Latest news with #Savic
Irish Examiner
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Gyokeres the Arsenal answer? 'If there's a shooting drill, he wants to win it.'
Dalibor Savic saw plenty of top talents come and go during his time coaching the youth sides at Swedish club Brommapojkarna, but says there is one thing that set new Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres apart from most. Gyokeres has ended a long-running transfer saga by finally completing his move to Arsenal in a deal worth €63m plus another €10m in possible add-ons, putting pen to paper on a five-year contract. Former head coach of the Brommapojkarna under-19 and under-21 sides, Savic coached Gyokeres during his coming through as a youngster. Other notable graduates from the club include Tottenham duo Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall, as well as a host of other current and former Sweden internationals. Savic admits Gyokeres was not the most technically gifted talent at the club as a teenager, but says the 27-year-old's mentality and desire is what has got him to this point. 'His biggest talent is that he's so determined and focused and stubborn,' Savic explains. 'And he doesn't give up, because many players maybe stop dreaming about Premier League when you reach the age of 27, but he keeps working for it and tries to be a better player every week and every day. 'Everybody knew that Viktor was going to be a top player, but reaching these clubs that we're talking about, the Premier League or Serie A or La Liga or Ligue 1, the top, top, top clubs, you can never predict that. 'I think that all of us coaches, we're just a small part of his football journey. We're just a small part of putting him in the right position to work with his strengths, trying to give him advice. 'But all the hard work comes from Viktor, with the extra training, with the extra determination, extra focus.' Gyokeres moved to Brighton & Hove Albion after leaving his native Sweden but failed to break through at the club, and was loaned out to German side St Pauli, Swansea City and then Coventry City, where he would join permanently in 2021. It was his performances in the Championship which earned him a move to Champions League club Sporting CP. There, he would rapidly establish himself as one of the top strikers in Europe, scoring 97 goals in 102 games for the club in all competitions. 'I think he made the right choice going to Portugal and going to one of the better clubs there, maybe the best club,' Savic says. 'I mean, if you score like 44 goals or whatever he did in one season, you're dominating the game. 'And with his physicality and always being in the box, finishing with the left foot, with the right foot. And of course, Sporting Lisbon is creating, I don't know, 15, 20 chances per game. He's probably going to score one or two per game. 'So I think it was wise for him to go to a minor league, but to a top club. If you remember Henrik Larsson, he went from Feyenoord to Celtic playing in the biggest and the best club in Scotland and grew as a player to be an important player and an important goal scorer.' Arsenal's injury crisis paired with a shortage of attacking options led to boss Mikel Arteta having to play central midfielder Mikel Merino up front for a large stretch of the previous campaign, including in their Champions League semi-final clash with PSG in which they managed just one goal across the two legs. Gyokeres has been brought in as the answer to Arsenal's shortage of goals compared with their rivals, with boss Mikel Arteta hoping he can provide the missing link which will take his side from nearly men to trophy winners. Savic says Gyokeres' hunger to win, which was evident from such a young age, bodes well for the Gunners. 'When you have that mentality, as Viktor had, if we had a game and we lost it, he was mad, he was upset, he didn't like it and he always wanted to win the next game,' he said. 'I don't want to say he's not fun to be around, he's always fun to be around because he's a good teammate. I think he's humble, I think coaches like him, I think the other players like him, but he wants to win. 'If there's a shooting drill, he wants to win it. If it's a running drill, he wants to win it. So I think this mentality is what has taken him to the top level of football because I had a lot of talented players who'd stop working, you know, because they were talented, but they didn't have the mentality that you need to have to reach top level.' The challenge now, Savic says, is for Gyokeres to show he is the world class talent he always dreamt he would be when he was playing for Brommapojkarna. 'Of course, everybody knows that Viktor is a top-level player, top striker in Europe right now. But the question is, is he a world-class player? And I think this is what he needs to prove by coming to Arsenal."
Saudi Gazette
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Milinković-Savić says Al Hilal proved critics wrong after historic win over Man City
Saudi Gazette report ORLANDO — Al Hilal's Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić hailed his team's stunning 4-3 victory over Manchester City as a 'statement to the world,' declaring that the Saudi Pro League's quality is undeniable and that the club has written a new chapter in football history. Speaking after the match in Orlando, which sent Al Hilal into the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup, Savic said: 'We've made history tonight. It was a massive game and a huge result. For anyone who doubts our league, we've shown on the pitch that the Saudi league is strong — we proved it to the world.' The 29-year-old, who joined Al Hilal in summer of 2023 amid some skepticism over his move to the Roshn Saudi League, emphasized that the win was not only about individual talent but collective spirit. 'We were missing several key players, which is never ideal,' he admitted. 'But our squad is deep and full of quality. Everyone who stepped onto the pitch played at a high level and helped us overcome one of the best teams in the world.' He also shared insight into the team's mindset: 'Now it's all about recovery for the next match. It's not just about celebrations. City is a team that creates constant attacking pressure, but we stayed compact, defended with heart, and stuck together as a unit. At halftime, the coach encouraged us to keep going because we were doing well.'Savic pointedly addressed earlier criticism surrounding his move to Saudi Arabia: 'A lot of people had things to say when I joined the league. What happened tonight, and our performances against Real Madrid and Salzburg, is the best answer to those critics.'Looking ahead, Savic acknowledged the challenge posed by Brazilian side Fluminense, who eliminated Champions League finalists Inter Milan in their previous match: 'Any team that knocks out Inter is a serious opponent. We respect them, but we'll be fully prepared.'He concluded: 'The key in these games is to believe. That's what we did tonight we believed, and that belief carried us through.'
AU Financial Review
15-06-2025
- Automotive
- AU Financial Review
A game-changing Australian electric motorbike debuts
I'm going to stick my neck out and say the Savic – pronounced savich, in the manner of the founder's Croatian surname – is the most stylish motorcycle on the market. Looking like an art deco-influenced prop from a 1930s sci-fi film, it's also fully electric and, most remarkably of all, Australian designed and assembled.
