Savic praises Trabzonspor: Reminds me of Atletico Madrid spirit

Stefan Savic, who played for important teams of European football such as Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Fiorentina and is now fighting for Trabzonspor's success, gave an interview to the bordo-blue club's magazine. Savic said that Trabzonspor is similar to Atletico Madrid, a team he played for many years in the past.

"Trabzonspor has the same spirit as Atletico Madrid"

Expressing that he feels lucky when he looks back, the Montenegrin footballer said, "I played for Manchester City, Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid for 9 years, which is a great pride for me. Now I am at an important club again. Trabzonspor reminds me of Atletico Madrid. It has a similar spirit with its history and achievements. Just as we fought against Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Trabzonspor, as the representative of Anatolia, continues the same rivalry against Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş here. That's why I chose Trabzonspor. I think Trabzonspor has a similar spirit with Atletico Madrid."

"I do not regret anything"

The 34-year-old, who has had important experiences in different leagues in his career, said that he has no regrets when he looks back and said, "I don't regret anything in my life. I made mistakes but they all taught me something. Even if I start my career again, there is nothing I would do differently. Because my experiences have brought me to where I am today."

"Mistakes damage the sense of justice"

The star player also touched on the referee controversies that are frequently on the agenda in Turkish football, emphasizing that the mistakes made especially during the VAR period are unacceptable. Savic said, "Mistakes can happen in all matches. Referees can also make mistakes and this is part of the game. But it is not acceptable for me that in 2025, when there are many auxiliary elements such as Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to help referees, referees can make such mistakes. This starts to damage your sense of justice after a while. You naturally start to react in order to represent the jersey you wear, to prevent any harm to it. For example, in the game against Fenerbahçe, no one can tell me that Onuachu's movement before the canceled goal was a foul. There has never been such a foul call in the history of the world. Because we have been playing a match for years, we have been in contact for years. It is not possible for such a goal to be canceled. That's why I felt the need to react to the referee of the match because I believe that he has started to make decisions that are far from the sense of justice. In the Champions League final against Real Madrid in 2016, we also conceded an erroneous goal, but there was no VAR then, it was acceptable. Today, such a mistake is unacceptable. There are huge investments in Turkish football, but some referees' officiating is below the level of the league. Our only wish is that the referees act fairly, no matter who is playing."

"I won't let anyone touch what is mine"

Stating that his combative nature on the field can sometimes be found harsh by the opponents, Savic said, "The opponents usually don't like me because of my combative attitude during the game. But I always fight to protect the jersey I wear, the community I am in and the people who are with me. My philosophy of life is that I don't let anyone touch what is mine. In football and in life, I would never allow what I fight for to be damaged."

"When Simeone calls you, your only answer is 'yes'"

Explaining his transfer process from Manchester City to Fiorentina and then to Atletico Madrid, the defender said that the most important period of his career was in Spain: "I transferred from Partizan to Manchester City at a young age. I played 22 games in the first year and played every game in the Premier League as if it was my last. Then I gained experience at Fiorentina for 3 years. I wanted to go to Atletico Madrid for Diego Simeone; money was not important. The secret to being successful in Simeone's team is to work hard and fight. Maybe I wasn't the most talented player but I was always the hardest worker and that's how I became the symbol of defense. When Simeone calls you, your only answer is 'yes'. My time at Atletico Madrid was very influential in making me who I am today. In Simeone's team, if you don't work, you can't play."

"I never gave up"

Adding that he went through difficult times in his football career but never thought of giving up, Savic said, "I never gave up in difficult times. I lost my father while playing for Partizan, but my mother and sister were always there for me. I have always stayed strong with the support of football and my family, and now my wife and baby support me. Throughout my life, I have always been someone who has always fought and struggled. I never thought of giving up."

"The importance of the number 15"

Regarding his jersey number, Stefan Savic said: "I have been wearing number 15 on my jersey for a long time. This choice comes from the number 5 of Alessandro Nesta, whom I admired as a child. In my first team, the number 5 was full, I chose 15, which was the closest, and since then I decided to play only with the number 15."

"It was a great chance to play against Ronaldo and Messi"

Reminding that he played against many world stars in La Liga, especially Ronaldo and Messi, the experienced footballer said:

"Ronaldo was very demanding in the penalty area, while Messi had a different game intelligence. Playing against them improved me. I also met stars like Benzema, Neymar and Lewandowski and learned from them all."

Matches he can't forget

The successful player, who has played in many important finals in his career, said of his most memorable moments, "The match in 2018 when we won the Super Cup by beating Real Madrid was one of my happiest moments. The match I was most upset about was the one we lost to Real Madrid on penalties in the 2016 Champions League final."

The best 11 in the world

The experienced defender formed the best 11 in his eyes from the past to the present with the following names:"Van der Sar - Cafu, Vidic, Nesta, Maldini - Ronaldinho, Zidane, Xavi, Messi - Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo."