On the eve of the semi-final play-off match of the Euro 2024 qualifying round between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine, his former teammate and ex-assistant Igor Dulyai, who played for Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, spoke about the head coach of the Bosnian national team, Savo Milosevic.
Igor Dulyai- How would you describe Savo as a person?
- He is a very calm person. He is the ideal of a modern coach, as a manager. He has a great understanding of football, he studies a lot. I also think he is the perfect coach for national teams. This management suits him very well.
- What principles of the game does he profess?
- He was a forward, a good goalscorer (he scored 129 goals in 362 matches of the English, Spanish and Italian championships - ed.) And in general, he was the kind of footballer who loves attacking football. And now he loves it when his teams attack. When Savo was at Partizan, he was always looking for creative players and aimed them at attacking.
- Do you think that one win and three defeats in four matches as coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team puts pressure on him or does he have complete carte blanche?
- Probably, in general, there is pressure. From fans and journalists. But Milosevic is very calm about it, because he is generally a very stable and balanced person and the same coach. Savo accepts all these nuances very easily. I think that as far as he is concerned right now, he does not feel this pressure.
- Does Milosevic's fate in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team depend on the confrontation with the Ukrainian national team?
- This is a very difficult question. What matters is the goals of their federation. In fact, a lot will depend on the football that the Bosnians will show and the result.
- As a coach, before the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, Savo worked with Partizan and won the Serbian Cup, as well as with Olympia from Slovenia, but won nothing. How much authority does Milosevic have as a coach?
- He is a great authority in himself. Savo was a very good player and made a name for himself. He played over thirty years ago, but people still remember him as a footballer. He's a very intelligent and authoritative person.
- What kind of football do you expect from the meeting between the national teams of Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- You said it right, Milosevic and the Bosnians have one win and three defeats. Therefore, of course, they will strive to defeat Ukraine and rehabilitate themselves by achieving the main goal. But the Ukrainian national team now has a lot of good players. Many of them play consistently in their teams, so it will be a tough match for both teams, and they will show very interesting football.
- Whose side will your sympathies be on in this match?
- Well, of course, the Ukrainian national team has a lot of players I am familiar with. But I am connected to Bosnia and Herzegovina by Savo Milosevic. So it's a difficult choice.
- Which of these teams do you think will advance to the next round of the Euro 2024 play-offs?
- For me, it would be ideal if both the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine national teams could do it. Honestly. I'm rooting for both teams.
Kirill Krutogorov
