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Extra Free Episode - The Interview: Udinese & Slovenia Midfield Star Sandi Lovrić (Ep. 378)
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The Italian Football Podcast is delighted to sit down for an interview with Udinese and Slovenia international midfielder Sandi Lovrić for a chat on all things Udinese, Serie A as well as his future.
Every extra interview episode + every Monday weekend review episode of The Italian Football Podcast is free for all.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese, joined, as always, by Nima Tovale. And on today, we are delighted to welcome onto the show Udeneža Midfielder and 31-cap Slovenia International, Sandi Lovricz. Sandi, how are you doing? Thank you very much for joining us. Hi, everyone. I've been very well.
00:00:31
Speaker
It's a pleasure to be here, this podcast, and I'm very happy for the next questions and for the next, what we will speak about. Hi Sandy, this is Nieman. Thank you again for joining us. So
Joining Udinese: Why and Reflections
00:00:49
Speaker
to start off with, you're now in your second season with Urinese. What made you choose Urinese when you left Lugano? And how have you enjoyed your first year in Urina?
00:01:02
Speaker
What made me choose them? It was very clear for me. When I got the call from Udineze, I didn't think twice.
00:01:12
Speaker
It wasn't an easy choice because Indonesia has a fantastic name in the Italian football and also in the European football. And in this moment, I thought it would be the perfect next step for my career to come here to join the CER, to join a traditional club like Indonesia. And for this, how I say it was very, very easy and I chose also very fast. The decision was very fast.
00:01:43
Speaker
So how have you enjoyed your first year or so in Ordina? It was very good. The first year was really special. Also, I had a good impact on the team. I was playing a lot of games. The first, it's always when you come to a new country, the Serie A with the fans, with the new stadiums, it was really a pleasure.
00:02:12
Speaker
and it's still very nice to be here and no denial in Italy. Last season, like you mentioned, you did have a very good season. You scored five goals and that made you one of the best scoring midfielders in all of Serie A. Were you happy with that total and where do you think you can improve as a midfielder? Yeah, it was good. I scored five goals.
00:02:39
Speaker
it could be also some more goals because I had some more chances but in the end I was happy with the year.
00:02:50
Speaker
I was satisfied, but like I always say, as a player, as a person, I always want to improve. And I think I can improve. Everybody can improve. It doesn't matter how old he is. And also me, I think I can improve in a lot of parts of the game. Also in the finishing part, I say I scored
00:03:19
Speaker
Well, it's been a tough start to the season, this season, for Odineze.
Season Challenges and Team Dynamics
00:03:27
Speaker
But you've got Gabriela Cioffi now. How have things been under him? And are you confident that Odineze will start moving up the Serie A table soon?
00:03:37
Speaker
Yes, it was difficult, the first games we didn't win, it was tough, but now we are lucky that we won the last game and also with the new coach, you feel there is something different now in the air, in the team, in the squad, there's some new energy, some new ideas and we are very confident to continue like this and we are happy with the coach.
00:04:07
Speaker
Okay, great.
Football Inspirations and Comparisons
00:04:08
Speaker
And so so going a little bit backwards to your to your youth, Sandy and growing up as a kid, who were your your footballing idols?
00:04:18
Speaker
And this time it was Zina Din Zidane. I can say this was my first, what I remember in this, I remember the 2006 World Cup, how he played. It was something very special for me. And I think in this time, every kid wanted to be like Zizou when you go on the pitch. And then when I was getting older, of course,
00:04:45
Speaker
I always say in every interview, Luca Modric, the way he played, the way he is as a person, his life, his journey as a footballer is quite unbelievable and a very great motivation for me.
00:05:07
Speaker
Yeah, two amazing players, two of the greatest players of all time. And of course, Modric was certainly for a while the best central midfielder in the world. Some may even say still now, but who do you think is the best the best midfielder in the world now in your position?
00:05:23
Speaker
I think right now that Jude Bellingham is doing some things that nobody else is doing. He's dominating the midfield. He's scoring goals. He has an impressive impact on the team and still is very young. I think he's right now at the moment very well. Yeah, incredible, incredible player. Which team did you support as a kid growing up?
00:05:55
Speaker
Yes, Remedrik was always the best player. When you go on the pitch, you pick one player and your team is inviting you.
00:06:14
Speaker
Yeah, that's fair enough. And Oudeneza, you've got some other talented midfielders alongside yourself. Lazar Samicic, who I'm a big fan of, we had him on the podcast last season. How special a talent is Lazar and how good do you think he can become?
00:06:33
Speaker
I think he has already shown his massive talent on the pitch and of course he's also still young, still time to improve, to get better, to show even more his talent but I think when he has the ball on his feet you can see the quality, you can see the feeling on the ball and this is really something special.
00:06:58
Speaker
Yeah, it certainly is. And one other big young talent at Udenezer, who's only 17 years old, is Simone Pafundi. He didn't play so much under Sotil, but I mean, how talented is Pafundi, do you think? Very talented also, and maybe we haven't seen him yet so much in the game, but when you see him on training, you see the quality, how he moves, how he also handles the balance. It's something that
00:07:29
Speaker
not many players have these movements. I think in the next couple of years he will be for sure one of the main players in the Serie A.
Career Aspirations and Premier League Ambitions
00:07:47
Speaker
Well, one of your one of your former teammates, Destinio Dodgy, has been well, he's been one of the best players in the Premier League this season. Do you still follow his performances in the in the Premier League? And did you always expect him to be as good as he's been for Tottenham?
00:08:04
Speaker
Yes, Uddo is crazy, crazy, crazy quality. We saw it already here in Uddin. Even when you can train with players like this every day, you see the quality, the strength, the technique, the power that he has. I'm really happy for him that he's showing this also in the Premier League. Of course, I'm watching the games. I think Tottenham now has an incredible season and they play
00:08:33
Speaker
fantastic football. And yes, you can see also, you saw also here that he is on another level. You certainly did. Would you like to play in the Premier League one day and what other ambitions and targets do you have for your future?
00:08:55
Speaker
Of course, I think the Premier League is the aim for every player in the world because it's the best league in the world and it's for sure, it's an aim to be there. Everybody knows that you have to be very good to be there, you have to work very hard and of course now I'm 25 years old and I
00:09:24
Speaker
I hope that one day I will also join the Premier League, of course.
Slovenia's Football Scene and Talents
00:09:29
Speaker
Well, talking about your national team, let's move a little bit there, because Slovenia, I mean, you've represented Slovenia 31 times, and you're also very close to qualifying for the Euros in 2024. You're top of Group H, you're four points ahead of Kazakhstan in third, and if I'm not mistaken, you play them in the last game of the group. How's the feeling in the camp ahead of this month's very important games?
00:09:55
Speaker
Okay, first of all, the feeling when you represent your country is always special because it's different than the other games because the whole country is looking at you, you're representing your country, so it's always special. And now I'm very happy that we are in this situation. We need one more, let's say, one more victory to
00:10:20
Speaker
to be for sure at the Euro. And this is a goal of us, everybody. And we are working for a long time for this. And now, let's say, we still need this one more step to go there. And I'm sure we will be concentrated. We will let everything on the pitch to reach this goal.
00:10:43
Speaker
And if you do get there, it would be Slovenia's first major tournament since 2010 World Cup and the first Euro since Euro 2000, which I remember as a kid, it was an amazing tournament. I remember an amazing game against Yugoslavia in that game, one of the greatest games I've ever seen. I mean, how would it feel to play for Slovenia at Euro 2024? Not just you, but for the people of Slovenia?
00:11:10
Speaker
I think that the most people think like me it would be special, it would be something I would say after the long years that we are on the main event and I think we will have also a great support from the fans because it's something special and every player wants to play tournaments like this, the main events and I think it will be
00:11:39
Speaker
it would be very special. Another big young talent, this time for Slovenia, Benjamin Sesko is a player I really like. He's regarded as one of the next big stars of European football. How big a talent is Sesko, playing with him, training with him? He's also very good. He's messing
00:12:03
Speaker
is already ready for the highest stage is physics and everybody, his past, his thought and everything. And I'm happy for him and I can't wait to see how his development will go further. And I hope for him that he will stay in a good health and continue like this.
00:12:33
Speaker
Yeah, he has a big future for sure. And one final question just before we finish with the game. There's a lot of Slovenians that have played at Udenaže in recent years, yourself, Jakabiyol, Samir Handanovic, also other Slovenians in Serie A, like Jožip Illacic, who was an amazing player. How much easier is it for Slovenians to settle into Italian football, and at Udenaže especially?
00:13:02
Speaker
Yeah, of course. Samir and Yoyo Illicic, they did things in Italy that were extraordinary. Let's say they opened us a little bit, the dog, to have a good name when you come in Italy. But I think it's now also on us, on me and Jakka, to continue this trip for the next young Slovenians that will come, and it's always
00:13:32
Speaker
I would say it's always special because you represent not only you as a person, but always there is a country behind you and you will give every 900% to do a good impact. I think the guys before us, it's really, really good.
Fun Rapid-fire and Predictions
00:13:54
Speaker
Just before we let you go, we play a rapid fire game with all our guests. So basically, I give you two or three options and you say which one you prefer. You can explain if you want to why, but also if you don't want to. OK. So first one, I think everyone in the world has been asked this. Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Messi. Diego Maradona or Pele? Maradona.
00:14:21
Speaker
What's your favorite food? My favorite food? It was great. I mean, Italy, pasta. What are you currently watching on Netflix or a TV series that you're watching? I'm watching Peaky Blinders.
00:14:45
Speaker
Oh yeah, that's good, that's good. If you had to pick an Udinezer teammate to fight for you in a fight, who would you pick? I would pick...
00:15:04
Speaker
Isaac's Exist. Delafayo said the same thing when we are. OK, you're having a house party. You can invite any five people in the world, past or present, dead or alive, anybody, legends or family, whoever you want. Who would you invite to your party? Five people. Five people, yeah. Michael Jordan.
00:15:34
Speaker
Michael Jackson, Zidane, Jose Mourinho. Who will win this season's Scudetto? Inter Milan, Juve or Napoli?
00:16:02
Speaker
A good question and very difficult to say, but I think my opinion that Inter is maybe the favorite in this moment.
Conclusion and Farewell
00:16:16
Speaker
And finally, pineapple on pizza, food heaven or food hell?
00:16:22
Speaker
Good answer. Thank you so much, Sandy, for joining us. We wish you all the best with Slovenia and Udineso, of course, for the rest of the season. Thank you so much. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank you, man.