Hertha BSC: How Stevan Jovetic landed in the Bundesliga
Michael Meier is no longer reminiscent of every detail. The story is already 15 years old. Nevertheless, the question remains: What would happen?
In December 2006, the then manager of the 1st FC Cologne had a 17-year-old and its advisor to guests in his office. He knew that this boy, as he says the Jovetics, was probably on the way to become a very good footballer. He just did not know that this boy, Stevan Jovetic, was only 17. And therefore not allowed to switch to Cologne.
The conditions of a transfer had already been intensive discussed before the consultant opened the age of his client. Since the situation ads absurdum, recapitulated Meier. What the counselor did not know: The DFB statutes did not allow a transfer of a minor non-EU citizen.
Jovetic had a name for himself as a teenager at Partizan Belgrade and drawn the interest of European heavyweights. But here he sat and would like to switch to second division Cologne. Christoph Daum, then again FC coach, actually wanted to fly to a U-national game Montenegros to look at Jovetic again exactly, but that had already been unnecessary, as Meier says.
A prerequisite leans Meier - and buys in Brazil
The counselor asked if the FC Jovetic is not at least pre-failed so that he should then change as an 18-year-old in November 2007. However, Meier could not get involved. On the one hand, he was incredibly young, and on the other was so that, despite the talent he had proven, at the 1st FC Köln, who could help us to help us directly. Since our financial strength had been exhausted.
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The FC stuck as Bundesliga relegated in the midfield of the 2nd league. Jovetic flew back to Belgrade, stayed another one and a half years and became club history with 18 the recent captain in Partizan. Cologne, instead, committed the Brazilian Tiago Cavalcanti for nearly one million euros from Atletico Mineiro. Cavalcanti played three times from the beginning, was replaced three times, did not score a goal and went back to Brazil in the summer. The FC missed the reassignment clearly.
Only in the summer of 2008, when Cologne was allowed to cheer the Bundesliga return, Jovetic also moved. Eight million euros took over the AC Florence to Belgrade, the FC would have to pay much less one and a half years before. Only Jovetic was now one of Europe's top talents and no little boy anymore.
Lobeshymns on the Wunderkind: also the Bavarians are to know Jovetic
Montenegros Johan Cruyff, as Landsmann Dejan Savicevic calls himself, for arrival in Tuscany, downloaded a five-minute highlight video of Fiorentina Icon Gabriel Batistuta to get a few tips. He is amazed: The gates were all beautiful. Jovetic remains modest and blends the comparisons: I am Stevan Jovetic. And I have to improve me to get so good.
Double pack in the second round: Stevan Jovetic against Bavaria. Imago sports photo service
It takes a bit, until very football Europe perceives the boy, who would like to be changed to Cologne. With one year startup, Jovetic beats in Tuscany. He plays left, right outside, sometimes as a hanging tip and sometimes at the front. Such as 2-0 against Liverpool in the Champions League group stage, as Jovetic, now 20, which celebrates the largest night of his life and achieved both goals. A few months later, he also meets twice in the eighth final return match against Bayern, marriage Arjen Robben brings the Munich with a dream gate.
The first big setback and the next change
The Viola is out, and the hype around Jovetic lets. Especially when he tears the cruciate ligament in the following summer break and missed the entire next season. It is the first of not a few setbacks in a career, which runs a few more years as planned, but then quickly puts on the stick.
Jovetic rehabilitates in Florence and alternates two years and 27 goals later for nearly 30 million euros to Manchester City, while the Viola is solemnly presented to Mario Gomez.
Behind Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko is hardly any come through for Jovetic, right foot he never summarizes in Manchester for many injuries and continues to go to Inter after two years. Back in the series A, Jovetic meets the league debut to the 1-0 victory against Atalanta Bergamo and twice the week after 2: 1 in Carpi. What begins as a big promise, however, flattened quickly. After three goals in the first two games come to the end of the season only three. It's his last in the inter-jersey.
Milan, Seville, Monaco: Jovetic must kick shorter
The Nerazzurri send Jovetic to Seville after one and a half years, even there he meets the debut, just against Real Madrid to the 2-1 victory in the second minute of replay time. It continues with a template in the next and a gate in the next game. Although he was never the classic impactor, he usually plays at the Andalusians in the center and remains injury-free at least. Seville does not commit the now almost 28-year-old Jovetic.
He rather suggests a whole new chapter and changes for around ten million euros from Inter to Monaco, which has just returned Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Tiemoué Bakayoko and Kylian Mbappé. Even under Leonardo Jardim, it does not work badly, Jovetic succeeds - mostly as the forest attacker in 4-2-3-1 - even eight hits in 15 ligue-1 inserts. The problem is the 15 missions.
Kevin Volland and Stevan Jovetic in the season final spurt with Monaco. imago images / panoramic
Again strike thighs and calfs weeks, the year there it will be much worse. As soon as the Montenegriner may ran again, he is already out again - and tears the cruciate ligament for the second time in April 2019. While Monaco is slowly exempt from chaos, changed from Jardim to Thierry Henry and again Jardim, Jovetic works slowly again and celebrates in January 2020 - under coach Robert Moreno - his comeback, but is no longer really going.
Moreno successor Niko Kovac does not find a fixed position for Jovetic, although this will say a few months later that that's exactly what its strength is. (In my career, I have played everything. As a midstorm, as a second peak, as a number ten or on the left wing. The coach decides.) Only after about eight months under Kovac is Jovetic to his second starting element and pays the Trust in Saint-Etienne on the side of Kevin full with a hit back. And after three goals in four games, the calf logs again.
Bobic likes Jovetics versatility - Meier does not mourn
Because Monaco leaves the contract with Jovetic, Fredi Bobic will be noisy. The new sports board of Hertha BSC is convinced of the game intelligence and the ball feeling of the 31-year-old, and he fits with its variability in the offensive game of the Berliner. With his footballing qualities, but also as a guy he will help us directly, says Bobic.
And Jovetic waves a record immediately. With his first Bundesliga use, he becomes after the Romanian Florin Raducioiu and the Danes Christian Poulsen of the first third player who has played in all top 5 people in Europe. Jovetic is open to his idea that he had a look at this statistic.
At the age of 15 delay, he has now landed in the Bundesliga. If not in Cologne. Incidentally, Michael Meier does not ask himself, which would probably happen if Jovetic had come to FC at that time. He can even laugh about it. I do not see that as a lost chance. If I did that, I just missed opportunities.
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