Milan Legend Admits: Without Football, I Might Have Been a Bandit; Denies Genius Label

Milan legend Dejan Savicevic was interviewed on his 60th birthday. He has served as president of the Football Association of Montenegro for 20 years, being re-elected seven consecutive times through 2029, serving the role on a voluntary, unpaid basis. In his childhood, he practiced with the ball on the stone platform at a railway station. He joined OFK Titograd at age 13, made his top-flight debut at 16, scored for his national team at 20, joined Red Star Belgrade in 1988, and transferred to AC Milan in 1992. He regards his goal in the 1994 UEFA Champions League final as the highlight of his career, recalling Silvio Berlusconi's pre-match motivational speech. He denies being labeled a 'genius,' calling himself merely an excellent player and noting the title originated from La Gazzetta dello Sport and was an exaggeration. His idols were Diego Maradona and Michel Platini; he scored a penalty at the 1990 World Cup. Commenting on the current AC Milan side, he said the team is young and dynamic but requires patience; Inter is temporarily leading, but the season remains long.