Genius turns 60, journalist who gave him the nickname interviews him: It's exaggerated, he was just a great football player

Milan had too many football masters during the 1990s, yet only one was nicknamed "Il Genio" by the famous "Gazzetta dello Sport".

Dejan Savićević's football skills, moves that only a few are born with, and his goals delighted Đerman Bovolenta, a journalist for the most famous Italian sports newspaper, to the point of calling the boy from Podgorica a "genius".

A lot has passed since the nineties, Genije turns 60 tomorrow (September 15), and the creator of the now iconic nickname has not forgotten Savićević this time either, so for "The newspaper"I interviewed him again.

Dear President Genius, we have reached 60. Everything is fine - Bovolenta began.

- Excellent. I'm in Budva, in a house by the sea, I go boating a bit, but I always have a lot of obligations. You know, obligations, programs, contacts. I'm a volunteer president, I don't receive a single euro, but there's no shortage of work and luckily I still enjoy it - replied Savićević.

You used to enjoy yourself on the field. Dribbling, passing, goals...

- I have fond memories, I was lucky. I played in important positions, I also won two Champions' Cups (now Leagues), with Red Star and Milan.

You became Geniuses in Milan.

- No, I wasn't a genius, I was just a great player. You from "Gazeta" called me that. Maybe because I did things that others couldn't, maybe because I had more imagination.

But you like being called Genius, don't you?

- Yes, yes, it's cute, cheerful and a bit funny. My friends and teammates, when they want to tease me, call me Genius. In Italy everyone does, but that's an exaggeration.

As exaggerated as the goal in the 1994 Champions League final against Barcelona?

- The most beautiful of my life. President Silvio Berlusconi told me the night before the final: "Dejan, if you're a genius, prove it." It turned out well (laughs). Everything was beautiful, both the beginning and the end...

Where did Day's story begin?

- From Podgorica. My father was the head of the railway, he commanded 900 men.

But he couldn't get his son Dej to listen to him. Is that right?

- We lived in a house behind the station. My brother Goran wanted to become a train driver. Later he became a real estate agent. I would run between the tracks and go play on a field full of stones. That's where I learned to juggle a ball. I was a real little hooligan, it seemed like I would end up as some kind of dangerous guy. Luckily, I became a football player at the age of 13 in OFK Titograd.

The first team that was in your heart...

- I spent two years there. I played for pure pleasure. Little money, but I never felt so free. Then I went to Buducnost.

Debut in the First League at the age of 16. Newspapers write: phenomenon, a true fantasist, magic in his legs. Are they exaggerating?

- A little. I didn't score many goals, I liked assists more, it was nice when my teammates scored. I made it to the national team from Buducnost. I was 20 years old, we beat Turkey 4:0, and I scored the third goal. In 1988, I went to Red Star, the champion of Yugoslavia.

And you immediately become number one, "the star in the Star"?

- Come on, I was just a player for a big team. Many champions, they made me feel good. They loved me, but I loved all my clubs too. Buducnost, Crvena zvezda, Milan and Rapid Vienna. Especially Crvena zvezda.

A Milan?

- It's always in my heart. I arrived in 1992, I was supposed to go to Juventus, then to Roma, then to Monaco in France. I was at Red Star, I had a great time. We won the Champions Cup, beat Marseille in Bari.

It was a difficult start in Milan.

- Yes, I struggled for a year and a half. It was hard, I had some physical problems, and ahead of me were Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Jean-Pierre Papen. But I chose Italy because it was the most beautiful league in the world and the best footballers played there. A good choice, in another club I wouldn't have won as much and people wouldn't have heard of me as they did in Milan. And then there were the fans. Wonderful, passionate. Their songs were the best encouragement. It means a lot to me that people still remember me after more than 20 years. There are those who tell me that I was like Platini. It's nice.

You were the Platini of the Balkans, Michel was your idol. But did you love him that much?

- I loved world-class players, people with imagination. I loved Diego Maradona the most, and before him Ante Miročević and Safet Sušić - fantastic players. I never met Maradona in person, I played against him at the 1990 World Cup in Florence. We lost on penalties - I scored, Diego missed. Although I was quite famous in 1990, I was nobody compared to Maradona. I watched him with admiration.

I was also in love with Platini, my ideal player. But we never spoke. I played against France once in Belgrade. I came on when they were leading 2-1, did two things, two passes, and we won 3-2. In the end, we went out together and I wanted to talk to him, to introduce myself, just to say: "Hi, Michel, I'm Savićević". But I didn't know French, I only spoke my native language. And then I just kept going without saying a word to him. Ah, nice memories.

And what does this Milan represent to you today?

"My Milan was a different Milan, we were always in the Champions League finals. I watched this one a little, only parts on TV. It's young and fresh. The coach is young too. He had a nice reaction against Lazio. We have to wait patiently for him and accept mistakes, they are part of football. I know, there is no time, but the quality should surface, it will catch up with the others. Inter, unfortunately, seems to me to be ahead. But the season is long and complicated for everyone. Let's wait. I waited a year and a half - concluded Savićević.