Reports have emerged suggesting Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is a target for AC Milan ahead of the summer, and the idea of reuniting with Stefano Pioli may appeal to him.
La Gazzetta dello Sport recall how Pioli to Milinkovic-Savic the hand when he was twenty years old, transforming him from a diamond in the rough to being a ready-made and versatile midfielder, who thrived under Simone Inzaghi and now Maurizio Sarri.
His rise was so impressive after Pioli’s influence that Claudio Lotito received and rejected €100m bids several summers ago. Now he could reunite with his first mentor as the Rossoneri look to bolster their midfield.
Milinkovic-Savic landed in Italy on 25 July 2015. The Serbian touched down at Peretola airport and headed to the Fiorentina headquarters together with his agent, Mateja Kezman, a former PSV and Atletico Madrid striker.
Kezman wrote dark glasses and fiddled with his phone throughout the trip. He composed messages all the time and calls multiple people, above all to Lazio director Igli Tare, to whom he reiterates that Sergej will go to the Stadio Olimpico.
The rest is a story punctuated by tears and great refusals, indecisions and fists on the table, because Milinkovic-Savic said no to Fiorentina and their director Daniele Pradè is furious.
Once outside the headquarters, Prade was asked what happened to which he replied: “We mustn’t ask anyone to come to us. Despite the deal he still has his doubts, so it ends here. A twenty-year-old boy doesn’t move the team.”
Milinkovic-Savic thne landed in Fiumicino on the afternoon of August 3 welcomed by a hundred fans. He wore a white T-shirt, whispered ‘Forza Lazio’ under his breath, went up the escalators with his luggage and after a couple of days he left for Shanghai, where the Biancocelesti were playing in the Supercoppa against Juventus.
Pioli spoke about it publicly before the match, in the press room, underlining that he will need to settle in: “He’s talented, but he needs time.”
The then-20-year-old made his debut on August 18 against Bayer Leverkusen, the first leg of the Champions League preliminaries, playing for more than half an hour and convincing enough for Pioli to start using him more and more.
His first start came on 17 September against Dnipro in the Europa League, where Sergej headed in and scored his first goal for Lazio. At the end of the game, Pioli confirmed that he will get more and more playing time.
Initially Milinkovic-Savic showed great technical qualities, individual play and dribbling, but often wandered around the field aimlessly. In December he was sent off against Inter, but on his return he scored his first goal in Serie A against Fiorentina.
On 9 January 2016 he scored against Fiorentina – the club he could have joined – and celebrated by pointing to the Biancoceleste badge on what was Lazio’s birthday.
In February he scored again against Galatasaray in the Europa League, exploiting his physicality from a corner kick. It is the last high note of a frayed team destined to disintegrate two months later.
On 4 April 2016, after losing the derby 4-1, Pioli was sacked. Milinkovic-Savic remained out due to injury and saw Lazio collapse through goals from Dzeko and Florenzi, today at Inter and Milan.
Initially the Serbian was a pure attacking midfielder, at times even a second striker. Pioli made him play there several times, advising him to learn from two expert midfielders, Marco Parolo and Lucas Biglia.
Sergej, attentive and cunning, listens to everything and absorbs like a sponge. He goes to live near Formello and learns Italian quickly with a private teacher. Parolo took him under his wing and helped him to improve.
After several games as playmaker in 4-2-3-1, alongside Djordjevic or Miro Klose, Pioli starts using him as a deeper-lying midfielder. It can be said that the Sergeant’s ‘debut’ as an all-round midfielder was in Lazio’s 5-2 won over Verona on 11 February.
In that game Pioli switched to a 4-3-3 and SMS played in the middle with Cataldi and Biglia. Up front were Felipe Anderson, Mauri and Matri. The rest is history.
The story between Milinkovic-Savic and Lazio could end this year after eight seasons of love without hate. In the last home game the fans dedicated a banner to him. He noticed, stared at them and smiled.
