that he's aware that's impossible.

"For a start, let's get to the figure Gavrilo needs as soon as possible. Today, his mom said they raised about 500,000. That is why I would appeal on all people to donate, to help children. I would like as many people as possible to get involved in this humane gesture, to help little Gavrilo, and others. That is our right and obligation," says this firefighter who along with his colleagues, regularly makes SMS donations to help children, and who promises that his media popularity will not spoil him.

Gavrilo Djurdjevic suffers from a rare and severe disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and needs extremely expensive medicine that costs 2.5 million euros.

If you want to help the toddler, you can do it in one of the following ways:

By sending an SMS message with the content, 973 to 3030

(From Switzerland) by sending an SMS message with the content, human973 to 455

By making a dinars donation to the bank account number 160-6000000844014-95

By making a foreign currency donation to the bank account number 160600000084402853

IBAN: RS35160600000084402853

SWIFT/BIC: DBDBRSBG

By making a donation using payment cards via this link: E-doniraj

By making a donation from you PayPal account via this link: PayPal

By scanning the NBS IPS QR code with your mBanking application: NBS IPS QR code

(Telegraf.rs)