Latest news with #MateoKovacic
New York Times
17-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Football Architects: How Croatia became world football's great overperformers
This is the third of a six-part series looking at figures who have played a pivotal role in a modern football success story. The first piece, on the rebuilding of Ajax, can be found here. Part two, on Belgium becoming No 1 in the FIFA Rankings is here. Each article comes with a related podcast, which can be found here on The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast feed. Croatia is a nation of fragile talent. 'You have to understand — there's three and a half million of us,' says Romeo Jozak, a man who, over the past 25 years, has held almost every significant role in Croatian football. 'We have some talent, but we don't have a huge pool of talent, right? 'So when we see a fragile talent — a talent that might not reach its full potential if it's not cherished — we have to nourish it. We had a tolerance for their mistakes. Advertisement 'We're not like France, we're not like Germany, we're not like the UK. When he was growing up, we didn't have 10 of Mateo Kovacic. We only had Mateo. We had one Luka Modric. We had one Mario Mandzukic. 'We had to look after them. This is what we had.' In 2018, Croatia became the first team with a population under 10 million to reach the World Cup final in sixty years. Four years later, they reached the semi-finals. They are knockout-stage regulars — one of international football's great overperformers, whose successes eclipse many larger, better-resourced European neighbours. Now, still in its infancy, Croatia has become synonymous with its elite talent — the likes of Modric, Ivan Rakitic, and Ivan Perisic — and a fierce, indefatigable personality. Perhaps Croatia is a nation of fragile talent because, for the beginning of its history, Croatia was a fragile nation. It is a country that has been shaped by conflict, only declaring independence during the brutality of the Yugoslav Wars — which killed an estimated 130,000 people — in 1991. Modric, the nation's greatest-ever footballer, saw his grandfather's body brought home, having been executed by Serb rebels while shepherding his goats. Dejan Lovren, Croatia's long-time centre-back, fled Bosnia as a three-year-old with his parents. Both grew up as refugees. A remarkable number of players — including Modric, right-back Sime Vrsaljko, and goalkeepers Danijel Subasic and Dominik Livakovic — are from the coastal city of Zadar, one of the front lines of the war. When the war started in the early 1990s, Jozak was an 18-year-old trying to make it as a professional player. Though he played for HNK Orijent, a first-division club from the western city of Rijeka, his career was ultimately ruined by a succession of left ankle injuries. Advertisement 'I'd have been playing top-tier football, but I'd have never made the national team or played for Dinamo Zagreb,' says Jozak. 'I'd have been close, I'd have been OK, but I would never have been the top player.' Instead, he went on to hold several of the top jobs in Croatian football — heading Dinamo Zagreb's academy and becoming technical director of the Croatian FA, before returning to Dinamo as their sporting chief. Arsenal noticed — attempting to hire him as academy director in 2013 after the retirement of the legendary Liam Brady. But Jozak opted to remain in Croatia, where he had worked his way up from coaching Dinamo's under-11s to literally writing the nation's player development manual. Having worked alongside all of Croatia's modern greats, his tenures have coincided with the most successful footballing period of the nation's history. 'I was 18 when the war broke out,' says Jozak. 'I was quite old enough to be conscious of what was happening. I was raised on the Yugoslavian anthem, with a red star on my flag, and so it was strange — but obviously things weren't right. I was lucky I wasn't drafted by the army, which I easily could have been. The war was brutal. My close family were not affected, but some in my broader family were, or even killed. 'Later, when I was the technical director, these experiences were a factor. People were fighting for Croatia, people in living memory had fought for our freedom in a brutal, unpleasant way. And our team was made up of kids from that time — who had seen planes go over, dropping bombs, people being shot and killed. It was something we were processing. 'And so there was a patriotism factor, it did boost our motivation, make us the way we were. Yes, we had genetic talent, we were a passionate nation, but I'd say seven out of 10 players had this drive inside, and this hunger — a subconscious passion. We learned that you go beyond when you need to do something.' One of the country's first significant moments as an independent nation came in the 1998 World Cup, when Croatia finished third. Their run included a 3-0 win over Germany in the quarter-finals, and a 2-1 victory against the Netherlands in the third-fourth play-off. 'After the war, we did not know how talented we were, or how good we'd be,' Jozak explains. 'Croatia — a new country. What was that going to be? It took me almost 10 years before football helped me take it in — when we finished third, I realised: 'Oh, listen — we're a country'.' But the players in that team — the likes of Davor Suker, Slaven Bilic, and Zvonimir Boban — had all grown up as part of Yugoslavia. The incipient country's FA recognised the need for a uniquely Croatian pathway of talent development. For several years, results did not live up to the nation's early promise — Croatia did not qualify for Euro 2000, while they failed to escape the group stages at their next three major tournaments. Advertisement But at the academy level, beginning in the 2000s, players were beginning to come through. In 2001, Jozak was working as the head coach of Dinamo Zagreb's second team when a 16-year-old Modric arrived at the club. 'Did I notice something, did I see something?' says Jozak. 'At 18, he wasn't one of the most talented prospects, we couldn't say: 'We knew the guy'. I didn't. Nobody knew. He was just a young, skinny blond guy. 'But the one thing that was inescapable, that is fact, and that is a key part of his play now is that he was so protective of the ball. When he was playing as a No 6, in defensive midfield, we subconsciously knew that he was not going to lose the ball. He could be pressed in the back by two guys — where if you lose the ball, you'll likely concede — and he was always switching, turning to the side, and wiggling out. In his first touch, he perfectly set up his body position — and he's still doing it now, at nearly 40. 'And at that time, I remember being concerned when we played away — he was 17, we were Dinamo, and there were some big guys who wanted to be aggressive. But he'd just calm everyone down — not with fancy moves and touches and dribbling, but with his running, his reliability, his aggressive defending. We still see each other and speak about these times — I'm so privileged to be at least one puzzle piece in his own big picture.' But Modric did not emerge from a vacuum. Over the course of the 2000s, Croatia had been implementing a series of youth reforms to help develop players — aided by several useful pre-existing conditions. 'Croatia is a serious football environment, but not the most serious football environment,' says Jozak. 'This means that the first division is strong enough for young players to be developed, but weak enough that the kids actually get a chance.' When Jozak was the academy director at Dinamo, youth development was the club's lifeblood — both in producing first-team players, and eventually funding the club through their sales. As the most historic and successful club in Croatia, Jozak would try and tempt the country's top young talent to the capital. Advertisement 'In terms of having players who could impact the national team, one huge criterion is internal competition,' explains Jozak. 'Never mind 11 — if you have 20 players in a squad fighting against each other on a daily basis, they have to improve to survive. 'So we wanted to bring the best talent to Dinamo to create the most competitive internal competition against each other. And when it was not sufficient to play against the other Croatian teams, we would put them in to play against the higher age groups — the under-16s against the under-18s, the under-18s would play the under-20s, and so on. We artificially created these conditions. 'Sometimes, when I was at Dinamo, people complained that we would sign a starting player from another team, and they would be on our bench. But he would be fighting in training sessions, the starting players would be feeling pressure, they'd both be producing their best. So we'd bring in the best under-16s to strengthen the top talents like Luka or (Josko) Gvardiol.' In particular, the competitiveness gave birth to a glut of talent in one position in particular — midfield. In the 2018 World Cup squad alone, Croatia boasted Modric, Rakitic, Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic, four elite players at Champions League level. This was no coincidence — rather, Croatia's strength across the team stemmed from a holistic obsession with the position. 'Vrsaljko was a right-back, and we knew he was going to be a right-back,' says Jozak, of the former Atletico Madrid defender who won 52 international caps. 'But for most of his time in the academy, when I was director, we got him to play defensive midfielder. 'Why? When you're at No 6, you have to play from all four sides — defending, attacking, left, right, switching, switching, switching. It helped him massively. (Vedran) Corluka, the same. Advertisement 'Not many people know this, but Gvardiol played as a No 10 until he was 16 years old. He was tall, left-footed, and that's why the guy has amazing technique. And then he grew to 190cm, was aggressive, fast — and that's why he's such a good defender. 'But we always tried to push them towards the middle. It would improve your reactions, positioning, tactics, mentality… you'd physically be running the most. And then, even if you aren't good enough to play central midfield professionally, you will probably be good enough for your primary position.' This level of competition meant that those players who did survive as central midfielders — that central quartet from the 2018 World Cup — had been tested against the nation's best since their early teens. 'When you take the talented wingers, right-backs, centre-backs, and place them artificially into midfield, the specialists have to be so much better,' says Jozak. 'You know your own position will be in question if you don't strengthen. 'Once, at Dinamo Zagreb, we had open tryouts. Kids came from across the whole of the Balkans. We had 25 of the most talented boys, they all came onto the pitch, and when the coach asked where they played, 24 of them said they were midfielders.' Powered by their team of midfielders, the Croatian team began to fly. The tiny nation were runners-up in the 2018 World Cup, bronze-medallists four years later, and have established themselves as a regular force in the knockout stages. Compared to the other nations of the former Yugoslavia — Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Kosovo — Croatia have had remarkable success. The other six have just three knockout appearances at major tournaments between them — Serbia at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, and Slovenia at Euro 2024 — and have never won a knockout match. Croatia alone have 14 (with seven wins). Why are they so much more successful, given their similarities in size, culture, and history? Advertisement 'It's a tricky question,' replies Jozak. 'And I can ask the same question back — why have Serbia done so much better in basketball than us? We've struggled since Drazen Petrovic's time in the 1990s. But I think the answer is the same — from 2000 onwards, we've had a clear structure of football governance and strategy in the country.' After moving leaving Dinamo to become technical director of the Croatian FA in 2013, Jozak impressed the importance of five criteria in becoming an elite side: To this end, he literally wrote the country's coaching manual — identifying over 100 technical traits for coaches to spot and develop. These lessons are still being used — and are producing a new generation of Croatian players. Alongside Gvardiol, Dinamo Zagreb midfield products Martin Baturina and Petar Sucic are two of the most promising. Jozak is now working for the Saudi Arabian FA as technical director of the Future Falcons, a national project to produce a squad of outstanding domestic players for the 2034 World Cup. Historically, one of the development stories that Jozak prides most is that of striker Mandzukic — the perfect example of a fragile talent. 'I was coaching the under-17s at Dinamo Zagreb, and they were already serious guys — most of them were in the national team,' he explains. 'But we had a tournament in Germany scheduled, and so I decided to trial some local guys from the area. And people told me: 'Listen, there's this under-17, a little shorter, but an amazing talent.' 'And so he comes with us — and he looked like a 13-year-old. He came up to my waist. I'm not exaggerating. I asked him to confirm he was born in 1986. He was literally 40 centimetres smaller than everyone else, but he was buzzing around like a guy on a motorbike, like a mosquito. He was just short. Advertisement 'So when he came back to Zagreb, I told him that I couldn't take him now — he would not have played at that level, but to stay at his other side in Zagreb. And he did, he grew big, and we have the Mario Mandzukic we know today. (He scored 41 goals in 81 Dinamo appearances after being signed three years later.) 'You have to predict the talent, anticipate what the conclusion could be — and, after maybe Davor Suker, he became the greatest Croatian striker of all time.' Of course, Croatia lost the occasional talent. In 2015, Jozak led the delegation that attempted to convince Christian Pulisic, of Croatian descent, to opt for the Balkan nation over the United States. 'One of our age-group sides played a friendly against the United States,' he remembers. 'We lost 5-0, which was a surprise, because we were a strong team — but they were all big guys except for one. He was the No 10, and we spotted his name was Pulisic. I got goosebumps, because it was a Croatian name on his back. 'So I immediately spoke to his father, who explained that the boy's grandfather had moved to the United States. And the grandfather wanted Pulisic to play for Croatia, and the father was half-and-half. And so we spoke to Christian, proposed he played for Croatia, and offered him citizenship. At the time, the UEFA rules were that you could not play in Europe before 18 if you did not have an EU passport. 'One day, on my table, I had a request from the Pulisic family to issue Christian's passport. We said, 'OK, let's do it', because we can say that we need this talent for Croatian football. And as a federation request, we were able to make it go faster. So I speak to the father, and ask if it was because he wanted to play for Croatia — and he said, 'No, Borussia Dortmund are after him'. 'So we gave him the passport even though we knew he wasn't going to play for us. We really fought, speaking to the father, to the grandfather, and I remember the grandfather saying: 'The kid just wants to play for the U.S.'. And you have to respect the decision. Rakitic was playing in Switzerland all his life, and he suddenly said: 'I want to play for Croatia'. So we gained one and lost one.' Jozak's squads were still strong enough. One of his proudest achievements was how, at the beginning of his tenure at the Croatian FA, they were the world's only team to qualify for the under-17 World Cup, under-20 World Cup, and senior World Cup. At major tournaments, the team's calling card became their ability to emerge from tight games. During the 2018 World Cup, they made their way to the final after two penalty shootout wins and one in extra time — though people forget their 3-0 win over Argentina in the group stages. Advertisement In those games, psychology can be the key difference — something which had been central in Jozak's mind when hiring manager Zlatko Dalic in 2017. 'He fully understood the chemistry, the passion, the patriotic side of Croatia,' says Jozak. 'He has huge social intelligence, huge emotional intelligence, and a super understanding of our football. He's connected with daily Croatian life — and all that means he was the perfect psychologist for Croatia's circumstances. And then, of course, he had that squad in their prime…' This was Croatian football's high point — arguably the most surprising World Cup finalists in history. Late in games, their midfield, forged through competition, took them over. 'They were more than team-mates,' explains Jozak. 'Modric and Kovacic are godfathers to each other's kids. Brozovic and Rakitic are similar — all huge friends. 'And so at Croatia, we may have developed super talents playing in top teams — but they would fight for each other so much more than regular players. They would step in and fight for each other, because of what they've been through together, because they're family. They'd go beyond. The feeling was always this: 'If I have a bad day, I know you will step in and save me'.' (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Simon Stacpoole/Offside, VI Images via Getty Images)
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mateo Kovacic issues six-word update on recovery from Manchester City injury
Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has issued an update on his recovery from surgery on an Achilles injury earlier this summer. The Croatia international sustained the injury during the closing stages of last season, which unfortunately ruled him out of Manchester City's FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the United States earlier this summer. Advertisement Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to overcome albeit quite common in the modern day game, requiring a carefully managed rehabilitation process to ensure a full and lasting recovery. Manchester City's medical and fitness teams have been closely supporting Kovacic's rehabilitation, blending physiotherapy with tailored strength and conditioning work throughout the course of the summer. Although the club has added midfield reinforcements in the ongoing market in the form of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, Kovacic remains a key figure in Pep Guardiola's plans when fully fit, valued for his experience in the middle of the park. Now, accompanied by an image and video showcasing some recovery work on a step machine, Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has issued a six-word update on his road to return for Pep Guardiola's side. Advertisement 'Six weeks since surgery. One mission,' the Croatia international midfielder said on his Instagram channel this week, having already missed his side's FIFA Club World Cup venture in the United States earlier this summer. Looking forward, Mateo Kovacic's recovery timeline will play a significant role in shaping Manchester City's season strategy, with the Premier League campaign getting underway against Wolves at Molineux on Saturday 16 August. While no definitive return date has been given, the hope is for the midfielder to be back in action within the first few weeks of the campaign, providing Pep Guardiola with greater midfield options. Despite Kovacic's injury, the club's transfer plans have not been impacted, thanks to the arrivals of Reijnders and Cherki, who offer additional depth and versatility. Still, Kovacic's eventual return will be a welcome development, adding quality and experience to the squad. Manchester City and Croatia fans will be keenly following Mateo Kovacic's rehabilitation progress, eager to see the influential midfielder back in the heart of Pep Guardiola's midfield.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
City's 2024/25 recap: Midfielders
We continue our focus on the City players involved in our 11-month long 2024/25 first team campaign… Starting with our Community Shield lift last August, City played 61 times across all competitions through to the Round of 16 elimination at the FIFA Club World Cup. Advertisement This time around, we focus on our midfield department, running the rule over each player's individual campaign plus playing stats… Bernardo Silva Total appearances: 52 Goals scored: 6 Assists: 5 City's Portuguese midfield marvel was again the model of consistency and class. The 24/25 season was one that threw up numerous challenges for Pep Guardiola's squad – not least a raft of serious injuries to a host of key personnel. But through all the highs and lows, Bernardo was a calm, reassuring figure, and a player always willing to put the needs of the team first. The fact he made the third highest number of appearances spoke volumes about his endurance and mindset. And Bernardo's versatility was such that he was deployed in a variety of different positions across the course of the campaign. Advertisement His standing and importance to the cause was then further emphasised when the boss revealed Bernardo would be captain going into the 2025/26 season. File under class act. Mateo Kovacic Total appearances: 42 Goals scored: 7 Assists: 4 The Croatian brought his vast experience, maturity and big game knowledge to bear throughout the season. And his importance to the City cause was only further illustrated when Rodrigo was ruled out long term in late September with an ACL injury. More often that not Kovacic was entrusted with occupying that key holding midfield role, a task he performed with huge distinction. Advertisement Amongst the 31-year-old's standout displays were a bravura performance in April's FA Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest. He also weighed in with a number of key goals – not least a vital brace in September's 3-2 Premier League win at home to Fulham. Ilkay Gundogan Total appearances: 54 Goals scored: 5 Assists: 8 Having made an emotional return to the Etihad in the summer of 2024 after a year-long stint at Barcelona, one of the most talented and popular players to ever represent City quickly got back in the old routine. The fact that Gundo would go on to make the second highest number of appearances over the season, with only Josko Gvardiol figuring more often, was further proof positive of his enduring quality and reliability. Indeed, as the season wore on, Ilkay's talent, technique and adaptability again made him a key component in Pep Guardiola's side. Advertisement It was a campaign that saw the German deployed in both central, attacking and defensive midfield roles, all to impressive effect. A spectacular overhead goal in our 2-0 win away at Fulham on the last day of the league season helped both seal City's ticket to the Champions League and summed up Ilkay's enduring talent. Phil Foden Total appearances: 49 Goals scored: 13 Assists: 7 Having enjoyed by common consent the finest season of his career in 2023/24 where he was instrumental in helping City secure a historic fourth straight Premier League title, last term showed that our Academy graduate can marry huge reservoirs of mental fortitude alongside his prodigious natural talent. Advertisement Foden's early impact was interrupted by both illness and injury before he and his Etihad colleagues were then hit by a sequence of tough results in the late autumn. Rather than being cowed by a challenging and unfamiliar landscape, Foden and City simply dug deep and demonstrated the inner core that underpins the very best. Free of injury, a brilliant run of six Premier League goals in four games during January once again showcased Foden at his impish, inspirational best. And though an ankle injury impeded his impact towards the end of the league season, some dazzling displays at the Club World Cup offered a tantalising reminder of all that a refreshed and rejuvenated Foden brings to the City cause. Advertisement It all bodes well as we gear up ahead of rigours of the 2025/26 campaign. Rodri Total appearances: 8 Goals scored: 0 Assists: 1 By any barometer the 2024/25 season was one that saw our brilliant holding midfielder experience both the highest of highs and lowest of lows that football is capable of conjuring up. Having started the season in imperious fashion, the Spanish international then suffered the agony of sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury during September's eventful 2-2 Premier League draw at home to Arsenal. It was a cruel and savage setback which led to the 29-year-old spending virtually the remainder of the season on the sidelines. However, barely six weeks after being forced off, Rodri's influence and impact was recognised on the highest stage of all when he was voted as the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner – becoming the first City player to be awarded the game's most prestigious prize. Advertisement It was fitting recognition of his supreme talent and application – but also a reminder of all that City missed for the majority of the campaign. Small wonder then that his return from the bench after almost nine months on the sidelines during Kevin De Bruyne's emotional Etihad finale against Bournemouth in May was greeted with universal acclaim. Here's hoping Rodri's return next term will see him go from strength to strength. Kevin De Bruyne Total appearances: 40 Goals scored: 6 Assists: 8 The sight of a packed Etihad paying universal homage and acclaim to Kevin De Bruyne on an emotion-drenched night in May served as arguably THE defining image of City's 2024/25 campaign. Advertisement After 10 incredible, success-laden years at City, the brilliant Belgian took his final home leave ahead of embarking on a new chapter in his career in Italy with Napoli. By common consent, the 34-year-old will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players to represent City. So, it was only fitting KDB went out a winner on that Etihad farewell, the captain helping Pep Guardiola's side to a 3-1 win that all but secured our ticket to next season's Champions League before then being afforded a moving farewell ceremony. He leaves behind a lifetime of precious memories – and the gratitude of everyone lucky enough to see King Kev in his pomp. Advertisement Nico Total appearances: 17 Goals scored: 2 Assists: 0 One of a quartet of exciting arrivals during the January transfer window, the second half of the 2024/25 season saw the Spanish midfielder smoothly bed into the City squad. Capable of operating as either a holding, central or attacking midfielder, the 23-year-old showed why he will be a key addition to Pep Guardiola's options in the engine room. Nico also weighed in with a maiden Premier League goal in our final home game of the season against Bournemouth after registering his first strike in City colours in Champions League round of 16 play-off second led clash away at Real Madrid. Advertisement Having fully integrated himself into the City squad, Nico will now be looking to kick on once more with the advent of the 2025/26 season. James McAtee Total appearances: 27 Goals scored: 7 Assists: 0 One of the most naturally talented and creative midfield talents to have emerged from City's famed Academy, McAtee gained a host of priceless elite level experience across the 2024/25 campaign. The 22-year-old also demonstrated his attacking flair, weighing in with seven goals across all competitions, the undoubted highlight being a maiden senior hat-trick in January's 6-0 FA Cup third round triumph at home to Salford City. A memorable campaign was then rounded off in June when McAtee captained England's Under-21s to a successful defence to the European Under-21 Championships in the Czech Republic. Advertisement What's more, James was also named player of the match in the Young Lions' 3-2 final victory against Germany. Oscar Bobb Total appearances: 6 Goals scored: 1 Assists: 1 The cruel and fickle nature of football was graphically illustrated when Oscar Bobb sustained a serious leg injury during a training session in mid-August. Having made a stunning initial breakthrough across the 2023/24 season, the Norwegian international was all set to kick on again after hugely impressing on our summer 2024 tour to the United States. A stunning subsequent display in our Community Shield victory against Manchester United only served to further whet the supporters' appetite. Instead that injury conspired to leave the 21-year-old sidelined for the majority of the season. Advertisement After a careful period of rest and rehabilitation, Bobb made a welcome return from the bench in April's Premier League home win over Leicester. He then looked sharp, refreshed and focused during our recent Club World Cup campaign in the United States, all of which has only served to heighten the sense of anticipation about Bobb's prospective impact looking to the new season. Claudio Echeverri Total appearances: 3 Goals scored: 1 Assists: 0 At just 19 years of age, the Argentine teenage talent is very much one for the future. But a breathless and captivating late cameo in the 2025 FA Cup final allied to a memorable FIFA Club World Cup outing served to suggest that Echeverri is capable of great things at City. Summoned from the bench at Wembley in May's showpiece against Crystal Palace, Echeverri produced a barnstorming 15 minute twice nearly scoring to level affairs and carrying a real threat every time he got on the ball. Advertisement That impact was replicated in the States where a humdinger of a first half showing against Al Ain was capped with a sweetly struck free-kick before injury led to his early exit. It all serves to increase the excitement looking to next season and beyond.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sucic followed Man City midfielder's advice to join Inter
Petar Sucic reveals his compatriots Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic all advised him to join Inter: 'Lautaro Martinez sent me a beautiful message as soon as I signed.' The Croatia international formally joined the Nerazzurri only a few weeks ago, although he had completed his medical and signed his contract with the Serie A giants in February 2025. Sucic opens up about Inter transfer (From L) Italy's midfielder #18 Nicolo Barella and Croatia's midfielder #08 Mateo Kovacic collide during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group B football match between Croatia and Italy at the Leipzig Stadium in Leipzig on June 24, 2024. (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images) 'Everything is going great. It's a big life and career change, but I strongly wanted it. I'm at a truly massive club, and I want to fully enjoy this experience, both as a footballer and as a person. Of course, I want to win,' the Croatian midfielder told Gazzetta. Advertisement Sucic has already made his debut with the Nerazzurri in the Club World Cup. 'I started by taking private Italian lessons over the last few months. I don't speak it yet, but I understand almost everything, even if sometimes Italians talk really fast,' he said. 'Lautaro sent me a beautiful message as soon as I signed and offered his help, just like a real captain. Others have helped me too. Hakan [Calhanoglu] has been amazing. Mkhitaryan acts as my official translator when needed. He speaks so many languages. Croatian may be the only one he's missing.' How about Inter's new coach, Cristian Chivu? 'He loves what he does, and he shows it. He's precise in every single training session, and I've also noticed another important quality. He speaks directly and says what he thinks to your face,' said Sucic. Other Serie A clubs wanted Sucic epaselect epa11661068 Petar Sucic (L) and Borna Sosa (R) of Croatia celebrate a goal during the UEFA Nations League group A1 match between Poland and Croatia in Warsaw, Poland, 15 October 2024. EPA-EFE/Piotr Nowak POLAND OUT 'He's not beating around the bush; he gets straight to the point. He hasn't had any specific requests of me so far. I want to build chemistry with my teammates and understand how to play, how we train and where I've arrived. Basically everything.' Advertisement The 21-year-old confirmed that other Serie A clubs were interested in his services, but he only wanted to sign for the Nerazzurri. 'It's true, but I won't say which ones,' he said. 'When my agent said Inter wanted me, I said, 'I only want to go there.' This is a special club also because of all the Croatians who have worn this shirt. Brozovic, Perisic and Kovacic. They all told me the same thing: 'Go to Inter without even thinking about it.' Let's say I just followed their advice.' Sucic will make a remarkable reunion with his compatriot Luka Modric in 2025-26 as the experienced midfielder is set to sign a one-year deal with Inter's city rivals Milan. Advertisement 'It'll be amazing if he signs. Playing a derby against Modric would be special,' said the Inter midfielder. 'We've only ever played together for the national team. For us Croatians, he's simply the greatest ever. Everyone wants to be like Luka. I can't imagine what it's like to play against him, but the Milan derby and San Siro are truly unique. When I first walked in for Inter-Fiorentina, I was like 'wow.' It's not a stadium, it's the home of football.' Sucic has signed a contract until June 2030 at the Stadio Meazza.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Pep Guardiola admits Man City will actively trim squad size ahead of Premier League season amid interest in two key players
Pep Guardiola has predicted that Manchester City will actively trim their squad down before the start of the Premier League season. City took 24 outfield players and three goalkeepers to the Club World Cup in America and face Al Ain in the second group game looking to secure qualification in the early hours of Monday morning. Ilkay Gundogan is wanted by Galatasaray, while the injured Mateo Kovacic has had suitors. Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker are not part of the travelling party but are to be moved on. Guardiola claimed earlier in the year that he will need a larger squad in future after being rocked by a steady stream of injuries through the last campaign. But after making eight signings since January, he is also mindful that City cannot keep everybody happy if the size of the group remains the same. Guardiola has typically operated with around 20 outfield players during his time at the Etihad Stadium. 'No news, good news,' Guardiola said when asked about Gundogan's future. 'I don't know anything, I didn't speak with him, and if he will not be part he would not be here. 'But at the same time, we have - right now - a long squad, too many players, so we cannot go with 26, 27 players this season because there would be more without playing, and step by step maybe a few players are going to more.' Guardiola confirmed that Rodri is not yet ready to start a game despite featuring for half an hour during the 2-0 win over Wydad AC. The Catalan talked up the impact the South American teams have had on the competition, not closing the door on potentially managing on that continent in the future, before a potential banana skin against Al Ain, owned by the brother of Sheikh Mansour. 'I feel it's a privilege to be here,' he added. 'This is a privilege because in four years time (we might not qualify). Four years to be there you have to win big prizes. 'We have a lot of respect for Al Ain, for the connection to our owners being from Abu Dhabi, and of course we have a huge opportunity to go to the next round and we'll see. Many things can happen, and we're going to take it seriously.'
