The number 10 of the Champions League 1994: “I know Dusan, is young and still has many room for improvement”
Dejan Savicevic, said and Dejo and Dean. And, of course, the genius. With strictly capital “G”, because it was a true genius of football. With the Red Star, with the Yugoslavia national team, with Milan. His devotees jealously retain memories and memorabilia, films and Santini reflections. In an old VHS cassette, Belgrade television origin, the goals of his first games with Budccnost, with the Red Star and his national team are collected. Delirium images. Dribbling, shots, zig zag, high numbers. The Slavic commentator says: “Dean Come Diego”. Close up on a newspaper cutout. Then the goal of the century of Maradona at the 1986 World Cup, with Argentina against England. Immediately after a Savicevic goal to a team from the Slavic championship. Maradona narcotizes four opponents. He seven, perhaps eight, with fake and stunting and lob at the goalkeeper. Pure adrenaline. The last image is Savicevic that descends dribbling from an embankment, or from a hill full of stones, chased by kids in adoration. A field of stone. The children look amazed, speechless. Dejan’s voice: “I learned here. I was good at Yugoslavia”.
He was also good in Italy, at Milan. No?
“Yes. I won a 1991 champions Cup with the Red Star and one with Milan three years later. Then I also won other things”.
But not the golden ball. They gave it to Jean Pierre Papin …
“Yes. After Stella Rossa-Marseille, in Bari, we win on penalties, at the end of a beautiful European season, with many goals and many fun games. Among us there are several candidates for the prize, including me. But he won a French. Strange …”.
Many years later one of the former Yugoslavia will win him, the Croatian Modric. The first in Slavic language.
“Luka was a phenomenal player. He deserved it for everything he did with his national team and with Real Madrid.”
It is now at Milan. Like her and Boban. Right choice? Did you do well?
“He is forty. He has put himself back into play, he does what he feels. He will see in the championship.”
Dusan Vlahovic could also enter the Milan game. What do you think?
“This year, between commitments with the Federation and Congresses UEFA and FIFA, I saw little football Italian. But I like Vlahovic, I know him: he is young, he is 25 years old, strong, he makes sense of the goal, he has significant margins of improvement. He had done very good things with Fiorentina and also, it seems to me, with Allegri at Juve”.
Dusan at Milan would find “his” Allegri. Maybe it could be the turning point, his restart. Or not?
“Who knows. But go? Juve gives it away? I hope that Milan take it, for him and for Allegri. Max is nice to me and not only because he returned to train Milan. I made his Serie A against him against him, in Pescara in 1992. We won 5-4. And Allegri scored his first goal against us. At the ready, a crazy game, Franco Baresi. Within four minutes.
Van Basten marked a lot, Allegri won many badges. What do you think of the coach Max?
“What do I have to think? They speak the results. In the first year he won with Milan, in Juve he dominated. He is a very good technician, he knows men, he knows men, he knows how to manage situations. I think he will do well in the next Milan, which is still under construction. Let’s see”.
Inter are also reconstructed. Do you know Petar Sucic?
“He is a Croatian boy, I have heard of it well. There are many young people, like Baturina del Como, and they are emerging, in all championships. Well, it’s nice to see them grow.”
Once at Milan there were Boban and Savicevic.
“Yes, once. Once. Other times, other game rhythms. Zvone and I played six seasons together. And won something: Scudetti, the Champions Cup in Athens against Barcelona. But other players from the former Yugoslavia also did well in A, where the most beautiful football in the world was then played”.
Darko Pancev, ex Inter, said: “Savicevic made me eight assists and I scored three goals”. Was it like that?
“Yes yes, Darko was a good center forward. But in the red star there were also Jugovic and Mihajlovic, great in Juve and Rome. Jugovic, very strong, won two cups of champions as me in Milan, he in Juve. Sinisa was a magical player, wonderful. Nobody marked on punishment like him, he had a particular technique. Mihajlovic was a good coach. Courage, also footballing: at 16 years old, in the championship, the goalkeeper Donnarumma.
Robert Prosinecki CT of Montenegro, Savicevic President of the Football Federation. How is it going?
“Well, there is no lack of work. There is always something to do, to discover. Prosinecki has been with us for a year and a half. We are always running: meetings, games, gatherings, meetings, meetings. I shoot a little breath in these days: good air and sea”.
Where? Exotic beaches? O Montecarlo?
“In Budva, Montenegro, in my house. My holidays I always pass them here. Montecarlo dei Balkani is my budva. I’m fine, good sun, clean water, red sand, a few boat ride, a little fish and fresh white in the evening. Better than that …”.
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