The Montenegrin, Berlusconi’s protégé: “In order to say goodbye in person, I’m going by car from Podgorica to Milan”
Dejan Savicevic from Montenegro. He has read, he has watched TV, he has heard from friends, he has talked for a long time, he who always speaks so little. He is very moved: “The president was truly a second father. He loved me. I love him too. I will say goodbye to him for the last time, it was a difficult start”.
“I spoke to Daniele Massaro and I told him I could take a plane at 11. And he advised me to wait, because it’s a state funeral, there are rules and restrictions for safety. All right, I understand. Then they I was called back and at that point I left by car from Podgorica to Milan. Today I’ll be in the Duomo too, I can’t miss it”.
What was Berlusconi for Dejan Savicevic?
“I said it, a second father. It seems like a big, exaggerated word. But it is true. I felt that he loved me, that he respected me, he defended me. Even too much…”.
“I did some bullshit… and I made a mistake, but he sorted everything out and told me to stay calm, to be patient. Once, against Anderlecht, I refused to go on the bench. It turned out to be a mess, Capello he is angry. Berlusconi agreed with Fabio, but he also said that Dejan must be understood. He is a champion and suffers because he doesn’t play”.
But refusing the bench isn’t nice, it’s not professional. And that was nothing new…
“You know, I wanted to play. It’s true, at 17 I refused the bench and told the Buducnost coach: “Either I play or I go to the stands”. At 21, I said to Osim, the national coach: “If you call me you let me play, otherwise I’ll stay at home”.
Again to coach Osim, you answer: «You go on the bench, you’re used to it». Then you also told Capello?
“No, never. I wanted to play, play and play. That’s why they took me, in 1992. But it didn’t happen like that, I waited a lot, I suffered.”
Summer of thirty-one years ago, the move to Italy, to Milan. Difficult choice?
“Milan were the top in Europe. True, I had to go to Juve, then to Rome, then to Monaco in France. I was at Red Star, we had won the Champions Cup, beat Marseille in Bari. I had to win the ball “gold, but they gave it to Papin. He lost the final, he came second, but he was French. Do you understand?”
Berlusconi instead on Savicevic came first. Ten billion lire and the Platini of the Balkans becomes the Rossoneri. It was almost a blitz. Or not?
“Yes, something quick. I know there was interest from Juve. Ariedo Braida, a great manager, came to Belgrade and I signed. It was all very easy. Braida was happy and said: good good, no problem , Dejan”.
Problems instead in Fabio Capello’s Milan. Difficult entry, struggled a lot?
“Yes. It was very hard, I couldn’t take it. I was going crazy, I wanted to go home. After six months I asked to leave…”.
Did you tell Berlusconi?
“Yes. But he told me to stay calm. Capello let me play very little, also because Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard were up front. So he’d send me onto the pitch for twenty minutes. – 6 full games in a row, and then you’ll understand if I’m from Milan. If I’m not, I’m leaving”. There were requests, I wasn’t the last to arrive.”
And when did Savicevic become the AC Milan genius?
“After a while and many problems due to the language, the relationship with the city, the food, the teammates, the different league. The president and Boban helped me a lot. Zvone said to me: “Dejan, don’t be stupid , you’re stronger than everyone, don’t go away. You’ll see, you play and then smash everything””
Break everything in the final in Athens 1994. The Genius champion of Europe and Berlusconi Head of Government. Shall we see those moments again?
“Still? Almost thirty years have passed. But it’s true, certain things, certain emotions can never be forgotten. We were playing against Barcelona, we were underdogs, doomed. And instead we won four to zero…”.
What did Berlusconi tell you?
“He wasn’t there. They had just elected him prime minister. He called me the day before the match: “Dear Dejan, they say you’re a genius. Well, show me against Barcelona””.
“Yes, come on, it went well. It was perhaps the most beautiful final. And when I think of that goal, my Milan, Berlusconi, that wonderful environment always comes to mind. We became like this because he was there, our great president.”
June 14, 2023 (change June 14, 2023 | 09:01)
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