Croatian football representative Franjo Ivanovic said in an interview for the Portuguese version of the Transfermarkt online portal that he wants to be worth 100 or 150 million euros, and that he is learning at Benfica from the new coach Jose Mourinho, who “has two faces”, one on the field and the other off it.
Off the field he is super friendly and relaxed, and on the field he is demanding, meticulous and very serious. I am happy to learn from him. I listen carefully to every word because it is he achieved everything i dream of and that is winning the Champions Leaguesaid Ivanovic, who turned 22 on October 1.
Mourinho, who won the Champions League with Porto in 2004 and Inter in 2010, last month sat on the Benfica bench after the departure of coach Bruno Lage.
Ivanovic came to Lisbon from Belgian champion Royal Union Saint-Gilloise just a little before Mourinho. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is 20 million euros.
The last few years have been simply amazing. When they valued me at 5 million, I thought: ‘Wow!’ Subsequent updates seemed surreal, and the latest one was simply brutal. As a player, you always want to develop, and market values are a good indicator of that. Now I want to reach 30 million euros, but the ultimate goal would be 100 or 150 million euros. I think it’s important to set high goalshe said.
Saint-Gilloise waited 90 years to become the Belgian champion again. He achieved the feat last season, with Ivanovic playing a decisive role, scoring 21 goals with seven assists in 47 games in all competitions.
Saint-Gilloise was a blessing in my career. I am very grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity. The Belgian Championship is excellent for young players. It helped me grow, both as a player and as a personexplained the Croatian attacker.
During the regular part of the season, Saint-Gilloise finished third, behind Genk and Club Brugge, but lifted the trophy in the playoffs, winning nine out of ten games. Ivanovic scored the decisive goal against Gent in the last round. Despite this success, Ivanovic does not like the format of the Belgian championship.
The playoff system brings excitement, sure, but that’s it for me unfair system. Genk were excellent for months and in the end they were not rewarded.
Perišić helped me a lot
Several Bundesliga clubs, including Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich, have shown allegedly interestbut Benfica prevailed by paying 22.8 million euros for him. It was the biggest sale in the history of Saint-Gilloise, surpassing Victor Boniface’s previous record. The Nigerian striker left Bayer Leverkusen for 22.6 million euros two years ago.
I was proud to see my name associated with those clubs. There were talks with German teams, yes. But,
Benfica presented the project that convinced me the most.
When I arrived in Lisbon, I immediately understood the greatness of Benfica. There were 30 or 40 journalists and television crews at the airport. I received thousands of messages on Instagram. The status that the club has in the country is incredibleeveryone wants a photo or an autographIvanovic said.
When I walked into the gym, I felt like I was in Disneyland. Everything is on another level. But, what me most impressed it was the first game at the Estadio da Luz. The atmosphere is amazing: you run more, make an extra meter, just because of the energy of the stadiumhe added.
During 16 games for Benfica, he scored four goals and registered an assist. There are high expectations from the players who wear the number 9 on the jersey in all clubs.
The pressure is always there, regardless of the number on the shirt. It is important not to think about the transferotherwise you get blocked. When I play, what I feel is pure happiness. There is nothing better than being a professional soccer player.
Benfica recorded three defeats in the first three rounds of the Champions League, but Ivanovic says that playing in that competition is special.
That’s it the pinnacle of club football. I still remember visiting Stamford Bridge as a child, and now going there as a professional player seems unreal. As a child, they didn’t even let me watch the games until the end because I had school the next day. Now I can experience them on the field, which is fantastic.
Ivanovic made his debut for Croatia this year, scoring two goals in eight games.
I am proud that I represent Croatia because I have always been its fan. At first I felt like I was in a commercial for a sports brand, a fan living the dream. Ivan Perišić helped me a lot, gave me valuable advice. He is a real machine. He came back from a ruptured cruciate ligament and continues to perform at the highest level.
He said he won’t change as a person because he’s making more money now.
There are players who spend wealth on vacations or cars. I prefer to spend time with my family in Croatia. My motto is simple: I don’t have to do anything but be at peace with myself.
(Hina | Photo: X)
