Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports, former Liverpool midfielder Igor Bišćan has given his thoughts on Rafa Benítez to Panathinaikos, Luka Modrić and more
Bi šćan has explained why former teammates like Xavi and Stevie Gerrard belong in management while assessing Jamie Carragher’s coaching potential and discussed Dinamo Zagreb’s Europa League hopes.
The former Croatia international has also tipped Josip Šutalo as the next big Premier League export and explained what made the Eternal Derby and Celtic Park atmospheres so special.
Managerial Market
Benitez To Panathinaiko: “Interesting”
Rafa Benitez at Panathinaikos is an interesting one. I have to say I didn't see that happening. Although I'm not really following Panathinaikos for the last 10 years, I think they needed somebody like him. They needed a big name because it's been a long, long time since they were a prominent or important club, a club that wins the league there in Greece.
For them, that's just not acceptable. So, for sure, he's going to bring a lot of excitement and quality coaching there. Is it going to happen? Is it going to be so good that he breaks the dominance of Olympiakos, PAOK, and AEK recently? I'm not so sure, honestly, because the club is just falling behind when you compare them with the other clubs. But for sure, it's going to be interesting to see what will happen there.
Former Teammates In Management
I didn't really think too much about that when I was playing, to be honest. Once you stop playing, then you start to think about what you are going to do next with your free time and your life. I realised, at least in my case, that there are not too many things that I know better than football. So, I decided to try. For most people, when they finish, they don't really see themselves going through all of this again. But there is still a little curiosity when you feel that you may know a thing or two about football. You want to at least try and give yourself a chance, and then see what will happen. That was the case with me.
As I said, when we speak about Xavi and Stevie, it's always good that the ex-players who played at the highest level try to coach. If they don't, somebody else will go there, and you will have people who are maybe not on their level of knowledge and experience. That means that young players will not get the right people to develop themselves in the best way.
Gerrard's Next Managerial Move
I think he is a legend of the game. What he did in the game was just amazing. So, for all of those big names like him, like Frank Lampard also, I think it's good for the sport. It's good for everybody that they stay as close as possible to the pitch, to the game.
They help those new generations become even better players. When they learn from those type of people, you cannot get any better than this.
Could Carragher Manage?
Everybody knows he really knows a lot about football, and he follows all those teams and leagues and everything. He's the one that maybe most people were expecting to be a coach and to manage. But it's up to him, of course, what he wants to do. His job now is a different one: to comment on football.
Coaching is a little different. It's much more complex. It's not easy, and this is why I really rate those big ex-players and legends that still wanted to get back and to get, in a way, exposed to a lot of criticism and public criticism and all that, to get back and to really do it. It's not for everybody, and sometimes people might think: ‘I don't need all of that, my life is perfect as it is.’ But for this reason, I have even more respect for those people who came back to fight, to be exposed, and to try to stay in the game and to help others become better players.
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Luka Modric
"Incredible” Modric
It's incredible what Luka Modric is doing, it really is. We are so proud of him, so, so proud. Not only is he still playing, but he's playing and making a difference at one of the best clubs in Italy, one of the most famous clubs in the world, for sure. That just tells you how good, how big, and how important he is. I even think that if he decides to continue next season, and maybe the season after that, he will still be able to do it physically for sure because he is in such good shape.
When you watch him play, you just don't see, and you cannot really tell that he is so old. Even when he plays for the national team, he's always one of the best players on the pitch, bringing others and dragging others along. It's just unbelievable, really. Could he play for Swansea? You never know. But I will be surprised if I see him playing for Swansea in the future.
The Next Modric?
No, I think it would not be fair for anybody to expect any new young players to be on that level because it will not happen. Probably not in our lifetime for a Croatian to win the Ballon d'Or, especially if you know that he won it in the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It's just it will not happen. But of course, young players in Croatia all play football. We are such a talented nation for football in Europe, and every year, every generation, there are always five, six, ten exceptional talents.
For this reason, the Croatian national team is doing so well and has been doing so well, and I believe it will continue like this. Maybe not as good as it was because it's just not possible to be third and to be second in the World Cups and to really compete on the highest level with the highest and the best national teams in the world. But yeah, we will always have enough talent in our team to be able and to be in a position to compete. It just tells you that we are really a footballing nation with lots of talent and also this desire to do well, and to do well for yourself.
Croatian Football
The Next Croatian Star
It's so difficult to predict. Maybe the next one, or in the next year or two, might be Josip Sutalo, who is now with Ajax. And he's a centre back there, and I think his physique and his style of play probably suits a Premier League level, and this is maybe the one that will be soon in England.
It's not easy now to find another one, but let's say he's the one I expect to be there soon. Sutalo to Liverpool? I'm sure all those clubs know probably enough about all those players in other leagues, big teams. So, yeah, it's possible for sure.”
Dinamo Zagreb’s Europa Prospects
They started really well, but in the last two games, they didn't get the results they wanted. So now the future does not look as good as it did after the first three games. But yeah, it's the biggest club by far in Croatia, and they always want to be there. It's a big thing for Dinamo Zagreb to stay in the competition until the spring next year.
But it will not be easy now. They are going through a difficult spell, and then we will see what will happen. So now it doesn't look so promising, but we will see what happens. I'm expecting them to really progress to the next stage in this competition.
Career Reflections
Eternal Derby Memories
When you're part of it, especially when you're very young, you're still basically a fan. When you just start playing, you still think as a fan because all of your friends are in the stands, and you keep talking about the game two weeks before the game, and then it just gets bigger and bigger.
But now, when you get older, the things are looking a little bit different, but still, it's the biggest game by far, and the atmosphere is always crazy. Maybe with so many years of Dinamo Zagreb dominating Croatian football, this derby is not what it used to be, but on the stands, there's always tension, and it's a special atmosphere. Yeah, it's by far the biggest game, and it will always be like this.”
“Incredible” Old Firm Stories
I've heard the stories, but I was never close to being there. But the stories are incredible. All I can say is I played once against Celtic in their stadium and that's one of the best, if not the best, atmosphere that I've ever experienced. I was there playing in the UEFA Cup against Celtic. It was just unbelievable.
It lived up to what everybody had said about it; the crowd, the noise was just incredible. I can only compare it with the atmosphere and the noise when we played in Turkey against Galatasaray. It’s probably down to those two, and Celtic might be the best.
World Cup
"The Big Favourites Are Always The Same"
The big favourites are always probably the same countries. In reality, it's impossible to predict what will happen, but you would expect those big countries in Europe, England, France, and Spain. Germany doesn't look that good at the moment. Italy also, it's even a question if they're going to qualify. But I would say England, France, and Spain from Europe. Of course, I always hope that Croatia is going to do what they did last time or in Russia as well. And then there's always Argentina, who are really still riding the wave of what they did in Qatar.
I would love to see Lionel Messi playing one more World Cup. There's always this magic when he's around that anything is possible. Brazilians don't look really good at the moment, but they're always capable of competing for the title. So, the usual suspects, I would say. A semi-final for Croatia and Luka Modric would be incredible. Every person in Croatia would tell you, we will settle with another semi-final for sure
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