Luka Jovic appears from sporting insignificance – and breathes new life into Milan.
Anyone who only occasionally follows Italian football is likely to have rubbed their eyes recently. Milan throws Inter from the cup? Thanks to Luka Jovic? A story that was not to be expected.
Because in Serie A there are currently worlds between the Milan clubs, the leader and Bayern-Schreck Inter has distanced the city rivals to 20 points. And Jovic had meanwhile disappeared into insignificance.
And yet it was that Milan and above all that Jovic, the Inters Triple dream destroyed with a crashing 3-0 in the Coppa Italia. Two of the three goals went to the long luckless Serbs. He remained freezing against the team on which FC Bayern is being opened in the Champions League.
Jovic breathes new life into Milan
“Like a magician, like a real nine, he does Inter with two goals and does justice to his earlier fame,” wrote the Corriere Della Sera about the striker, who once led Eintracht Frankfurt’s buffalo herd.
Finally Jovic was allowed to celebrate again, the fans immediately spoke him on the net. A resurrection shortly after Easter, so to speak. With the gates to the final entrance, he also breathes new life into his trouble club late in the season: “Tonight he deserves a place in history,” wrote the Gazzetta about the “surprising protagonist”.
Completely out of nowhere, that should be mentioned, the Jovic appearance does not come. He had recently met against Naples and Florence in the league. But only the goals against Inter – Italian experts had expected Tammy Abraham in the starting eleven – a real turn.
For months, Jovic was put to a sad end. His contract expires, the body kept on strike. A groin surgery put him out of action for a long time. And coach Conceicao largely ignored the 27-year-old.
Jovic “lost a few pounds”
Now the new contract extension even waves, writes the Gazzetta . The cup application was a thank you for “number 9, which is able to bring fate back into balance after difficult months.”
Which, in addition to the recessed accuracy, is also due to a physical change. “He lost a few pounds and that was important,” said Conceicao.
Jovic is a player who is “very good behind the opposing midfielder, we wanted to have his support and send outer players across the flanks,” said the coach. He now sees in Jovic what he had noticed public weeks ago.
“I prefer to play as a hanging tip that can move freely because I don’t have the body to act as the only tip,” the international had announced in a remarkable interview at Mozzartsport .
The former village boy puts top strikers in the shade
In it he also made it clear that he did not see himself as failed. As a reminder: his spectacular change from Eintracht to Real Madrid 2019 followed difficult years. He worked neither with the royal nor Florence or during a recurrent return to Frankfurt.
“Being a real and in Milan alone is a huge success,” said Jovic: “I come from a village with 110 houses.” As a young boy, he would never have thought his later career possible. But, he emphasized that too. There is “still space for more”.
Does the next chapter also mean Milan? It would also be an amazing story because the Rossoneri had almost replaced him. Especially on the offensive has recently been upgraded.
Santiago Giménez was released from Feyenoord for 37 million euros in winter. Joao Félix was loaned by Chelsea. And before, the services of Roma attacker Abraham were secured for the current season.
But Jovic is in the spotlight. So surprisingly, for everyone who only follows Italian football occasionally, may be.