Pavlovic’s first coach makes bold prediction: “One of the strongest defenders in the world” | OneFootball

Strahinja Pavlovic’s first coach Zoran Mirkovic has lifted the lid on the defender’s rise, talking about his skills and comparing him to some of the greats in his role.

It hasn’t exactly been the start to the season that Pavlovic or Milan wanted given that the team are winless after three games in Serie A and have conceded six goals in total, but the Serbian has been one of the few bright spots.

He put in a fantastic performance against Parma, albeit in a 2-1 defeat, then got his first goal for the club a week later at the Stadio Olimpico against Lazio, a side that he was very close to joining in the past before he failed a medical.

Zoran Mirkovic – a former defender who played for Atalanta and Juventus in Italy from 1996 to 2000 – spoke about Milan’s new centre-back signing, who he coached when he was coming through at Partizan Belgrade. His words to Tuttosport have been relayed by Radio Rossonera.

Tell us about the beginning…

“I immediately noticed that he was a serious boy, with a desire to work and improve. He has always had a lot of quality, in addition to being physically structured. Over the years he has become stronger and stronger, he has already had more experiences. And now here he is in Milan.

“He was already a good boy, without any fear. His second match was against Red Star. He was young, but all in all he still is. Now, as soon as he gets the measure of Italian football, he will assert himself even more.

“I am sure that he can only improve. He starts from an important base, he is strong, fast, he wants to become stronger and he has always had an incredible desire to win.”

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Does he remind you of anyone?

“For Pavlovic , joining the Rossoneri is a big step in his career, given that Milan is one of the best teams in the world. But the Rossoneri also did a great deal with him. The player’s potential is really high, he could become one of the strongest defenders in the world in the next few years.

“Of course, he will first have to adapt to Serie A, which is different from Austrian football. But with a little patience he will reach the highest levels. He is left-footed, which is why I would compare him to Chiellini. However, he also has something of Stam and Vidic. It’s a mix of strong people, that’s it.”

Did you expect him to start straight away?

“Honestly, yes. I know his character and his mentality, I had no doubts.”

Who would his ideal centre-back partner be?

“Here we can open a good discussion. I think the important thing is to create a central pairing that understands each other immediately. We talked about Chiellini, think about how strong he was with Bonucci. Pavlovic will have to have the same mindset and the same objectives as his team-mate.”