Kovacevic: From Sheffield Ignominy to San Siro Glory
Copyright � 2000 Nando Media
Copyright � 2000 Agence France-Presse
MILAN (April 17, 2000 9:53 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Sheffield Wednesday may be heading for Premiership relegation, but a player it unloaded after only a few months, Darko Kovacevic, is the toast of Italian soccer this week.
Three crucial goals in two matches by the tall Yugoslav striker have earned Juventus six points and propelled it into a five-point lead at the top of the Serie A just a month before the season ends.
It's a considerable feat for someone who was bought from Spain's Real Sociedad last summer as a reserve, for when either Filippo Inzaghi or Alessandro Del Piero were unavailable for duty.
Playing down his achievement, Kovacevic said: "I've been lucky enough to score these three goals, but it's the whole team who have played two great games for me ... this really is a great group."
Kovacevic now looks destined for a regular first-team place next season, helped by the fact that Juventus will have midweek European Champions League commitments as well as the Serie A.
Europe has already been a happy hunting ground for the 26-year-old. His 10 goals for Juventus in the UEFA Cup were key to a campaign that unexpectedly went off the rails in a heavy quarterfinal defeat to Celta Vigo. They also contributed to a remarkable scoring rate for someone in their debut season in the world's toughest league. A brace in Sunday's 2-1 win over Inter Milan at San Siro took his tally to
20 in 40 appearances for the Turin club.
However, since most of the time he's been a substitute, Kovacevic's true strike rate is nearly twice as good: the 20 goals have been scored in under 2,000 minutes of actually play - virtually a goal a game.
That performance is bound to secure him a lengthy stay in Italy, a rare piece of stability for the father of two and keen fan of Formula One and tennis.
Kovacevic's playing career started in Yugoslavia, with two seasons at first-division Proleter from 1992-94. His 37 goals in 51 games earned him a promotion to Red Star Belgrade, where he notched another 24 in his first season.
He moved to Sheffield in January 1996, but made only 16 appearances for the Premiership club - scoring four times - before moving to Real Sociedad that summer.
Kovacevic's three years in the Liga provided valuable experience and brought him to the attention of Juventus' new coach Carlo Ancelotti, who was determined to bring him to Turin.
That decision, helped by Kovacevic's eight goals in six UEFA Cup ties last season, has been fully vindicated.
"Next season, there'll be more room for him," promised Ancelotti, who lives in the same Turin apartment block as his protege, as does club director-general Luciano Moggi.
Moggi said on Sunday night: "We knew just how good he was when we bought him, and I'm not surprised at all by what he's done. If anything, I say that Kovacevic can do even better than this."
Italian defenses have been warned.
